Demographic covariates and vocational rehabilitation services as predictors of employment outcomes of people with physical disabilities: a hierarchical logistic regression analysis.

PURPOSE: Stable employment is essential for the health, psychosocial, and financial well-being of people with physical disabilities (PwPD). Unfortunately, the low employment rate for PwPD in the U.S. exposes them to adverse effects of unemployment, including depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and physical pain. Helping PwPD find gainful employment will improve their general health and well-being. However, few empirical studies examine factors affecting the employment outcomes of PwPD. This study aims to examine the relationship between demographic covariates, vocational rehabilitation (VR) services, and employment outcomes of PwPD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This secondary data analysis study includes 17,598 PwPD from the U.S. Department of Education's Rehabilitation Services Administration's Case Service Report (RSA-911) dataset. Our analysical approach was hierarchical logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: For VR services, workplace support, technology support, job placement assistance, and VR counseling significantly contribute to predicting employment outcomes for PwPD. Even after entering VR services, the demographic variables (age, race, education, referral sources, low-income, long-term unemployment, and disability significancy) were still significant predictors of employment. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this study can be used by state VR counselors and other disability service providers to plan and select effective employment-related interventions to improve the employment outcomes of PwPD.

The alarmingly low employment rate among PwPD significantly impacts their psychological, financial, social, and overall health well-being in the U.S.Vocational rehabilitation services, including workplace support, technology assistance, VR counseling, and job placement support, are pivotal in facilitating employment for PwPD.PwPD who received workplace support exhibited nearly six times higher odds of attaining employment compared to those without such assistance.PwPD who received technology support experienced four times higher odds of achieving employment in contrast to those without technology assistance.

Do Virtues Influence Well-Being: The Role of Perceived Stress.

The positive results of life satisfaction among university students have been well studied in the literature. However, the forecasters of the phenomenon have not been thoroughly investigated. In the current study, multiple models were tested to investigate the mediating role of perceived stress in the relationships between virtues and life satisfaction to fill this gap. When testing the model, the effect of demographic variables was controlled. Data were collected through an online survey from a sample of 235 undergraduates. The participants responded to measures of character strengths, perceived stress, and life satisfaction. The findings reveal that perceived stress partially mediates the relationship between leadership, wisdom and life satisfaction controlling for age and gender. The leadership skills of students can be improved, and age and gender should be considered when studying life satisfaction.

The Impact of Work Incentives Benefits Counseling on Employment Outcomes: A National Vocational Rehabilitation Study.

BACKGROUND: Millions of Americans receiving Social Security Administration (SSA) disability benefits aspire to work and reduce reliance on disability benefits, but find the rules about entering or rejoining the workforce too complex or confusing and fear that working will cause loss of important benefits. PURPOSE: A case control study was conducted to investigate the impact of receiving work incentives benefits counseling (WIBC) on employment outcomes, and its relationship with demographic covariates for U.S. vocational rehabilitation (VR) clients who are SSA disability benefit recipients. METHOD: Data for this study were extracted from the Rehabilitation Service Administration (RSA-911) database. Mahalanobis distance matching procedures were used to match clients who received WIBC with those who did not receive it. Chi-square independence tests and independent samples t tests were used to compare receipt of WIBC and employment outcomes based on the demographic variables. Additionally, chi squared automatic interaction detection (CHAID) analysis was used to divide VR clients into homogeneous groups based on the covariates. RESULTS: Clients who received WIBC were more likely to obtain competitive integrated employment (CIE). Impairment type, referral source, long-term employment and education level were significantly associated with CIE for clients who received WIBC. Additionally, VR clients with sensory/communicative impairments and low-income status were less likely to receive WIBC. CONCLUSION: Modifying VR structure to be more inclusive; understanding of stigma; and increasing the functioning, psychological well-being and self-efficacy of VR clients might improve employment outcomes.

Effects of COVID-19 on Overdose Risk Behaviors Among People Who Inject Drugs in Wisconsin.

BACKGROUND: The United States is currently experiencing the worst epidemic of drug overdose in the country's history. We sought to understand whether changes in drug use behavior and access to prevention services during the COVID-19 pandemic may have contributed to increased drug overdose. METHODS: We recruited adults with a history of injection drug use to complete an online survey during March through June 2021 to assess whether overdose experiences, drug use behaviors, and access to prevention services changed due to the pandemic. RESULTS: Diminished social support during the pandemic was correlated with reporting disrupted access to harm reduction services (P = 0.006) and experiencing an overdose (P = 0.005). Disrupted access to harm reduction services also was correlated with being female (P = 0.03) and reporting feeling pressure to share drugs or equipment (P = 0.01), worrying about withdrawal (P = 0.03), and changes to how and where individuals got their drugs, drug price and availability, with whom and where drugs were used, and the quantity or properties of drugs purchased (all P < 0.01). DISCUSSION: The cumulative impact of COVID-19-related disruptions may have resulted in heightened risk for overdose, as these findings suggest that, in many cases, experiencing one risk factor was suggestive of experiencing several risk factors.

