Sexual attraction and experiences in the primary care setting: Examining disparities in satisfaction with provider and health self-efficacy.

INTRODUCTION: To test whether sexual minority males and females report lower satisfaction with primary care providers and lower health self-efficacy relative to heterosexual males and females. METHODS: Data from 535 adolescents who participated in one of two randomized clinical trials conducted in a primary care setting were analyzed. Multiple linear regressions controlling for demographic characteristics and treatment condition were used to examine sexual attraction differences in indicators of satisfaction with provider and health self-efficacy. RESULTS: Sexual minority and heterosexual youth both endorsed high satisfaction with providers. Relative to heterosexual males, sexual minority males reported lower self-efficacy in reaching their health goals. Relative to heterosexual females, sexual minority females reported lower confidence in positively impacting their own health, and lower self-efficacy in setting goals and working actively to improve their health. CONCLUSIONS: Sexual minority youth may benefit from additional support from health care providers to enhance their health self-efficacy and reach their health goals.

Provider Use of Time Alone With Adolescents: Differences by Health Concern.

PURPOSE: To examine associations between reports of sensitive health behaviors and the provision of time alone by a clinician during adolescent well visits. METHODS: Data were collected from 547 adolescents who completed a well visit at one of eight clinics. Adjusted mixed logistic regression was used to examine whether reports of sexual behavior, substance use, disordered eating, mental health concerns, and demographic characteristics were associated with time alone. RESULTS: Sexual behavior was found to be significantly associated with time alone, while substance use, disordered eating, a positive depression screen, and suicidal ideation were not. Older adolescents and males were more likely to report time alone, while race/ethnicity had no association with time alone. DISCUSSION: Clinicians may be prioritizing time alone for behavioral concerns differently than for other sensitive behaviors.

The Development and Validation of the FACES-IV-SF.

The Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scale IV (FACES-IV) was developed to capture the balanced and unbalanced levels of cohesion and flexibility in families. Although this measure has been shown to be valid and reliable, its length at 62 items limits utility and uptake in clinical and research settings. This paper details the development of a shorter form of the FACES-IV (the FACES-IV Short Form) using two studies. In the first study, three item-level analyses were used to identify 24 items that provided the best measurement of each of the scales of the FACES-IV. In the second study, the reliability, and convergent and divergent validity of the short form was tested. Results suggest that the FACES-IV-SF is a valid and reliable measure that adheres to the theory underlying the original FACES-IV but may be better utilized in clinical and research settings due to its brevity.

Do the Constructs of the FACES IV Change Based on Definitions of "Family?" A Measurement Invariance Test.

The Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scale (FACES) IV does not provide instructions about which family members respondents should think about while answering questions. This study examined which family members respondents thought about while completing the FACES IV, and if this changed measurement invariance and population heterogeneity of the measure. Using a sample of n = 511 individuals, a latent class analysis showed three distinct classes: Nuclear Family, Family of Origin, and All of the Above. The FACES IV demonstrated measurement invariance across classes on the majority of subscales; however, population heterogeneity tests suggested that the means and variances of the subscales varied across classes. The findings suggest further examination of how the measure functions with unique family constellations is warranted.

Integrating Social Justice into the Practice of CBFT: A Critical Look at Family Schemas.

Many families come to therapy struggling with the negative consequence of social inequity. Family therapy modalities have been developed to address these negative consequences and attend to power and social equity (Transformative family therapy: Just families in a just society. Boston, MA: Pearson Education; Socio-emotional relationship therapy. New York, NY: Springer). We argue that many family therapy modalities can be adapted to include social equity (Applying critical social theory in family therapy practice. AFTA Springer Series. New York, NY: Springer Publishing). Specifically, cognitive behavioral family therapy can be used to address the inequality in social systems that negatively affect the family system. We focus on schema formation and suggest an emphasis on societal schemas within the therapy milieu as a tool to help families see how societal inequality can affect the problems faced in family life.

A Content Analysis of Quantitative Research in Journal of Marital and Family Therapy: A 10-Year Review.

We examined the trends of quantitative research over the past 10 years in the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy (JMFT). Specifically, within the JMFT, we investigated the types and trends of research design and statistical analysis within the quantitative research that was published in JMFT from 2005 to 2014. We found that while the amount of peer-reviewed articles have increased over time, the percentage of quantitative research has remained constant. We discussed the types and trends of statistical analysis and the implications for clinical work and training programs in the field of marriage and family therapy.