Partners, Politics and Positive Attitudes: A Rural Community-University Partnership to Enhance School-Based Mental Health Services

There is a tremendous need for mental health services in rural schools and there are valuable resources available in universities for meeting these needs. This paper reports on a three-year grant designed to form a community-university partnership to enhance school-based mental health services in a rural community in Eastern North [State]. Throughout the first year of the implementation of this grant, partners experienced several roadblocks during the collaboration process. However, these partners also learned valuable lessons about how to improve and facilitate this process. Because of the strong commitments of the partners, the first year experience strengthened the partnership. The partners were able to overcome traditional barriers and boundaries that often occur between the community and the university. Progress made in the second and third years was both encouraging and rewarding to all involved and, most importantly, beneficial to the students. The purpose of this article is to share specific information about the process and outcomes in order assist others in developing similar workable and sustainable partnerships

Reactive Attachment Disorder: Challenges for Early Identification and Intervention within the Schools

Attachment is of key importance in childhood development. The quality of attachment relationship between the child and parent/primary caregiver may have an effect on the child and future relationships and social success (Rubin, Bukowski, & Parker, 1998). When a child fails to bond with a caring adult, attachment becomes disordered and children may not be able to bond appropriately or at all with other people. This inability to relate and connect with others may disrupt or arrest not only children\u27s social development, but also their overall development. The purpose of this review is to synthesize information and research on characteristics, diagnosis, and interventions currently in practice in working with young children with Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD). A discussion will highlight the themes found during this review and conclude with implications for intervention and practice

Differentiating Behavioral & Traditional Case Formulations for Children with Severe Behavioral & Emotional Problems

Abstract In this paper, a behavioral case formu lation is contrasted with traditional mental health formulations about children presenting severe behavior problems. It appears to be the conventional wisdom of today that sending children with severe problem behaviors to "counseling" or "therapy" is the best method for changing these behaviors. This belief predominates despite a lack of empirical evidence demonstrating that s evere behavior problems of children are not effectively treated with such an approach. Behaviorists treat these children by altering the maintaining contingencies in the current environment. However, once the structure of the altered environment is no longer present, treatment effects often fail to generalize and the child returns to pre-treatment levels. The traditional mental health model is used to explain why this occurs. A behavioral case formulation approach is presented. It is contrasted with traditional mental health formulations about children presenting severe behavior problems. A real life case example illustrates the utility of a behavioral case formulation and its direct relationship to treatment

How Pre-tenure and Tenured Faculty Can Engage Undergraduates in Publishable Research

Differences in career stage may influence work stress and job satisfaction (Olsen andCrawford, 1998), which in turn can impact attitudes about recruiting, managing, and mentoringundergraduates in publishable research endeavors. Written from the perspectives of a pre-tenurefaculty member (i.e., in 4th year) at a primarily teaching institution (PTI) and a tenured facultymember (i.e., in 38th year) from a large research university (RU), this paper discusses obstaclesfaced by professors at different career stages and institutions while working on publishable researchwith undergraduates as well as strategies to overcome these obstacle

Sex and race/ethnic disparities in the cross-sectional association between depressive symptoms and muscle mass: the Multi-ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

BackgroundThe cross-sectional area of total muscle mass has been reported to decrease by about 40% for those 20-60 years of age. Depressive symptoms may discourage motivation to engage in physical activity such as strength training shown to negate muscle loss. Inflammation related to depressive symptoms may also contribute to muscle atrophy. Physiological differences by sex and race/ethnicity may also modify the association between depression and muscle mass. Evidence on the relationship between depression (or depressive symptoms) and adiposity has been mounting; however, little is known about the depressive symptoms-muscle mass association. We sought to determine the association between elevated depressive symptoms (EDS) and lean muscle mass and whether this varies by sex and race/ethnicity.MethodsEvaluating 1605 adults (45-84 years of age) from the Multi-ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis Abdominal Body Composition, Inflammation and Cardiovascular Disease Study, we examined the cross-sectional association between EDS (Center for Epidemiologic Studies for Depression Scale score≥16 and/or antidepressant use) and computed tomography-measured abdominal lean muscle mass using linear regression. Muscles were evaluated as a whole and by functionality (locomotion vs. stabilization/posture). Covariates included height, body mass index, sociodemographics, comorbidities, inflammatory markers and health behaviors (pack-years of smoking, alcohol locomotion compared to men, total intentional exercise, daily caloric intake). Sex and race/ethnicity were assessed as potential modifiers. Statistical significance was at a p<0.05 for main effects and <0.20 for interaction.ResultsMen with elevated depressive symptoms had 5.9 cm2 lower lean muscle mass for locomotion compared to men without EDS, fully-adjusted (CI=-10.5, -1.4, p=0.011). This was statistically significantly different from the null finding among women (interaction p=0.05). Chinese participants with EDS had 10.2 cm2 lower abdominal lean muscle mass for locomotion compared to those without EDS (fully-adjusted, CI=-18.3, -2.1, p=0.014), which was significantly different from the null relationship among White participants (interaction p=0.04). No association was observed between elevated depressive symptoms and muscle for stabilization/posture evaluating the whole population or stratified by sex or race/ethnicity.ConclusionsIn the presence of elevated depressive symptoms, men and Chinese participants may have lower muscle mass, particularly for locomotion

