Psychiatric Symptoms, Psychosocial Factors, and Life Satisfaction Among Persons With Serious Mental Illness: A Path Analysis.

This study explores the effects of biopsychosocial factors on life satisfaction among persons with serious mental illness. Participants in this study included a convenience sample of 194 adults recruited from Texas and Wisconsin. A path analysis was conducted with psychiatric symptoms as an exogenous variable, and illness insight, social self-efficacy, social support, community integration, and life satisfaction as endogenous variables. Beginning with a hypothesized model, a best model was obtained after removing the paths that were not significant and adding recommended paths supported by theory. In the final model, psychiatric symptoms, social self-efficacy, social support, and community integration were directly associated with life satisfaction. Illness insight did not directly affect life satisfaction but had indirect effects. Psychiatric symptoms may be the most important and direct predictor of life satisfaction; illness insight, social self-efficacy, social support, and community integration buffer the direct of effect of psychiatric symptoms on life satisfaction.

The impact of motivational interviewing training on rehabilitation counselors: Assessing working alliance and client engagement. A randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the impact of a motivational interviewing (MI) training designed to improve rehabilitation counselors' counseling skills to promote clients' engagement in return-to-work behaviors and to establish strong working alliance. PARTICIPANTS: The target population for this study was counselors who work for the state vocational rehabilitation (VR) program and their clients. Data were collected from a total of 347 participants (67 counselors and 280 clients) in the experimental and comparison groups, during the pre-and-posttests. STUDY METHOD: A randomized controlled trial was used in this study. The counselors in the experimental group received a 4-hr standardized MI training and a 4-week follow-up coaching sessions. RESULTS: The counselors in the experimental group demonstrated significant gains in their MI competence scores compared to the comparison group. The clients of the experimental group's counselors improved their engagement in VR services and working alliance with their counselors. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this research indicated a need for carefully developed counseling trainings and incorporation of the evidence-based practices in the VR programs to provide better quality of rehabilitation services. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Predicting quality of life in adults with severe mental illness: Extending the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE: The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) framework was used to investigate person-environment contextual factors, mental functioning, activity limitations, and participation as predictors of quality of life (QoL) in adults with severe mental illness (SMI). RESEARCH METHOD/DESIGN: A quantitative descriptive design using multiple regression and correlational analyses was used. One hundred ninety-four individuals with SMI from 4 community-based mental health agencies in 2 states from Southern and Midwestern regions of the United States participated in the study. The criterion variable was QoL. Predictor variables comprised the ICF constructs: (a) demographics, (b) personal factors, (c) environmental factors, (d) mental functioning, (e) activity limitations, and (f) participation. RESULTS: A majority of participants were White (60.3%) and not employed (59.8%). Half of them received Social Security Disability Income and/or Supplemental Security Income (50.0%). Correlations between QoL and the predictor variables ranged from small to large (r = .01 to .63, respectively). The final regression model accounted for 58% of the variance in QoL. After controlling for other factors, social competency, social support, societal stigma, psychological distress, cognitive dysfunction, activity limitations, and participation were found to be significant predictors of QoL in adults with SMI. CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS: The study supports the use of the ICF to predict QoL for adults with SMI. Evidence-based treatments focused on increasing social competence, social support, and participation should be developed to promote rehabilitation outcomes and overall QoL.

A comparison of medication management between older and younger adults living with HIV.

The aims of this study were to examine differences in medication management between older and younger adults living with HIV and to examine the relationship between age and cognitive ability, depressive symptoms, and self-efficacy on medication management. This research utilized a descriptive-correlational, cross-sectional design to compare medication management between older and younger adults living with HIV and to describe differences in predictive factors of cognition, depressive symptoms, and self-efficacy on medication management. Results indicated that both older and younger adults had poor medication management skills and high rates of mild cognitive impairment. While older adults performed worse on the medication management test than younger adults, the results were not statistically significant. In both older and younger adults, cognitive ability and depressive symptoms were predictors of medication management, with cognitive ability being the strongest predictor for both groups. Cognitive ability was a stronger predictor for older adults than for younger adults.

The Multiple Sclerosis Self-Management Scale: revision and psychometric analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The Multiple Sclerosis Self-Management scale (MSSM) was developed to provide a multidimensional and psychometrically sound assessment of self-management knowledge and behavior among adults with multiple sclerosis (MS). This article describes recent revisions to the scale and presents the results of subsequent analyses of the factor structure and psychometric adequacy of the revised MSSM. METHOD: Participants were 197 adults with MS randomly selected from mailing lists of 3 chapters of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Participants completed mailed questionnaires including the MSSM and several additional instruments measuring constructs associated with self-management. RESULTS: Factor analysis of the revised MSSM revealed 5 psychometrically sound factors. Construct validity was supported by factor analysis and correlation of the MSSM with constructs related to self-management. Specifically, the MSSM was significantly positively correlated with MS self-efficacy and quality of life ratings, and significantly negatively correlated with psychological and physical impact of MS, as measured with the Multiple Sclerosis Impact Scale. Internal consistency reliability for the scale was acceptable (α = .85). CONCLUSION: The MSSM, as revised, is a brief, psychometrically sound, and multidimensional self-management scale for research and clinical applications.

Empowerment variables for rehabilitation clients on perceived beliefs concerning work quality of life domains.

This article describes and presents an initial analysis of variables generally associated with empowerment towards perceived beliefs concerning quality of life work domains for individuals with disabilities. The model examines the domains of importance, satisfaction, control and degree of interference of disability that an individual feels towards work. The internet based study used results from 70 individuals with disabilities in varying aspects of work. The variables composing empowerment that correlated strongly with the work domains include: self-advocacy, self-efficacy, perceived stigma, and family resiliency as measured through coping. Quality of Life concerning work was measured through the DSC-C a domain specific QOL instrument.

Work place issues surrounding healthcare professionals with disabilities in the current labor market.

Healthcare professionals, nurses with and without disabilities, administrators and personnel directors were surveyed to explore hiring practices and attitudes towards working with nurses with disabilities employed in clinical settings. Specifically the purpose of the study was to gather and analyze data regarding the perceptions of two groups towards nurses with disabilities: 1) employers and 2) other nurses (with and without a disability). The study defined a nurse with a disability as an RN who has an activity limitation, specifically an altered activity capability which limits mobility, ambulation, strength, coordination, or equilibrium. Findings suggest that nurses are more likely to be willing to work with an RN with a disability if they had worked with one in the past. However, overall acceptance of RNs with disabilities was not broad.