Is it worth it? Greater risk aversion with lower life satisfaction among depressed individuals.

Decisions of individuals with depression are often risk-averse. Risk-aversion may also extend to decisions regarding treatment, which may cause individuals to forgo or delay treatment. It is also well established that depression is associated with lower satisfaction with life. However, whether life satisfaction is associated with risk aversion for individuals with depression is not yet known. Three groups of participants (Depressed: n = 61; Chronic pain: n = 61; Comorbid depression and pain: n = 58) completed a clinical interview and several self-report questionnaires, including the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). Participants also completed two utility elicitation tasks: time trade-off (TTO), which measures utilities of health states without implied risks, and standard gamble (SG), which measures utilities of health states in the presence of risk (presented in this study as a hypothetical clinical trial described as having both potential harms and benefits). Risk aversion is defined as the difference in the utility ratings generated via SG and via TTO. For both TTO and SG, individuals evaluated their own depression or pain. When perfect health was used as a hypothetical benefit in TTO and SG tasks, satisfaction with life was not associated with risk preferences, for either depressed participants or participants with chronic pain (all ps ns). However, for participants with depression, when the hypothetical benefit was a more ecologically valid 'mild' depression in TTO and SG tasks, lower satisfaction with life was associated with greater risk aversion (p < .005; p < .03). For depressed individuals, therefore, lower satisfaction with life may be associated with risk aversion regarding treatments when benefits are seen as minor, which may result in treatment avoidance and, consequently, further worsening of both symptoms and life satisfaction.

Barriers to Education: Policies and Perceptions of Individuals With Histories of Sexual Offenses in Higher Education.

Although education has been demonstrated to promote desistance, a person with a sex offense conviction faces numerous obstacles when pursuing a postsecondary education. In the present study, we investigated perceptions of university administrators toward applicants convicted of sexual offenses. Responses were collected through an online survey disseminated to national higher education administrator organizations. Results indicated that 70% of institutions collect information regarding students' criminal histories, with 62% of these institutions taking sexual offenses into consideration in admissions decisions. Furthermore, 39% reported that these individuals face further restrictions if admitted. Overall, 59% of respondents agreed with their institution's policies, whereas a minority felt their policies should be reexamined. This is the first study to explore administrative perceptions of policies regarding applicants with a history of sexual offending and provides data on the restrictions faced by people with a sex offense conviction when applying to and attending institutes of higher education.