Disability Identity Development Scale: A validation study among college students with disabilities.

Forber-Pratt and colleagues' Disability Identity Development Scale (DIDS) is the only disability identity measure that meets all the criteria for rigorous scale development. Little is known however about item fit for the DIDS. PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE: (a) To investigate the construct validity of the DIDS scores at the item and factor level using item response theory (IRT) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA); (b) to investigate convergent validity of the DIDS scores with related constructs; and (c) to determine the reliability of each DIDS factor. RESEARCH METHOD/DESIGN: A convenience sample of 210 undergraduate college students with disabilities enrolled in a west coast 4-year public university participated in this study. Measures included the DIDS, the University Belongingness Questionnaire, and the College Self-Efficacy Inventory. Data were analyzed using the Rasch IRT framework, CFA, Omega reliability, and correlational analyses. RESULTS: IRT and CFA results revealed the data fit a 36-item, four-factor DIDS structure. Three items in the factor measuring adoption of disability community values items were easier, and four items in the factor measuring contribution to the disability community were difficult as compared with other DIDS items. Omega reliability analyses showed strong reliability for each DIDS factor. Correlation analyses found convergent and discriminant validity evidence for the DIDS with correlations with the University Belongingness Questionnaire and College Self-Efficacy Inventory in the hypothesized direction and magnitude. CONCLUSION/IMPLICATIONS: Findings provide evidence for Forber-Pratt and colleagues' theoretically and empirically derived DIDS, advancing the research, measurement, and practical application of disability identity development. Results are aligned with Forber-Pratt's psychosocial model of disability identity theoretical framework. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Responsibility attribution of HIV infection and coping among injection drug users in Malaysia.

This study explored responsibility attribution (RA) of HIV/AIDS infection (i.e., how an individual perceives the cause of their HIV/AIDS infection) and its relationship to coping styles among injection drug users (IDUs) with HIV/AIDS. In addition, this study investigated whether self-esteem, social support, and religiosity mediate the relationship between RA and coping styles of IDUs with HIV/AIDS. Participants were 201 adult IDUs with HIV/AIDS participating in the National Drug Rehabilitation Center in Malaysia. Five measures were used to assess the above constructs. Cluster analysis, analysis of variance, and mediation analyses were conducted. Results of this study indicated that IDUs with HIV/AIDS in Malaysia can be classified into four homogenous attribution groups: external, fatalistic, internal, and indeterminate. Mediator analyses revealed that combination of self-esteem, social support, and religiosity mediate the relationship between RA and coping behaviors. Clinicians working with IDUs with HIV/AIDS need to address the role of RA, self-esteem, religiosity, and social support as these psychosocial constructs are linked to coping with HIV/AIDS. Future researchers should investigate whether enhancing self-esteem, social support, and religiosity can promote active problem-solving coping and reduce the use of avoidance coping behaviors.

Vocational rehabilitation services and employment outcomes for adults with cerebral palsy in the United States.

AIM: The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between vocational rehabilitation services provided and work outcomes among people with cerebral palsy (CP), taking in to account demographic characteristics. METHOD: From the US Department of Education Rehabilitation Service Administration Case Service Report (RSA-911) database, data from 3162 individuals with CP (1820 males [57.6%] and 1342 females [42.4% age range 16-54 y) whose cases were closed in 2009, were used in this study. A total of 1567 cases (49.6%) were closed with clients being categorized as 'successful employment' and 1595 cases (50.4%) were closed with clients being classified as unemployed. RESULTS: Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between services provided and work outcomes with regard to demographic characteristics. Males aged between 26 and 54 years old with higher education attainment were more likely to be employed. Individuals receiving disability benefits were less likely to be employed. After controlling for the effect of demographic and work disincentive variables, five vocational rehabilitation services significantly predicted employment outcomes (p<0.05), including (1) on-the-job training; (2) job placement assistance; (3) on-the-job support; (4) maintenance services; and (5) rehabilitation technology. INTERPRETATION: Medical and health professionals need to be aware of vocational rehabilitation agencies as a resource for providing medical, psychological, educational, and vocational interventions for adults with CP to help them maximize their employability, to address their much needed work adjustment skills, to establish independent living, and to eventually reach their full potential in participation in society.

