Conceptualization of Negative Attitudes Towards People with Schizophrenia in Turkey

Previous studies have shown that stigmatizing attitudes toward individuals with schizophrenia are common in Turkey, and Turkish society has a tendency to reject such individuals. The purpose of this paper, therefore, is to provide an overview of negative attitudes towards people with schizophrenia in Turkey. A systematic search of the literature in Academic Search Complete, CINAHL, ERIC, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO was performed to review these negative attitudes. Six major themes were identified in 32 studies: (a) health care providers’ negative attitudes, (b) family’s and caregivers’ negative attitudes, (c) the public’s negative attitudes, (d) students’ negative attitudes, (e) perceived and internalized stigma, and (f) stigma reduction. The results supported the hypothesis that health care providers, caregivers and families, the public and students have negative attitudes toward people with schizophrenia, which is consistent with the results of studies conducted worldwide

Psychological well-being and cognitive aging in Black, Native American, and White Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center participants

Psychological well-being is associated with cognition in later life but has not been examined across diverse populations—including minoritized communities at disproportionately high risk of dementia. Further, most previous work has not been able to examine links between specific facets of psychological well-being and performance within distinct cognitive domains that can capture subclinical impairment. Using a well-characterized sample followed through enrollment in an NIH-funded Alzheimer’s Disease Center, we sought to test these associations within three racial groups at baseline. Participants were N = 529 cognitively unimpaired Black, American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN), and white middle-aged and older adults (mean age = 63.6, SD = 8.1, range = 45–88 years) enrolled in the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s Clinical Core. Predictors included validated NIH Toolbox Emotion Battery scales assessing positive affect, general life satisfaction, and meaning and purpose. Outcomes included performance on widely used tests of executive functioning and episodic memory. We conducted race-stratified regression models to assess within-group relationships. Black and AI/AN participants reported lower life satisfaction than white participants. Racial disparities were not observed for positive affect or meaning and purpose scores. Across groups, life satisfaction predicted better executive functioning. Similar associations were observed for positive affect in Black and AI/AN samples but not among whites. In general, well-being measures were not related to performance on tests of episodic memory. Our results highlight well-being as a potentially important determinant of late-life cognitive health, particularly executive functioning, that is modifiable if older adults are connected with appropriate resources and supports. Further, psychological well-being may represent a potent target for brain health interventions tailored for Black and Native communities

Evaluating Turkish university students' preferences for mental health therapists: A conjoint analysis approach

Umucu, Emre/0000-0002-3945-6975WOS: 000457598400004Due to fast-paced cultural and societal changes in Turkey, Turkish students now accrue both eastern and western cultural motives, which place Turkish students under stress. However, Turkish students have a stigma toward seeking mental health services. The current study aimed to use conjoint analysis to examine Turkish students' preferences for mental health therapist variables regarding seeking help for adjustment problems to life in college. Students from two universities in Turkey were recruited on a volunteer basis to participate in this study (N = 235). The results indicated that the training institution, age, professional background, geographical region and gender significantly influence students' formation of preferences for mental health therapists. The training institution had the most predominant effect on preferences. Implications for promoting help-seeking and mental health service utilization in Turkey are discussed

Psychometric Validation of a Turkish Version of the Inventory of Common Problems: a Tool for Turkish College Counselors

Umucu, Emre/0000-0002-3945-6975WOS: 000477630500009Transition from high school to college can be very challenging for Turkish students, and poor adjustment can affect students' physical and mental health and well-being. It is important for college counseling center staff in Turkey to have access to screening instruments to identify students with high risk for college life adjustment difficulties. The purpose of this study was to validate a Turkish version of the Inventory of Common Problems (ICP; Hoffman and Weiss 1986) for Turkish college students. Two hundreds and thirty-five Turkish university students participated in this study. Factorial structure of the ICP was evaluated using exploratory factor analysis, resulting in a four-factor structure with the internal consistency reliability coefficients for all factors being excellent to average: (a) emotional problems (Cronbach's alpha = .90), (b) academic problems (alpha = .80), (c) substance use problems (alpha = .77), and (d) physical health problems (alpha = .73). The emotional problems factor, academic problems factor, and physical health problems factor were significantly associated with perceived stress, depression, and anxiety in the expected direction, as measured by the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10; Cohen and Williamson 1988), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9; Kroenke et al. 2001) and General Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) Scale (Spitzer et al. 2006). This study demonstrated that the Turkish version of the ICP could be regarded as a reliable, valid and multidimensional measure, valuable to counseling and health services professionals in Turkey as well as for Turkish international students studying aboard

