College Student Mental Health in the COVID-19 Era: Results of an Expressive Writing Prompt

The novel SARS-CoV-2, or coronavirus, has greatly altered the landscape of college life for students across the United States. The ever-present health concerns and quarantine have been linked to increased anxiety, depression, stress, and post-traumatic stress disorder. To this end, we examined the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the psychosocial health of college students. We explored the impact of COVID-19 on levels of stress and distress in college students using a qualitative expressive writing methodology. Results of this study suggested that the college students included in the sample were moderately distressed – their scores on inventories of depression, anxiety, and COVID-19-related stressors suggested moderate distress

Financial Anxiety Among Caregiving Parents of Adult Children with a Substance Use Disorder

Substance use is a growing concern in the United States, with widespread harms, including substantial costs to individuals, families, and societies, poor outcomes for the substance user, and deleterious impacts on the family and community. When a young adult develops a substance use disorder, a parent or other loved one often assumes a caregiving role, and experiences burdens associated with this role including impacts to emotional well-being and financial stability. The present study examined experiences of financial anxiety in a sample (n = 172) of caregivers of adults with a substance use disorder recruited from online and in person treatment support groups. Regression analyses results indicated that caregivers experienced financial anxiety, and personal experiences of depression, as well as multiple treatment attempts not financially covered by insurance, contributed to reports of financial anxiety. Implications for families, family counselors, financial counselors, and substance use disorder treatment payers are discussed

Estabelecimento de um Índice de Mudança Confiável para o GAD-7

Aim: It is increasingly important for mental healthcare providers and researchers to reliably assess client change, particularly with common presenting problems such as anxiety. The current study addresses this need by establishing a Reliable Change Index of 6 points for the GAD-7. Method: Sample size included 116 online community participants using Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk) and archival data for 332 clinical participants. Participants completed measures of the GAD-7 and the MDI in 2 rounds. Using previously established cutoff scores and Jacobson and Truax’s (1991) method, we establish a Reliable Change Index which, when applied to 2 administrations of the GAD-7, indicates if a client has experienced meaningful change. Results: For the GAD-7, the mean score for the clinical sample was 10.57. For the community sample at Time 1, the mean score was 4.14. A Pearson’s correlation was computed to assess the 14-28-day test-retest reliability of the GAD-7, r(110) = .87, indicating good test-retest reliability. Conclusion: Using the RCI equation, this resulted in an RCI of 5.59. For practical use the RCI would be rounded to 6.Objetivo: É de extrema importância que os profissionais de saúde mental e investigadores consigam avaliar de forma fidedigna a mudança do cliente, especialmente no que diz respeito a problemas comuns como é o caso da ansiedade. O presente estudo aborda esta necessidade estabelecendo um Índice de Mudança Confiável de 6 pontos para o GAD-7. Método: A amostra incluiu 116 participantes de uma comunidade online utilizando a Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk) juntamente com dados de arquivo de 332 participantes clínicos. Os participantes completaram os instrumentos de avaliação GAD-7 e MDI em 2 momentos. Utilizando scores de cutoff previamente estabelecidos e o método de Jacobson e Truax’s (1991), foi estabelecido o Índice de Mudança Confiável (RCI) que, quando aplicado a dois administradores do GAD-7 indica se um cliente experienciou uma mudança significativa. Resultados: Para o GAD-7, o mean score para a amostra clínica foi de 10.57. Relativamennte à amostra comunitária no primeiro momento, o mean score foi de 4.14. Foi utilizada a correlação de Pearson para avaliar a fiabilidade teste-reteste de 14-28 dias do GAD-7, r(110) = .87, indicando uma fiabilidade de teste-reteste boa. Conclusão: Utilizando a equação RCI, o resultado diz respeito a um RCI de 5.59. Para que exista uma utilização prática, é necessário que o RCI seja próximo de 6

Underperformance of African protected area networks and the case for new conservation models : insights from Zambia

