Helping skills training: Outcomes and trainer effects.

We studied whether counseling self-efficacy increases after taking a helping skills course as well as whether trainer (instructor) effects are associated with postclass self-efficacy. We surveyed 551 undergraduate students and 27 trainers in helping skills courses across three semesters at one large mid-Atlantic U.S. public university. We found that students reported greater counseling self-efficacy after taking the course. In addition, trainers accounted for small but significant amount of the variance (7%) in changes in counseling self-efficacy. There was evidence that the instructors' authoritative teaching style but not their facilitative interpersonal skills were associated with increases in students' counseling self-efficacy. Implications for helping skills training are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Young Adult Women and Alcohol-Related Problems: The Key Role of Multidimensional Feminine Norms.

Young adult college women are closing the gender gap with respect to heavy episodic drinking and alcohol-related problems. Accordingly, it is important to understand and examine the factors that help explain within-group differences in problematic drinking patterns among this vulnerable population. One promising theoretically-relevant factor that appears to explain problematic alcohol use among young adult women is conformity to multidimensional feminine norms. Feminine norms are the beliefs and/or expectations of what it means to be a woman. This review paper identifies the current trends and limitations of research examining the role of feminine norms on alcohol use among young adult women in college. The review of the literature suggests that relationship between feminine norms and alcohol problems is complex in that there are costs and benefits for endorsing and opposing different feminine norms. Women who endorse appearance and relational feminine norms such as striving to be thin, focusing on their appearance, and maintaining relationships are at heighten risk of engaging in heavy episodic drinking and alcohol problems. Women who endorse feminine norms including maintaining sexual relationships with one partner, endorse the belief that one should be modest, and sweet, and nice, and upholding domestic values are less likely to report alcohol problems. Clinical and future research recommendations are provided.