Doctoral Dissertation Research in Rehabilitation Counseling: 2012

This article continues a series of reviews of rehabilitation doctoral dissertation research. In 2012, there were 30 doctoral dissertations completed from identified doctoral programs in rehabilitation counseling. Dissertations were indexed by research topic, methodology used, model, and statistical analysis. An annotated bibliography is provided. A consideration of institutional productivity and doctoral graduate employment outcomes were also included in the analysis. Results of the current analysis show that a majority of studies comprised quantitative descriptive research designs. Unlike analyses from previous years, advanced and basic statistics were utilized equitably. The proportion of dissertations focusing on attitudes toward persons with a disability was greater than any of the prior reporting periods. Predictive outcome studies and clinical population research also remain prevalent. Implications for the practice of rehabilitation counseling, education, and future research are discussed

Preliminary Outcomes of an Older Peer and Clinician co-Facilitated Pain Rehabilitation Intervention among Adults Aged 50 Years and Older with Comorbid Chronic Pain and Mental Health Conditions

The present study aimed to examine the acceptability, feasibility, and preliminary effectiveness of an older peer and clinician co-facilitated Behavioral Activation for Pain Rehabilitation (BA-PR) intervention among adults aged 50 years and older with comorbid chronic pain and mental health conditions. This was a mixed-methods research design with eight participants aged 55 to 62 years old with mental health conditions including schizophrenia spectrum disorder, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, personality disorder, and adjustment disorder. The quantitative data were assessed from observational methods, a pain rating scale and related measures. We used semi-structured interviews for qualitative feedback on experiences with the BA-PR intervention after participation. Overall, the participants had positive experiences following receipt of the BA-PR intervention. The recruitment and adherence rates for participants were 72.7% and 100%, respectively. Approximately 75% of the participants remained enrolled in the study. Findings from a paired t-test showed the BA-PR intervention was linked to significantly reduced prescription opioid misuse risk, t (7) = 2.42, p \u3c 0.05. There were also non-significant reductions in pain intensity and depression severity, in addition to improvements in active and passive pain coping strategies and behavioral activation. The BA-PR intervention is the first pain rehabilitation intervention specifically designed for middle-aged and older adults with comorbid chronic pain and mental health conditions. Our findings indicate promise for the BA-PR intervention to potentially reduce prescription opioid misuse risk, pain, and depressive symptoms. However, a quasi-experimental study is needed before rigorous effectiveness testing

Assessing Vocational Outcome Expectancy in Individuals with Serious Mental Illness: a Factor-Analytic Approach

Background: Self-determination theory (SDT) and self-efficacy theory (SET) can be used to conceptualize self-determined motivation to engage in mental health and vocational rehabilitation (VR) services and to predict recovery. To incorporate SDT and SET as a framework for vocational recovery, developing and validating SDT/SET measures in vocational rehabilitation is warranted. Outcome expectancy is an important SDT/SET variable affecting rehabilitation engagement and recovery. Aims: The purpose of this study was to validate the Vocational Outcome Expectancy Scale (VOES) for use within the SDT/SET vocational recovery framework. Methods: One hundred and twenty-four individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) participated in this study. Measurement structure of the VOES was evaluated using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Results: Both EFA and CFA results supported a two-factor structure: (a) positive outcome expectancy, and (b) negative outcome expectancy. The internal consistency reliability coefficients for both factors were acceptable. In addition, positive outcome expectancy correlated stronger than negative outcome expectancy with other SDT/SET constructs in the expected directions. Conclusions: The VOES is a brief, reliable and valid instrument for assessing vocational outcome expectancy in individuals with SMI that can be integrated into SDT/SET as a vocational rehabilitation engagement and recovery model in psychiatric rehabilitation

Key components of recovery predict occupational performance and health in peer support specialists.

Objective: The primary purpose of the study was to explore and identify how components of recovery are associated with occupational performance and health among peer support specialists. Methods: One hundred and twenty-one peer support specialists were recruited from statewide peer certification training programs and the International Association of Peer Supporters. Study respondents completed a survey package including demographic questions and psychometrically sound self-report measures. Two hierarchical multivariable linear regression models were conducted to evaluate whether the recovery components of the process of recovery, social support for recovery, and work self-determination (i.e., work autonomy, work competence, and work relatedness) were associated with indicators of occupational performance (i.e., work engagement) and health (i.e., job satisfaction). Results: Work autonomy was associated with the occupational performance indicator, while the process of recovery and social support for recovery were the only recovery components associated with the indicator for occupational health. Conclusions and Implications for Practice: Findings support the importance of work self-determination and social support and recovery for occupational performance and health among peer support specialists. Mental health and rehabilitation professionals should address these key components of recovery when working with and supporting the work well-being of peer support specialists. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved) Impact and Implications—Our findings indicated key components of recovery are linked to work well-being among peer support specialists. Despite the promotion of recovery among service users, there has been limited focus on the recovery process experienced by peer support specialists employed in mental health systems. These findings underscore the need for service providers, employers, and supervisors of peer support specialists to address both recovery and work well-being among peer support specialists. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved