Assessing Mental Health Providers' Perceptions of Consumer-Providers

To gain insight into the challenges of the occupational role of consumer-provider, the authors describe a program evaluation that assessed mental health providers' perceptions of consumer-providers. A qualitative research design was used to assess non-consumer providers' attitudes toward and perceptions of consumer-providers, perceptions of the quality of services consumer-providers deliver, and knowledge and awareness of consumer-providers' education and training background. Four themes emerged, including: (1) service delivery, (2) comparisons between consumer-provided and non-consumer staff provided services, (3) perception and opinion of consumer-providers' education and training background, and (4) power dynamics. Implications of the findings are discussed.     

Counselors' Perceptions of Ethical Behaviors

A random sample of American Counseling Association members was asked to respond to a 77‐item survey of counselor behaviors and identify whether each behavior was ethical or unethical. Results are categorized by behaviors in which 90% of counselors agreed, 75% to 90% agreed, and 25% to 50% disagreed. Also, changes in ethics education were reviewed and chi‐square statistics were examined for differences based on demographics: gender, age, specialty area and position held, ethnicity, and degree.     

Employment Counselors' Perceptions of Client Needs

This study measures the differences in types of client needs perceived by various categories of counselors, the types of needs they attempted to help their clients gratify, and the needs that were viewed as gratified. Eighteen counselors and 697 clients (or their records) were used in the study. A five-category need classification guideline was used by three outside judges to categorize the list of needs compiled by the counselors; agreement among the judges was such that the classification system was deemed appropriate for this study. Differences in need categories were compared using a chi-square formula and Yates' correction for small frequencies. Significant findings and conclusions are noted and suggestions for further studies are given.     

Student Counselors' Perceptions of Ethical Client Referrals

The 2014 ACA Code of Ethics (American Counseling Association, 2014 ) distinguishes between competence‐based and value‐based referrals. This phenomenological research explored student counselors' (N = 10) perceptions of client referrals across a range of cognitive developmental positions. Findings indicated nuanced understandings of competence, values, referral processes, responsibilities of supervisors, and learning environments. Implications for counselor education and supervision are discussed.     

Counselors' Perceptions of Spirituality in the Therapeutic Process

The authors investigated the attitudes of 147 Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs) in 2 southeastern states concerning spirituality in the therapeutic process. Results indicate that LPCs recognize the importance of being aware of their own spiritual beliefs. Spirituality is also viewed as a universal phenomenon that can act as a powerful psychological change agent. Respondents believe that spirituality is not experienced differently by women and men, although spirituality is believed to be expressed differently as a function of gender. Age of the client emerged as a salient variable. One's place in the aging process and one's perception of the aging process were perceived to affect the client's spiritual search. The results have implications for the training of counselors.     

Stigma by Association: Perceptions of the Dating Partners of College Students With Physical Disabilities

In an investigation of stigma by association, 179 nondisabled students gave free-response and adjective checklist responses in one of four experimental conditions: stimulus person as dating partner of a disabled male, of a disabled female, of a nondisabled male, or of a nondisabled female college student. Adjective checklist results indicated that, as compared with the partners of nondisabled individuals, the partners of disabled individuals were perceived as significantly more trustworthy and nurturant. Content analysis of the free-response item showed that the partners of disabled individuals were more likely to be described as having nurturant qualities than the partners of nondisabled individuals and were less likely to be described as intelligent, sociable, or athletic. Discussion focuses on the significance of these results for understanding disability stigma by association and on the implications of these findings for interaction between individuals with and without disabilities.     

Perceptions of Rehabilitation Counselor Behavior

A comparison of perceptions held by selected rehabilitation subgroups toward counseling behavior was conducted. As expected, rehabilitation counselor educators were most different from state agency personnel in rehabilitation. State agency personnel appeared to value active counselor behavior more than educators. However, the predicted similarity between educators and trained counselors in state agencies and in other settings did not materialize. Differences between subgroups are discussed with respect to possible environmental and group influences. Some implications for communication between subgroups and training programs for rehabilitation counselors are also presented.     

Latina Mothers' Perceptions of Mental Health and Mental Health Promotion

Latina mothers' perceptions of mental health and factors that promote/restore mental health were explored in this qualitative study. Participants discussed the importance of community, safety, and financial stability in addition to conventional factors that are related to mental health. Implications for working with urban Latinas and their families are discussed. En este estudio cualitativo se exploraron las percepciones de las madres Latinas sobre Salud Mental y los factores que la fomentan/restablecen. Las participantes discutieron acerca de la importancia de la comunidad, la seguridad y la estabilidad financiera además de otros factores convencionales relacionados con la salud mental. Se discuten las implicaciones para el trabajo con Latinas residentes en núcleos urbanos y sus familias.     