Difference by sex but not by race/ethnicity in the visceral adipose tissue-depressive symptoms association: the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

BackgroundPrior studies have investigated the association of clinical depression and depressive symptoms with body weight (i.e. body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference), but few have examined the association between depressive symptoms and intra-abdominal fat. Of these a limited number assessed the relationship in a multi-racial/ethnic population.MethodsUsing data on 1017 men and women (45-84 years) from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) Body Composition, Inflammation and Cardiovascular Disease Study, we examined the cross-sectional association between elevated depressive symptoms (EDS) and CT-measured visceral fat mass at L2-L5 with multivariable linear regression models. EDS were defined as a Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression score ≥16 and/or anti-depressant use. Covariates included socio-demographics, inflammatory markers, health behaviors, comorbidities, and body mass index (BMI). Race/ethnicity (Whites [referent group], Chinese, Blacks and Hispanics) and sex were also assessed as potential modifiers.ResultsThe association between depressive symptoms and visceral fat differed significantly by sex (p=0.007), but not by race/ethnicity. Among men, compared to participants without EDS, those with EDS had greater visceral adiposity adjusted for BMI and age (difference=122.5 cm2, 95% CI=34.3, 210.7, p=0.007). Estimates were attenuated but remained significant after further adjustment by socio-demographics, inflammatory markers, health behaviors and co-morbidities (difference=94.7 cm2, 95% CI=10.5, 178.9, p=0.028). Among women, EDS was not significantly related to visceral adiposity in the fully adjusted model.ConclusionsSex, but not race/ethnicity, was found to modify the relationship between EDS and visceral fat mass. Among men, a significant positive association was found between depressive symptoms and visceral adiposity. No significant relationship was found among women

Physical environment may modify the association between depressive symptoms and change in waist circumference: the multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis.

BackgroundAlthough the bidirectional association between depressive symptoms and adiposity has been recognized, the contribution of neighborhood factors to this relationship has not been assessed.ObjectiveThis study evaluates whether physical and social neighborhood environments modify the bidirectional relationship between depressive symptoms and adiposity (measured by waist circumference and body mass index).MethodsUsing data on 5,122 men and women (ages 45 to 84 years) from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) we investigated whether neighborhood physical (i.e., walking environment and availability of healthy food) and social (i.e., safety, aesthetics, and social coherence) environments modified the association between the following: (1) baseline elevated depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiologic Study Depression Scale score ≥ 16) and change in adiposity (as measured by waist circumference and body mass index) and (2) baseline overweight/obesity (waist circumference > 102 cm for men and >88 cm for women, or body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m(2)) and change in depressive symptoms using multilevel models. Neighborhood-level factors were obtained from the MESA Neighborhood Study.ResultsA greater increase in waist circumference in participants with vs without elevated depressive symptoms was observed in those living in poorly-rated physical environments but not in those living in better-rated environments (interaction p = 0.045). No associations were observed with body mass index. Baseline overweight/obesity was not associated with change in depressive symptoms and there was no modification by neighborhood-level factors.ConclusionsElevated depressive symptoms were associated with greater increase in waist circumference among individuals living in poorly-rated physical environments than in those in better-rated physical environments. No association was found between overweight/obesity and change in depressive symptoms

Effects of a classroom-based program on physical activity and on-task behavior

This study evaluated the effects of a classroom-based physical activity program on children's in-school physical activity levels and on-task behavior during academic instruction. Physical activity of 243 students was assessed during school hours. Intervention-group students (N = 135) received a classroom-based program (i.e., Energizers). The control group (N = 108) did not receive Energizers. On-task behavior during academic instruction time was observed for 62 third-grade (N = 37) and fourth-grade students (N = 25) before and after Energizers activities. An independent groups t-test compared in-school physical activity levels between intervention and control classes. A multiple-baseline across-classrooms design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the Energizers on on-task behavior. Additionally, a two-way (time [pre- vs postobservation] x period [baseline vs intervention]) repeated-measures analysis of variance compared on-task behavior between observation periods. Magnitudes of mean differences were evaluated with Cohen's delta (ES). Students in the intervention group took significantly (P < 0.05) more in-school steps (5587 +/- 1633) than control-group students (4805 +/- 1543), and the size of this difference was moderate (ES = 0.49). The intervention was effective in improving on-task behavior; after the Energizers were systematically implemented, on-task behavior systematically improved. The improvement in on-task behavior of 8% between the pre-Energizers and post-Energizers observations was statistically significant (P < 0.017), and the difference was moderate (ES = 0.60). Likewise, the least on-task students improved on-task behavior by 20% after Energizers activities. This improvement was statistically significant (P < 0.001) and meaningful (ES = 2.20). A classroom-based physical activity program was effective for increasing daily in-school physical activity and improving on-task behavior during academic instruction

Additional file 1: Table S1. of Sex and race/ethnic disparities in the cross-sectional association between depressive symptoms and muscle mass: the Multi-ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

Lean muscle mass (locomotion, stabilization/posture) difference between elevated depressive symptoms status (EDS, CES-D>16 and/or antidepressant use)a – Visit 3 CT-scans. (DOC 110 kb

Integrin-Dependent Tyrosine Phoshorylation and Cytoskeletal Translocation of Tec in Thrombin-Activated Platelets

International audienc