Onset of alcohol or substance use disorders following treatment for adolescent depression.

OBJECTIVE: This study tested whether positive response to short-term treatment for adolescent major depressive disorder (MDD) would have the secondary benefit of preventing subsequent alcohol use disorders (AUD) or substance use disorders (SUD). METHOD: For 5 years, we followed 192 adolescents (56.2% female; 20.8% minority) who had participated in the Treatment for Adolescents with Depression Study (TADS; TADS Team, 2004) and who had no prior diagnoses of AUD or SUD. TADS initial treatments were cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), fluoxetine alone (FLX), the combination of CBT and FLX (COMB), or clinical management with pill placebo (PBO). We used both the original TADS treatment response rating and a more restrictive symptom count rating. During follow-up, diagnostic interviews were completed at 6- or 12-month intervals to assess onset of AUD or SUD as well as MDD recovery and recurrence. RESULTS: Achieving a positive response to MDD treatment was unrelated to subsequent AUD but predicted a lower rate of subsequent SUD, regardless of the measure of positive response (11.65% vs. 24.72%, or 10.0% vs. 24.5%, respectively). Type of initial MDD treatment was not related to either outcome. Prior to depression treatment, greater involvement with alcohol or drugs predicted later AUD or SUD, as did older age (for AUD) and more comorbid disorders (for SUD). Among those with recurrent MDD and AUD, AUD preceded MDD recurrence in 24 of 25 cases. CONCLUSION: Effective short-term adolescent depression treatment significantly reduces the rate of subsequent SUD but not AUD. Alcohol or drug use should be assessed prior to adolescent MDD treatment and monitored even after MDD recovery

Validation and Measurement Invariance of the Personal Financial Wellness Scale: A Multinational Study in 7 Countries

In 2020, 17.1% of the population in the European Union was at risk of poverty (Eurostat, 2021). Poverty is often assessed using objective measures such as absolute and relative income levels. However, different individuals may experience different levels of financial stress at the same income level. Therefore, it is crucial to have measures that capture the subjective components of poverty. In this multinational study, we tested the validity and measurement invariance of the Personal Financial Wellness (PFW) scale across six European countries (Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain, and the UK) and the US, and six languages (German, Italian, Dutch, Slovenian, Spanish, and English). Results provided mixed evidence for the fit of the expected one-factor structure. Exploration of a modified one-factor structure indicated an improved fit. The scale showed excellent reliability, and convergent and discriminant validity. This suggests that the PFW scale captures subjective financial stress and is a dependable self-report measure. Measurement invariance testing of the modified onefactor model showed metric invariance across Slovenia, Spain, the UK, and the US. Given that scalar invariance was not achieved and the invariance testing was based on an exploratory model, we do not advise the use of the scale for comparisons between countries

Personal Financial Wellness Scale©

©Copyright by Personal Finance Employee Education Fund (http://www.pfeef.org), E. Thomas Garman, and/or John Hoffmire. 1 E. Thomas Garman, Fellow and Professor Emeritus, Virginia Tech University; 1761 Pennecamp Drive, The Villages, FL 32162, USA; Tele: 352-205-4283; E-mail: [email protected]. 2 John Hoffmire, Emeritus, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 12 The Paddock, Oxford, OX1 5SB, UK; Telephone: (44) 1865 701914; Mobile: (44) 78844 72169; email: [email protected] Obtain permission for use from any of the above. All rights reserved

Engage for Equity: A Long-Term Study of Community-Based Participatory Research and Community-Engaged Research Practices and Outcomes

Community-based participatory research (CBPR) and community-engaged research have been established in the past 25 years as valued research approaches within health education, public health, and other health and social sciences for their effectiveness in reducing inequities. While early literature focused on partnering principles and processes, within the past decade, individual studies, as well as systematic reviews, have increasingly documented outcomes in community support and empowerment, sustained partnerships, healthier behaviors, policy changes, and health improvements. Despite enhanced focus on research and health outcomes, the science lags behind the practice. CBPR partnering pathways that result in outcomes remain little understood, with few studies documenting best practices. Since 2006, the University of New Mexico Center for Participatory Research with the University of Washington\u27s Indigenous Wellness Research Institute and partners across the country has engaged in targeted investigations to fill this gap in the science. Our inquiry, spanning three stages of National Institutes of Health funding, has sought to identify which partnering practices, under which contexts and conditions, have capacity to contribute to health, research, and community outcomes. This article presents the research design of our current grant, Engage for Equity, including its history, social justice principles, theoretical bases, measures, intervention tools and resources, and preliminary findings about collective empowerment as our middle range theory of change. We end with lessons learned and recommendations for partnerships to engage in collective reflexive practice to strengthen internal power-sharing and capacity to reach health and social equity outcomes