Exploring University Counselors' Perceptions of Distinctions Between Gifted Black and Gifted White Students

This study examined the perceptions of a sample of university counselors relative to social, cultural, and psychological barriers to achievement among gifted Black and gifted White students. Ninety-three counselors at institutions of higher education throughout the nation participated in the study by responding to a mailed survey questionnaire. Comparisons were made relative to counselors' demographic variables (ethnicity, gender, multicultural training, and geographic locale). The results indicate that the university counselors sampled disagreed with or were undecided about the special dilemmas confronting gifted learners. Moreover, most counselors perceived that gifted Black and gifted White students experience social, cultural, and psychological problems in the same way. The study concludes with recommendations for university counselors working with gifted students in general and gifted Black students in particular     

Teachers' Epistemic Authority: Perceptions of Students and Teachers

The present study examines students' perception of the teacher's role as epistemic authorities, that is, a source of determinative influence on the formation of individuals' knowledge, from three perspectives. First, it examines 7th and 10th graders' perception of their teachers as epistemic authorities. The results showed that a teacher's subject matter, as well as students' age and gender, influence perception of him/her as an epistemic authority. In addition, interest in the subject matter was found to be an important predictor of students' perception. The second part focuses on teachers' self-perceptions as epistemic authorities. The results indicated that teachers' personal efficacy is the most powerful predictor of their self-perception. Finally, the study compares students' perceptions of teachers as epistemic authorities, teachers' self-perceptions in these terms and teachers' perceptions of how their students perceive them. Two main findings showed the following: (a) teachers perceive themselves as being more of an epistemic authority than their students consider them; (b) teachers believe that students perceive them as being more of an epistemic authority than the students actually think.     

Reactions Toward Mental, Physical, and Substance-Abuse Disorders

In this study, participants read 3 separate vignettes describing a hypothetical sibling with each of the following disorders: substance abuse, schizophrenia, and a physical illness. As hypothesized, and consistent with attribution theory, the hypothetical patient with a substance-abuse disorder was perceived as having the most control over his or her illness and the associated symptoms, and the patient described as having a physical illness was perceived as having the least control over his or her illness. Also in support of attribution theory, the hypothetical patient described as having a substance-abuse disorder elicited the most negative emotional reactions from participants, and the patient described as having a physical illness elicited the least negative emotional reactions. Again in support of attribution theory and study hypotheses, participants reported the most willingness to help a physically ill hypothetical sibling.     

教师心理健康的标准和对策

本文首先讨论了提高教师心理健康水平对建设高质量教师队伍及提高学生心理健康的重要性 ,它也是落实素质教育的重要举措。文章还阐述了教师心理健康的标准 ,最后提出了提高教师心理素质的对策。     

Middle School Teachers' Perceptions of Computer-Assisted Reading Intervention Programs

Middle schools often turn to computer-assisted reading intervention programs to improve student reading. The questions guiding this study are (a) in what ways are computer-assisted reading intervention programs utilized, and (b) what are teachers' perceptions about these intervention programs? Nineteen secondary reading teachers were interviewed regarding their perceptions of one of three programs. Emerging themes fell into three major categories: teaching experiences, program use, and technology. Findings focused on the need for programs to engage students in actual reading, to move instruction beyond a decoding focus, to provide books that match student interests, and to increase motivation to read.     

Community Mental Health Service Providers' Codes of Ethics and the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing

This study compared the codes of ethics of 13 professional organizations for community mental health service providers that have been represented at the meetings of the Fair Access Coalition for Testing with the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing (American Educational Research Association [AERA], American Psychological Association [APA], & National Council on Measurement in Education [NCME], 1985) and all those standards cited in the revised Standards (AERA, APA, & NCME, 1999) that the investigators identified as pertaining to clinical assessment, as these standards apply to test users. The results suggest that only 2 of the codes of ethics address many of the Standards. Implications and recommendations for professional organizations are provided.     

Family Caregivers of Women with Physical Disabilities

Cross-sectional, correlational analyses of data from two separate studies were conducted to examine the correlates of adjustment among family caregivers of women with disabilities. Participants included 40 caregivers of women with spinal cord injuries in the first study and 53 caregivers of women with cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, and other neuromuscular disabilities in the second study. It was hypothesized that a negative problem-solving style would be associated with greater caregiver distress in both studies, and that caregiver adjustment would be associated with care recipient depression in the second study. As expected, results indicated that a higher negative orientation toward solving problems was associated with caregiver depression and lower well-being. However, in the second study, caregiver characteristics were not associated with care recipient depression. These data indicate that considerable variability exists in caregiver adjustment. Methodological limitations and the implications for research, service, and policy formation are! discussed.     

学习不良学生的心理健康及其干预

学习不良自60年代成为教育界及心理学界关注的热点问题后,人们对学习不良学生的帮助主要是在学业技能的发展及矫治方面,而学习不良学生的社会性及情绪方面则被忽视了,只是在近期人们才提出应该对学习不良者的社会技能进行干预,并开始特别注意学习不良学生的心理健康问题。研究成果已经揭示了学习不良学生心理健康的侧面;同时,在如何改善学习不良学生的心理健康状况方面,也形成了一些见解。该文就是对这些研究成果的评介。     

心理疾病自我污名:心理康复的一个高危因子

心理疾病自我污名是心理疾病患者内化公众的消极刻板印象、偏见和歧视,形成自我偏见和歧视的现象.心理疾病自我污名会给患者带来一系列的负面影响,是心理康复过程中的一个高危因子.自我污名可能是通过引发患者的消极认知、负面情感和自我歧视行为来危及心理康复过程的.对自我污名的干预应针对患者和社会公众分别加以实施.未来可以从理论构建、测量工具和干预措施的改进,以及去污名与心理康复的融合等方面展开自我污名本土化的研究.     

The Effect of Gender and Self‐Care Behaviors on Counselors' Perceptions of Colleagues With Depression

This study examined the effects of gender and self‐care behaviors on counselors' perceptions of depressed colleagues. Three hundred and six respondents completed 1 of 8 versions of vignettes describing either a male or female counselor responding to his or her depressive symptoms through the use of antidepressants, counseling, alternative therapies, or no course of action. Target counselors who took antidepressants were perceived as more competent than counselors who practiced holistic measures and those who chose no course of action. Target counselors who sought personal counseling were perceived as more ethical than those choosing no course of action.