Psychological assessment of quality of life following liver transplantation

Administered measures of functional status, psychological distress, and quality of life to a consecutive series of 48 liver transplant recipients in follow-up clinic. Results showed that nearly total functional recovery was the norm. Thirty-six patients (75%) had a Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) score of 80–100. Twelve transplant recipients had KPS scores below 80; none were employed, and most had been transplanted within 1 year. In spite of their impaired financial status, eight of these 12 reported being mostly satisfied on the self-report Quality-of-Life Scale (QLS). For the posttransplant sample as a whole, 83% were mostly satisfied with their quality of life. Pre- and posttransplant patient samples were not significantly different in reporting mild emotional distress. Results for the small subgroup with significant objective or subjective problems in achieving acceptable quality of life following liver transplantation were reviewed. Higher than normal emotional distress on the Symptom Checklist (SCL-90-R) was consistently reported by these patients. Prospective studies are needed to identify predictor variables of quality-of-life problems and to develop prevention and rehabilitation interventions.     

Convergent Validity with the BERS-2 Teacher Rating Scale and the Achenbach Teacher’s Report Form: A Replication and Extension

In the present study, we sought to extend instrument validation research for a strength-based emotional and behavior rating scale, the Teacher Rating Scale of the Behavior and Emotional Rating Scale-Second Edition (BERS-2; Epstein, M. H. (2004). Behavioral and emotional rating scale (2nd ed.). Austin, TX: PRO-ED) through the use of convergent validation techniques. The associations between the strength-based domains of the BERS-2 were examined in relation to problem syndrome subscales of the Teacher’s Report Form (TRF; Achenbach, T. M. (1991b). Manual for the teacher’s report form and 1991 profile. Burlington: University of Vermont, Department of Psychiatry). Both measures were conducted with 58 students with emotional disturbance in grades 2 through 12. The overall convergent validity of the BERS-2 and the TRF was strong, particularly for TRF externalizing problems and associated syndromes. However, less evidence emerged for the convergence of domain subscales characterized by behaviors of an internalizing nature. These results provide further support for the use of the BERS-2 in the assessment of the social and behavioral functioning of students with emotional disturbance.     

Views of a good life and allostatic load: Physiological correlates of theories of a good life depend on the socioeconomic context

This research examines the relationship between one’s theory of a good life and allostatic load, a marker of cumulative biological risk, and how this relationship differs by socioeconomic status. Among adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher, those who saw individual characteristics (e.g. personal happiness, effort) as part of a good life had lower levels of allostatic load than those who did not. In contrast, among adults with less than a bachelor’s degree, those who saw supportive relationships as part of a good life had lower levels of allostatic load than those who did not. These findings extend past research on socioeconomic differences in the emphasis on individual or relational factors and suggest that one’s theory of a good life has health implications.     

Discrimination and adolescents' academic and socioemotional adjustment: The moderating roles of family and peer cultural socialisation

Racial discrimination has detrimental effects on ethnic minority adolescents' development. Guided by the integrative model of minority children's competencies and the bioecological model, the current study examined how family and peer cultural socialization independently and conjointly buffered the detrimental effects of discrimination on ethnic minority adolescents' academic and socio emotional adjustment. Using short-term longitudinal data from 245 eighth graders (87% Latinx, 51% female), results suggested that the moderating roles of cultural socialisation operated differently for academic and socioemotional outcomes. Specifically, the three-way interaction results indicated that family and peer cultural socializations appeared to be protective for adolescents' school engagement in the face of discrimination. The significant two-way interaction results revealed that both peer and family cultural socialisation tended to be protective-reactive for socioemotional outcomes, wherein the benefits of cultural socialisation were realised under low-risk but not high-risk conditions for depressive symptoms. Our study provides a nuanced understanding of the moderating roles of cultural socialisation in the links between discrimination and adolescents' well-being, and it highlights the importance of considering cultural socialisation from multiple contexts in examining ethnic minority adolescents' adjustment.