Many African protected areas (PAs) are not functioning effectively. We reviewed the performance of Zambia’s PA network and provide insights into how their effectiveness might be improved. Zambia’s PAs are under-performing in ecological, economic and social terms. Reasons include: a) rapidly expanding human populations, poverty and open-access systems in Game Management Areas (GMAs) resulting in widespread bushmeat poaching and habitat encroachment; b) underfunding of the Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) resulting in inadequate law enforcement; c) reliance of ZAWA on extracting revenues from GMAs to cover operational costs which has prevented proper devolution of user-rights over wildlife to communities; d) on-going marginalization of communities from legal benefits from wildlife; e) under-development of the photo-tourism industry with the effect that earnings are limited to a fraction of the PA network; f) unfavourable terms and corruption which discourage good practice and adequate investment by hunting operators in GMAs; g) blurred responsibilities regarding anti-poaching in GMAs resulting in under-investment by all stakeholders. The combined effect of these challenges has been a major reduction in wildlife densities in most PAs and the loss of habitat in GMAs. Wildlife fares better in areas with investment from the private and/or NGO sector and where human settlement is absent. There is a need for: elevated government funding for ZAWA; greater international donor investment in protected area management; a shift in the role of ZAWA such that they focus primarily on national parks while facilitating the development of wildlife-based land uses by other stakeholders elsewhere; and new models for the functioning of GMAs based on joint-ventures between communities and the private and/or NGO sector. Such joint-ventures should provide defined communities with ownership of land, user-rights over wildlife and aim to attract long-term private/donor investment. These recommendations are relevant for many of the under-funded PAs occurring in other African countries.The Wildlife Producers Association of Zambia. CJT was funded with a Claude Leon Fellowship.http://www.plosone.orgam201

Underperformance of African protected area networks and the case for new conservation models : insights from Zambia

Many African protected areas (PAs) are not functioning effectively. We reviewed the performance of Zambia’s PA network and provide insights into how their effectiveness might be improved. Zambia’s PAs are under-performing in ecological, economic and social terms. Reasons include: a) rapidly expanding human populations, poverty and open-access systems in Game Management Areas (GMAs) resulting in widespread bushmeat poaching and habitat encroachment; b) underfunding of the Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) resulting in inadequate law enforcement; c) reliance of ZAWA on extracting revenues from GMAs to cover operational costs which has prevented proper devolution of user-rights over wildlife to communities; d) on-going marginalization of communities from legal benefits from wildlife; e) under-development of the photo-tourism industry with the effect that earnings are limited to a fraction of the PA network; f) unfavourable terms and corruption which discourage good practice and adequate investment by hunting operators in GMAs; g) blurred responsibilities regarding anti-poaching in GMAs resulting in under-investment by all stakeholders. The combined effect of these challenges has been a major reduction in wildlife densities in most PAs and the loss of habitat in GMAs. Wildlife fares better in areas with investment from the private and/or NGO sector and where human settlement is absent. There is a need for: elevated government funding for ZAWA; greater international donor investment in protected area management; a shift in the role of ZAWA such that they focus primarily on national parks while facilitating the development of wildlife-based land uses by other stakeholders elsewhere; and new models for the functioning of GMAs based on joint-ventures between communities and the private and/or NGO sector. Such joint-ventures should provide defined communities with ownership of land, user-rights over wildlife and aim to attract long-term private/donor investment. These recommendations are relevant for many of the under-funded PAs occurring in other African countries.The Wildlife Producers Association of Zambia. CJT was funded with a Claude Leon Fellowship.http://www.plosone.orgam201

Therapist Interruptions: An Examination of Gender and Therapeutic Alliance in Couple Therapy

Alliance is an important predictor of therapy outcomes, and studies examining in-therapy processes that contribute to alliance are needed. This study examines the relationship between interruptions and therapeutic alliance in couple therapy. First sessions of couple therapy from a university-based clinic were coded to examine the frequency of interruptions in therapy. Interruption frequency, interruption target, and subsequent measures of therapeutic alliance were examined to determine associations between those constructs. Results indicate a negative relationship between therapists interrupting men and male and female reports of alliance. Implications for therapeutic alliance and gender dynamics are discussed

The Zambian protected area network.

<p>The Zambian protected area network.</p