Examining the interplay of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms and trait anger as contributing factors to institutional misconduct among justice-involved adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Although justice-involved adolescents have a higher prevalence of trait anger and of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) than adolescents in the general population, these factors have not been examined in relation to institutional misconduct. AIMS: We sought to examine associations between ADHD symptoms and misconduct, including aggression, disruptive behaviours and other rule-violating behaviours among adolescents in a maximum-security residential facility run by the Department of Juvenile Justice and to test the moderating effect of trait anger on such relationships. METHODS: Archival data collected from April 2010 to May 2011 comprising a resident cohort (N = 119) of justice-involved adolescents (mean age = 16.74) were analysed; 30% were White and 70% Black. Self-report measures of ADHD symptoms and trait anger were collected 2 weeks after their admission to the facility. Behavioural write-ups of rule violations issued by facility staff during the month following the collection of these measures were coded according to the different forms of institutional misconduct. RESULTS: Analyses revealed that trait anger significantly predicted disruptive behaviours occurring within a 1-month time frame following the administration of the anger measure; it also predicted all other rule violating behaviours except aggression. ADHD symptoms, by contrast, were only marginally predictive. Trait anger did not moderate this small relationship between ADHD symptoms and institutional misconduct. CONCLUSIONS: These findings that adolescents with a chronic tendency to feel angry are more likely to violate a variety of institutional rules during the first few weeks of admission to a juvenile justice maximum-security residential facility suggest that early intervention efforts are needed to minimise harm within the institution and to prevent these adolescents from continuing on this trajectory, which may affect the conditions of their release.

Internalization of Behavior Management Skills among Teachers in a Specialized School Serving Students with Neurodevelopmental Disorders.

Prior studies suggest that the fidelity of teachers' implementation of behavior management practices in the classroom diminish over time. Establishing how long it takes teachers to fully learn and sustain their independent use of these skills may aid in addressing implementation drift. The primary goals of this pilot study were twofold: (1) determine how long it takes teachers employed at a school serving students with Neurodevelopmental Disorders to internalize evidence-based behavior management practices (i.e., positive reinforcement, direct commands), and (2) establish whether some skills take longer than others for teachers to internalize. We also had the opportunity to evaluate whether a pre-determined threshold of skill internalization (e.g., 50% increase in skill use for three consecutive weeks) as defined in the extant literature translates into sustained skill implementation. Our results suggest that the length of standard teacher trainings may not be adequate given upwards of 2 months is required for the internalization of one skill and the time needed to reach internalization is dependent upon the skill taught and may deviate by at least 2 weeks across skills. However, given the variability observed in teachers' implementation of skills following internalization, this pre-determined threshold of skill internalization may be insufficient and requires further examination in future studies.

How Distress Tolerance Mediates the Relationship Between Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide Constructs in a U.S. Military Sample.

OBJECTIVES: Despite the general suicide rate within the military being comparable to the general population when comparing peers, there are certain branches of the military that have elevated risk. Specifically, the U.S. National Guard has suicide rates that are constantly higher than other military branches and civilian peers. The National Guard are a unique military population in which they frequently transition between military and civilian life. With these unique experiences and heightened risk, military suicide prevention efforts may benefit from further research within this population. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is another concern amongst military personnel and has been linked to suicidal behavior. METHODS: The current study examined the indirect effects that distress tolerance, a protective factor against suicide, has on the relationship between PTSD and constructs within a well-validated theory for suicide (the Interpersonal-Psychological Theory for suicidal behaviors) in a sample of U.S. Army National Guard personnel. RESULTS: Results indicated that distress tolerance had a significant indirect effect on the relationship between PTSD and thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness, and capability for suicide. CONCLUSIONS: These findings are consistent with previous literature examining the relationship between distress tolerance and our outcome variables. These results could have important clinical implications, mainly that intervention strategies targeting distress tolerance could have significant impacts on suicide-relate thoughts.