Demographic Covariates, Vocational Rehabilitation Services, and Employment Outcomes of Working-Age Adults with Anxiety Disorders: A Multivariate Logistic Regression Analysis.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the relationships between demographic covariates, vocational rehabilitation (VR) services, and employment outcomes of individuals with anxiety disorders. The specific research question for the current study investigate demographic variables and vocational rehabilitation services as predictors of competitive employment outcomes. METHODS: Data for the present study were extracted from the most recent United States Rehabilitation Service Administration 2018 Case Service Report (RSA-911) data. A purposeful selection, multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the case service report data of 9266 individuals with anxiety disorders who received vocational rehabilitation services based on their demographic variables and receipt of VR services. RESULTS: The results indicated that African Americans and Latinx, people who have completed high school or more, people who do not receive disability-related benefits, and those who received more vocational rehabilitation services were more likely to be gainfully employed. In addition, receipt of financial support for life crises and occupational credentials (i.e., other services and maintenance services) and vocational rehabilitation counseling and guidance services were significant predictors of employment outcomes. Conversely, receipt of supported employment and transition services were negatively associated with employment outcome. CONCLUSIONS: In the present study, we identified VR services that can improve and risk factors that can impede employment outcomes of people with anxiety disorders. We also identified medical, psychosocial, and vocational interventions that can lessen the effect of anxiety disorders on physical and mental health functioning.

Psychometric evaluation of Turkish version of the Perceived Stress Scale with Turkish college students.

BACKGROUND: The Turkish version of the Perceived Stress Scale (T-PSS-10) measures the extent to which situations in one's life are appraised as stressful. AIMS: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the measurement structure of T-PSS-10. METHOD: Two-hundred and thirty-five Turkish university students (93 men and 142 women) completed the T-PSS-10, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), the General Anxiety Disorder 7-Item Scale (GAD-7), and the Inventory of Common Problems (ICP). RESULTS: Confirmatory factor analysis results indicated that a one-factor model did not fit the data, whereas a two-factor correlated model (stress related self-efficacy beliefs, stress related feelings of helplessness) provided a better fit between the model and the data. Significant moderate correlations were found for the stress-related self-efficacy beliefs and stress-related feelings of helplessness factors with depression, anxiety, academic difficulty, relationship problems and health problems. The internal consistency reliability coefficients for the stress-related self-efficacy beliefs and stress-related feelings of helplessness factors were 0.68 and 0.85, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This study provided support for the reliability and validity of T-PSS-10 suggesting that it can be used as a screening instrument by health professionals working with Turkish college students.

Differential vocational rehabilitation service patterns and outcomes for transition-age youth with autism.

BACKGROUND: It is important to investigate receipt of vocational rehabilitation (VR) services, service patterns and outcomes for youth with autism, so that limited public resources can be used more efficiently. METHOD: This study used chi-squared automatic interaction detector, and multivariate logistic regression analysis to investigate relationships between demographic variables, receipt of VR services and employment outcomes for transition-age youth (TAY) with Autism. RESULTS: The results indicate that gender, education level and cash benefits are significant predictors of employment outcomes. After controlling for the effect of demographic variables, several VR services (i.e., job placement, on-the-job support, on-the-job training, maintenance, other services, information referral, and diagnostic and treatment services) were significantly associated with competitive employment. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the results indicate that job-related services were significantly related to employment outcomes for TAY with Autism; therefore, it is important these youths are provided with more targeted job placements and supported employment services (Wehman et al., ).

Validation of the Behavioural Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire-2 for adults with chronic musculoskeletal pain.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The Behavioural Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire-2 (BREQ-2) has demonstrated reliability and validity in the general population; yet the psychometric properties have not been tested among rehabilitation populations, such as persons experiencing chronic musculoskeletal pain. The objective of the current study was to examine the factorial structure and psychometric properties of the BREQ-2 in a sample of adults with chronic musculoskeletal pain. METHODS: Adults with chronic musculoskeletal pain (n=211) were recruited from clinical and community networks in the United States. Data were collected using a cross-sectional online survey and analysed using confirmatory factor analysis, multiple indicators multiple causes analysis, and correlational techniques. Participants completed the BREQ-2 and other measures relevant to self-determination theory, including outcome expectancies, self-efficacy and family and friend support for physical activity and exercise. FINDINGS: Results indicated the intercorrelated model fit the data well. The five factors of amotivation, external regulation, introjected regulation, identified regulation and intrinsic regulation toward physical activity and exercise demonstrated good reliability and construct validity. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence of factorial and construct validity for the BREQ-2 among people with chronic musculoskeletal pain. Implications for rehabilitation practitioners and researchers are discussed.

Vocational Rehabilitation Services and Outcomes for Transition-Age Youth With Traumatic Brain Injuries.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined data provided by the US Department of Education's Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) in an effort to evaluate the relationship between (a) demographic variables and vocational rehabilitation (VR) services and (b) the employment outcomes of transition-age youth with traumatic brain injuries. SETTING: Not applicable. PARTICIPANTS: Data for 1546 transition-age youth (ie, 16-25 years of age) with traumatic brain injuries were examined. DESIGN: Purposeful selection of multivariate logistic regression was employed to analyze the data. MAIN MEASURES: Not applicable. RESULTS: Receipt of more VR services at higher expenditure levels over shorter periods of time was related to case closure in successful competitive employment status. Also, higher levels of education at the time of enrollment in the VR program (ie, bachelor's degrees or higher); nonreceipt of social security disability benefits at the time of enrollment in the VR program; and receipt of VR services such as occupational/vocational training, job search, job placement, on-the-job support, maintenance, and information/referral were associated with competitive employment outcomes. CONCLUSION: Client demographic and VR service-related variables significantly predict competitive employment outcomes for transition-age youth with traumatic brain injuries. Vocational rehabilitation services should focus on the specific interventions that are most closely associated with successful rehabilitation.