Marriage and Family Counseling

This article provides an overview of marriage and family counseling, including the growth and interest of this specialty within the American Counseling Association (ACA). Areas discussed include the evolution of marriage and family counseling within ACA, standards for training, credentialing, and unique ethical considerations when counseling couples and families.     

Consistency of the factorial validity of the WISC-R for upper and lower SES groups

The WISC-R was factor analyzed for both upper and lower SES classifications from the standardization sample. Both two- and three-factor solutions were extracted, and these solutions generally parallel other previously reported two- and three-factor WISC-R solutions. The stability of these factors was then examined by calculating coefficients of congruence and salient variable similarity indices between matched factor pairs from the two SES groups. The three-factor solution was the most appropriate for both groups, though the two-factor solution was equally plausible. The WISC-R factor structure appears to be invariant with regard to SES.     

Increasing Career Center Accessibility for the Blind

To improve career planning services for visually impaired persons, the career center at Florida State University developed a self-directed program. This article describes strategies for making career information materials and resources more accessible to the blind.     

Comparing computer‐based training and lecture formats to teach visual analysis of baseline‐treatment graphs

Accurate analysis of data is vital to the validation of interventions. As such, there has been a recent increase in studies evaluating visual analysis training procedures. However, past investigations have not evaluated direct and indirect visual analysis training methods with matched instructional content that was systematically designed. Furthermore, training has rarely included assessment of generalization and maintenance of visual analysis skills. The purpose of the current dissertation study was to compare the effectiveness and efficiency of (a) computer‐based training, (b) lecture formats with and (c) without the opportunity to pause, and (d) a no‐training group to teach visual analysis of AB graphs to university students. To make these formats directly comparable, the instructional content was equated by ensuring information and examples were identical across the three training procedures. Eighty‐three students were randomly assigned to one of the four groups. Results showed that all three training formats produced increases in accurate responding compared to the no‐training group. Visual analysis skills generalized to novel graphs and maintained approximately 2 weeks following all trainings. These results suggest that structured approaches that are carefully designed to train visual analysis are effective and lead to gains that generalize and maintain in the absence of training.     

Validation of a single-item measure of usual physical activity

The purpose of this study was to assess the reliability and validity of a single-item measure of Usual Physical Activity and to assess its usefulness as a physical activity tool for perimenopausal women. 188 perimenopausal women participated (age: M = 47 yr., SD = 3; range = 40-55). Data were collected using the Women's Health Assessment Scale, the Physical Activity Questionnaire, the Perimenopause-related Quality of Life Scale, a health history and demographic questionnaire, and the rater. Scores were stable over a 2-wk. interval. Convergent validity was supported by a correlation of .66 between ratings on Usual Physical Activity and the Physical Activity Questionnaire. Concurrent validity was supported by the association of the rating of Usual Physical Activity with three parameters of Body Mass Index, psychosomatic symptoms, and perimenopause related quality of life, known to be associated with physical activity. Highly active women had a lower Body Mass Index than less active and inactive women. Active women tended to report fewer and less distressing psychosomatic symptoms and better quality of life. These findings support the use of rating of Usual Physical Activity to classify perimenopausal women into categories of physical activity.     

Mental Health Utilization Among Diverse Parenting Young Couples

Mental health issues often become apparent as adolescents emerge into young adulthood. The use of mental health services is low among adolescents and young adults, and use is particularly low among minorities. In this study, we examine mental health utilization among diverse young parenting couples. The sample consisted of 296 couples. We used the social–personal framework to examine personal, family, partner relationship, and environmental predictors for using mental health services. We used the Actor–Partner Interdependence Model to assess actor and partner effects on mental health utilization. We also examined moderator effects for gender and internalizing and externalizing behaviors. We found that being female, being White, higher income, more conduct problems, and less anxious romantic attachment predicted mental health utilization. Significant moderator effects included depression × gender, depression × medical insurance, and stress × Latino. Implications for community mental health practice include conducting mental health assessments during medical visits and systematic mental health follow‐up for individuals and couples with identified mental health and support needs. Future research should include married couples and the spouse’s influence on mental health use and examine relevant parenting factors that may also predict mental health utilization among couples.     

Seeking Balance: Decision Support Needs of Women Without Cancer and a Deleterious BRCA1 or BRCA2 Mutation

Recommendations for women with a deleterious BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation include complex medical approaches related to cancer risk reduction and detection. Current science has not yet fully elucidated decision support needs that women face when living with medical consequences associated with known hereditary cancer risk. The purpose of this study was to describe health communication and decision support needs in healthy women with BRCA1/2 gene mutations. The original researchers completed an interpretive secondary qualitative data analysis of 23 phenomenological narratives collected between 2008 and 2010. The Ottawa Decision Support and Patient Centered Communication frameworks guided the study design and analysis. Women described a pattern wherein breast and ovarian cancer risk, health related recommendations and decisions, and personal values were prioritized over time based on life contexts. Knowing versus acting on cancer risk was not a static process but an ongoing balancing act of considering current and future personal and medical values, further compounded by the complexity of recommendations. Women shared stories of anticipatory, physical and psychosocial consequences of the decision making experience. The findings have potential to generate future research questions and guide intervention development. Importantly, findings indicate a need for ongoing, long-term, support from genetics professionals and decision support interventions, which challenges the current practice paradigm.