Deborah J. Ebener

The Relationship of Coping, Self-Worth, and Subjective Well-Being: A Structural Equation Model

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between various coping-related variables and the evaluation of self-worth and subjective well-being among persons with spinal cord injury. Positive coping variables included hope, proactive coping style, and sense of humor, whereas negative coping variables included perceptions of stress, dysfunctional attitudes, and catastrophizing. Evaluations of self-worth were determined by measures of self-esteem and acceptance of disability. Quality of life and life satisfaction were indicators of subjective well-being. The results of the study indicate that negative coping has a negative association with both positive self-worth and subjective well-being. Feelings of positive self-worth were found to be positively associated with subjective well-being. In addition, positive coping appears to influence subjective well-being positively by first increasing feelings of positive self-worth. The findings indicate that coping strategies play an important role in the psychosocial adjustment of individuals with disabilities, and subsequently, in their quality of life. The implications for counseling individuals with disabilities are discussed.

Humor coping, health status, and life satisfaction among older adults residing in assisted living facilities

The present study examined the relationships between humor coping, health status, and life satisfaction among older residents of assisted living facilities. A structural equation model with latent variables was specified for the three variables. Health status was expected to directly affect humor coping and life satisfaction. Humor coping was hypothesized to have a direct association with life satisfaction and indirectly affect the relationship between health status and life satisfaction. Participants completed the Multidimensional Functional Assessment Questionnaire, Coping Humor Scale, and Life Satisfaction Index A. The relationships between health status and humor coping and health status and life satisfaction were statistically significant. Both the direct association of humor coping on life satisfaction and the intervening role between health status and life satisfaction were not supported. Humor as a coping strategy seems to be available to older adults who are in better health.

Substance abuse and psychosocial adaptation to physical disability: analysis of the literature and future directions

Abstract Purpose. To analyse the current state of the literature with respect to substance abuse and psychosocial adjustment in persons with disabilities. Method. The two primary databases containing the literature related to rehabilitation and disability issues (PsychINFO and MedLine) were searched to identify articles addressing the psychosocial impact of substance abuse in persons with disabilities. Eleven empirical articles specifically measuring the strength of the relationship between substance use and psychosocial outcomes in persons with disabilities were selected for analysis. Results. Of the studies identified, five were related to spinal cord injury, three were related to traumatic brain injury, one was related to chronic back pain, one was related to HIV/AIDS, and one was related to persons with any type of disability. Each of the studies used different methodologies, measured substance abuse in different ways, and examined different psychosocial outcome variables. Examination of trends suggested that pre-injury substance abuse appears to be unrelated to acceptance of disability in persons with spinal cord injury and negatively associated with satisfaction in persons with traumatic brain injury. Recent substance abuse tends to have a detrimental effect on psychosocial outcomes across all disability groups. Conclusions. Future research, combined with appropriate pre-service and continuing education related to substance abuse and disability for rehabilitation practitioners, has the potential to lead to improved psychosocial outcomes in persons with disabilities.

The impact of humorous media on attitudes toward persons with disabilities.

Purpose: To examine the relationship between disability-related humor and attitudes toward persons with disabilities in business students (i.e. “future employers”). Method: Students watched one of two films designed to reduce negative attitudes toward persons with disabilities (one humorous in tone and the other serious in tone) or no film at all, and completed a measure of attitudes toward persons with disabilities. Results: Results indicated that, after controlling for previous contact with persons with disabilities, age, and gender, students who watched the humorous film reported significantly more positive attitudes toward persons with disabilities. Conclusions: Disability humor may be an effective means of positively influencing attitudes toward persons with disabilities in future employers. Implications for Rehabilitation The acceptance and integration of persons with disabilities into society continues to be limited by negative attitudes. Previous research has shown that employers with positive attitudes toward persons with disabilities may be more likely to hire a person with a disability than employers with negative attitudes. In this study, students who watched a humorous film reported significantly more positive attitudes toward persons with disabilities than students who watched a serious film or no film at all. Consequently, it may be beneficial to embed disability humor into job-placement strategies in order to improve attitudes and positively influence hiring decisions.