Received Social Support Scale for Persons with Serious Mental Illness: Preliminary scale development and validation study.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the psychometric properties of a newly developed Received Social Support Scale for Persons with Serious Mental Illness (rSSS-SMI). The rSSS-SMI measures three support domains: Day-to-Day Living support, Mental Health Support, and Adherence Support. RESEARCH METHOD/DESIGN: (a) to examine the item quality of the rSSS-SMI, (b) to investigate the construct validity and verify the dimensionality of the rSSS-SMI, and (c) to investigate the reliability and validity of the rSSS-SMI scores. A sample of 267 community-based case management service recipients with SMI completed the rSSS-SMI and three additional scales (Interpersonal Support Evaluation List-Short Form [ISEL-12]; Symptom Checklist-6 [SCL-6]; Satisfaction with Life Scale [SWLS]). RESULTS: Three items were dropped from the scale resulting in a 21-item scale. Confirmatory factor analysis and Item Response Theory analyses revealed our proposed three-factor model fit the data best, with average loadings at .74 (SD = .09). The three-factor model had higher item discrimination and item difficulty parameters than the one-factor model. The rSSS-SMI achieved strong internal consistency with estimates of .94 (full scale), .83 (Day-to-Day Living Support), .84 (Mental Health Support) and .76 (Adherence Support). The three-week interval test-retest reliability coefficient was .59. Convergent and discriminant validity evidence revealed a small, positive correlation between the rSSS-SMI and perceived support (ISEL-12) and symptom distress (SCL-6) and a small, negative, nonsignificant relationship with life satisfaction (SWLS). CONCLUSION: This study provides preliminary reliability and validity evidence for the rSSS-SMI and confirms our proposed three-factor structure (Day-to-Day Living Support, Mental Health Support, Adherence Support). (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Psychometric validation of the Multidimensional Acceptance of Loss Scale.

OBJECTIVE: To develop and field test the Multidimensional Acceptance of Loss Scale to measure disability acceptance based on the four value changes identified by Beatrice Wright. DESIGN: Quantitative descriptive design using exploratory factor analysis to determine the factorial validity of the Multidimensional Acceptance of Loss Scale. SETTING: The Canadian Paraplegic Association. SUBJECTS: One hundred and sixty-one members of the Alberta, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia and Manitoba chapters of the Canadian Paraplegic Association were recruited for the current study. RESULTS: A four-factor structure accounting for 50% of the total variance was found for the Multidimensional Acceptance of Loss Scale. The internal consistency reliability coefficients (Cronbach's alpha) for the four factors ranged from 0.80 to 0.88. Three clusters of participants with high, moderate and low disability acceptance were identified based on their profiles of Multidimensional Acceptance of Loss Scale subscale scores using cluster analysis. MANOVA results indicated that participants in the three clusters significantly differed on self-esteem, F(2, 154) = 19.78, P < 0.001 and quality of life, F(8, 236) = 5.16, P < 0.001. Participants with high Multidimensional Acceptance of Loss Scale scores have higher self-esteem and quality of life scores than those with lower scores. CONCLUSION: The Multidimensional Acceptance of Loss Scale was found to measure the four value changes in Beatrice Wright's disability acceptance theory in a sample of Canadians with spinal cord injuries. It demonstrated good internal consistency reliability and construct validity.

The meaning of social support for persons with serious mental illness: A family member perspective.

Objective: Social support is essential to the health and well-being of persons with serious mental illness (SMI), and family members are a primary source of this support. Despite the primary role of family in the lives of persons with SMI, family is an understudied source of support. This study investigated the types of social support beneficial for persons with SMI from the perspective of family members. Method: Participants were 14 adult family members recruited from a Bay Area National Alliance on Mental Illness who provided regular support for a family member with SMI. Focus group data was analyzed using NVivo10 and consensual qualitative research. Results: Results revealed five support categories: (a) person-centered support, (b) autonomy support, (c) community participation support, (d) health management support, and (e) day-to-day living support. Discussion: Participants described family supports that are conceptually distinct from traditional models of social support and uniquely tied to SMI-related stressors. Findings are also aligned with the mental health recovery model and self-determination theory. Conclusion: Results advance our understanding of SMI-specific types of social support by describing five support categories grounded in the voices of family members supporting a loved one with SMI. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Measuring social support in rehabilitation.

