Adolescents' and Young Adults' Recommendations for Implementing Healthcare Transition in Rheumatology: A Mixed Methods Study.

OBJECTIVE: The goal was to elicit adolescents' and young adults' (AYAs) perspectives about how to implement the Six Core Elements of Healthcare Transition within rheumatology care. METHODS: AYAs (ages 16-28 years old) with self-reported rheumatic conditions were recruited through patient organizations and social media. In Phase One (qualitative [QUAL]), 90-minute focus groups were facilitated to elicit AYAs' reactions to Six Core Elements content. In Phase Two (quantitative; QUAN), a national survey was conducted to determine generalizability of recommendations extracted from Phase One. Mixed methods analyses were conducted by a multidisciplinary team of social science researchers, pediatric rheumatologists, and patients. RESULTS: Although focus group participants (n = 39) were previously unfamiliar with the Six Core Elements, they reacted favorably to its format and content. Participants provided suggestions for how to logistically execute each component in the clinic. Additionally, 3 overarching recommendations emerged that focused on motivating AYAs to engage: 1) frame health care transition as an opportunity for empowerment; 2) implement a structured education plan; and 3) consider the role of parents. In line with qualitative findings, survey participants (n = 137) reported that they would prefer to learn most transitional skills from and discuss developmentally specific topics with their rheumatology team. Participants reported they would likely complete programs to learn transitional skills from allied professionals, via patient portals, or in group settings. CONCLUSION: Incorporating patient perspectives into research and clinical practice is an opportunity to strengthen educational programs. AYAs emphasized the importance of gaining independence and becoming empowered through the health care transition process with structured support from their rheumatology teams.

Gender-specific social support and resilience in nontraditional female college students.

Female college students report higher rates of stress than their male peers. Ineffective stress management contributes to a variety of concerning health outcomes. A number of factors have been shown to promote resilience to stress, such as experiencing positive social support. Few studies have examined if gender-specific social support impacts resilience. The present study investigates if gender-specific social support uniquely contributes to resilience among nontraditional college female students. Participants (N = 57) aged 21 to 54 completed an online survey assessing resilience and perceived social support from females and males. Participants with higher levels of perceived female social support reported higher levels of resilience than those with lower levels of perceived female social support. Perceived male social support was not significantly related to resilience when examined in conjunction with perceived female social support. These findings suggest that perceived female social support may uniquely contribute to resilience in nontraditional female students.

Untapped richness in Erik H. Erikson's rootstock.

Erik H. Erikson published his groundbreaking theory of 8 stages of lifelong psychosocial development in 1950. His theory expanded psychoanalytic concepts of psychosexual development to include the importance of social dynamics; it transcended then-current thinking that psychological development culminated in early adulthood, acknowledging that systematic human development continues throughout the entire life cycle. The theory made Erikson a pioneer in developmental psychology. His last authored book, Vital Involvement in Old Age, rearticulated and elaborated 3 principles that, in different words, are rooted in his original theory of healthy life cycle development: (1) Dynamic Balance of Opposites; (2) Vital Involvement; and (3) Life in Time. Using a lens informed by knowledge gained over the past 30 years and by reflections of one of the original researchers on that project, the current manuscript seeks to spark new interest in Erikson's late-life contribution. It explains the principles in new detail, links them to relevant research, and suggests ways they could enable Erikson's ideas to further enrich gerontological practice and research.