Physical Disability and Substance Use Disorders: A Convergence of Adaptation and Recovery

This article explores issues related to substance use disorders in persons with physical disabilities and the commonalities of the parallel research in recovery and adaptation to disability. An approach for converging these areas of research is presented. Parallel research in substance abuse counseling and rehabilitation counseling reveals that quality of life is an indicator of both adaptation to disability and recovery from substance use disorders. Despite this common outcome, the interaction of adapting to a disability and recovery from a substance use disorder has not been adequately addressed in the literature. A more integrative approach to counseling individuals with disabilities may be achieved with a better understanding of the complex relationship between quality of life, adaptation to disability, and substance use disorder. A converged approach to research is discussed in relation to the development of counseling interventions that improve the quality of life of persons with physical disabilities.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CLIENT AGE AND COUNSELOR TRAINEES’ PERCEPTIONS OF PRESENTING PROBLEMS, THERAPEUTIC METHODS, AND PROGNOSES

Research has indicated that counselor perceptions of older adults may influence therapeutic methods. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between client age and counselors’ perceptions of presenting problems, severity of problems, prognoses, and use of therapeutic techniques. Recommendations for client‐counselor compatibility were also evaluated. Counselors were presented with introductory counseling situations that varied by age of client. Participants were then asked to complete questionnaires designed for the purposes of the study variables. Results indicated a significant relationship between the age of the client and the recommended age of the counselor. Other significant differences included therapeutic strategies employed and number of client problems identified. Implications for counselor education are discussed.

Validation of the Spiritual Involvement and Beliefs Scale in a College Student Sample

ABSTRACT This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the Spiritual Involvement and Beliefs Scale among college students. A total of 243 undergraduate and graduate students participated in this study from a southeastern public research one university in the United States. The scale yields good psychometric results in terms of internal consistency, split-half reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity. We discussed the scale’s potential role of serving as an initial assessment tool for spiritually related issues within the college student population.

Locus of control as a mediator between posttraumatic stress and suicide risk: rural implications

ABSTRACT In the United States, rural locations have higher rates of suicide than urban locations. One factor associated with an increased risk of suicide is posttraumatic stress. After a traumatic event, however, individuals from rural places are at a decreased risk of suicide compared with urban individuals. This article examines one possible reason for decreased suicide risk among rural individuals who have experienced trauma: locus of control. Internal locus of control is associated with decreased suicidal behaviours. While there is limited knowledge on the prevalence of internal loci of control among rural residents, self-reliance and independence, constructs congruent with internal locus of control, are prevailing characteristics of rural individuals. In a sample of 187 adults with trauma histories, rural, rural-fringe, and urban individuals do not significantly differ in suicide risk, locus of control, or posttraumatic stress symptoms. Locus of control predicts suicide risk, such that a more external locus of control is associated with increased risk, but it does not mediate the relation between posttraumatic stress and risk of suicide.

Religious/Spiritual Involvement and Beliefs, Frequency of Contact, and Gender as Predictors of Attitudes Toward Persons With Disabilities:

Although much research has been carried out to identify the demographic and psychological variables linked to attitudes toward persons with disabilities (PWD), little research has examined the association between religious/spiritual (R/S) involvement and beliefs and attitudes toward PWD. In this study, a sample of university students without disabilities was surveyed to explore the relationship between R/S involvement and beliefs, frequency of contact with PWD, gender, and attitudes toward disability in four attitudinal domains: inclusion, discrimination, gains, and prospects. Higher endorsement of R/S involvement and beliefs was positively and significantly related to more favorable attitudes concerning inclusion of PWD and the prospects of PWD. Frequency of contact was found to significantly and positively associate with more favorable attitudes about the prospects of PWD. Male respondents reported significantly more favorable attitudes toward PWD in terms of discrimination and gains, whereas female respondents endorsed significantly more favorable attitudes toward PWD for prospects. When controlling for frequency of contact and gender, R/S involvement and belief was found to predict slightly less favorable attitudes about the prospects of PWD. Implications are discussed in light of the interactions between PWD and R/S communities.

Disparities in psychological well-being based on subjective and objective eating disorder recovery statuses, and recovery status concordance

ABSTRACT This research examines how eudaimonic psychological well-being (PWB) relates to variant levels of eating disorder (ED) recovery (full, partial, active ED), both self-defined and objectively determined, and to subjective–objective recovery status concordance. Participants (N = 132; Mage = 30.1) completed an online survey targeting ED symptomology, PWB, and recovery. MANOVAs revealed idiosyncratic relationships between recovery and PWB when objective criteria, subjective perceptions, and concordance were considered. Generally, superior levels of recovery were associated with superior PWB. PWB and clients’ perceptions of recovery should be considered during treatment and in establishing a uniform definition of ED recovery.