PURPOSE: To provide a comprehensive and up-to-date literature review of social support and a description of available assessment measures in order to facilitate a theoretical and operational framework for incorporating social support in rehabilitation interventions. METHOD: An overview of the different theoretical models and conceptual dimensions and a description of specific measures of social support are given. The implications of social support assessment for rehabilitation and recommendations for future research are discussed. CONCLUSION: To move forward in this area, a consensus on the definition and dimensions of social support needs to occur which could be obtained through an evaluation of existing measures 1. Practitioners and researchers in rehabilitation need to study measures of social support in order to provide empirical support for scales used in professional practice and in research to expand understanding of this important construct.

Predicting employment outcomes of rehabilitation clients with orthopedic disabilities: a CHAID analysis.

PURPOSE: To examine demographic and service factors affecting employment outcomes of people with orthopedic disabilities in public vocational rehabilitation programs in the United States. METHOD: The sample included 74,861 persons (55% men and 45% women) with disabilities involving the limbs or spinal column who were closed either as rehabilitated or not rehabilitated by their state-run vocational rehabilitation agencies in the fiscal year 2001. Mean age of participants was 41.4 years (SD = 11.2). The dependent variable is employment outcomes. The predictor variables include a set of personal history variables and rehabilitation service variables. RESULTS: The chi-squared automatic interaction detector (CHAID) analysis indicated that job placement services significantly enhanced competitive employment outcomes but were significantly underutilized (only 25% of the clients received this service). Physical restoration and assistive technology services along with support services such as counseling also contributed to positive employment outcomes. Importantly, clients who received general assistance, supplementary security income, and/or social security disability insurance benefits had a significant lower competitive employment rates (45%) than clients without such work disincentives (60%). CONCLUSION: The data mining approach (i.e., CHAID analysis) provided detailed information and insight about interactions among demographic variables, service patterns, and competitive employment rates through the segmentation of the sample into mutually exclusive homogeneous subgroups.

The meaning of social support for persons with serious mental illness.

OBJECTIVE: This study sought to better understand the population-specific types of social support relevant to adults living with serious mental illness (SMI). Our study was exploratory and used a qualitative approach that centered on uncovering the types of social support meaningful and relevant to persons with SMI. METHOD: The sample comprised of 52 adults receiving county mental health services in the San Francisco Bay Area. Data was gathered from 6 focus groups and analyzed using NVivo10 and Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR; Hill et al., 2005; Hill et al., 1997). RESULTS: Six qualitative domains were identified: (a) supportive conditions, (b) day-to-day living, (c) illness management, (d) resources and information, (e) guidance and advice, and (f) community participation support. DISCUSSION: While the 6 support domains share some broad-based conceptual underpinnings with traditional models of emotional and instrumental support, the domains emerging from our study represent supports uniquely tied to the stressors associated with living with SMI, and therefore hold conceptual distinction from traditional types of support. CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS: Findings from this study offer a conceptual framework for understanding social support for persons living with SMI and lay the groundwork for the development of a SMI-specific measure of social support. In addition, our research permits future researchers to investigate the conditions under which social support buffers the impact of SMI stressors, assisting service providers in more effective identification of individual support needs for clinical intervention.

Counselors' and consumers' derived criteria for assessing the effectiveness of rehabilitation services.

This study surveyed a group of rehabilitation counselors and consumers to obtain their consensus regarding alternative measures to assess the effectiveness of vocational rehabilitation service interventions. Results suggest that in addition to employment outcomes, other factors such as psychological, social, and economic well-being should be considered.

The association of stress-coping variables to quality of life among caregivers of individuals with traumatic brain injury.

The purpose of this study was to determine the degree to which stress-coping variables contribute to quality of life (QOL) among caregivers of individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI). This study examined the direct effects of the following variables: functional competency, caregiving appraisal, coping, perceived social support, and family needs on QOL. In addition, the unique variance accounted for in QOL by each set was investigated, and whether perceived social support, coping, and family needs mediate or moderate the relationship between caregiving appraisal and QOL. The sample consisted of 108 caregivers recruited from support groups who were predominantly white females. The majority of care-recipients had a severe head injury. Measures administered were the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List, Family Needs Questionnaire, Modified Caregiving Appraisal Scale, and the World Health Organization Quality of Life--Brief Version. Results showed that the full model accounted for 68% of the variance in QOL; caregiving appraisal, perceived social support and family needs remained significant after other stress-coping variables were partialled; and of these sets, emotional social support, social needs, and perceived burden were the significant individual predictors. Emotional social support and social needs mediated the relationship between perceived burden and QOL.