Maureen O. Marcenko

Reexamining Adolescent Suicidal Ideation: A Developmental Perspective Applied to a Diverse Population

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that suicidal ideation is a common experience in a general population of African American, Hispanic, and White urban high school students residing in low-income neighborhoods. Based upon a developmental framework, it was hypothesized that once attitudes toward suicide were controlled, ideation would not vary significantly by ethnicity, gender, or psychosocial variables usually associated with ideation. The multivariate analysis revealed that ideation did not vary by ethnicity however, females, substance users, and those with greater tolerance toward suicide, higher family coping, and lower self-esteem were more likely to report ideation. A series of ideator profiles, calculated from the probability estimates, showed that an increase in tolerance substantially raises the likelihood of ideation. The results taken together raise the question of whether it is time to reconceptualize the relationship between ideation and normal adolescent development.

Predicting Impact of Childhood Disability on Families: Results From the 1995 National Health Interview Survey Disability Supplement

Predictors of impact on families with a child who has developmental disabilities were examined using results from the 1995 National Health Interview Study Disability Supplement (NHIS-D). From this sample, 505 children who met criteria for a developmental disability were selected. Predictors of impact on these families were investigated across and within racial groups. A multiple regression analysis was completed on the entire sample, which was divided by race/ethnicity. A separate multiple regression analysis was completed for White, African American, and Hispanic families. Predictors of family impact differed for each racial or ethnic group. Results of this study add to the body of literature suggesting that the meaning of disability and its impact on families is culturally relative.

Perceptions of services and resources as mediators of depression among parents of children with developmental disabilities

Path analysis was used to test the effects of resource perceptions and respite use in a theoretical model of parental adaptation to children with disabilities The amount and quality of respite indirectly affected parental depression via parents perceptions of the adequacy of baby sitting and the time the parent had for herself or himself. Both quality and respite use were related to the helpfulness of the parents social network. The strongest predictor of depression was the parents perception of time resources, which was influenced by the amount of care the child required, the adequacy of money, and baby sitting resources.

Family Decision Making: Benefits to Persons With Developmental Disabilities and Their Family Members

Family involvement in planning and choosing services has become a key intervention concept in developmental disability services. This study (N = 547) modeled patterns of family decision making and assessed benefits to persons with developmental disabilities (DDs) and their family members. A latent profile analysis identified 4 classes that were highly involved in decision making (n = 118), involved only in planning (n = 166), involved only in financial decisions (n = 75), and uninvolved (n = 188). Multiple regression analysis indicated that consumers with DD whose family members were highly involved received more services than consumers in other families. A multivariate analysis of covariance indicated that the family members in the highly involved and planning classes experienced more family member satisfaction than others. Findings have implications for practice.

Does choice influence quality of life for people with mild intellectual disabilities

Consumer choice is a key concept in developmental disability intervention, but relatively little quantitative research has focused on the relationship between choice and quality of life. This study used data from Washington states Division of Developmental Disabilities 2002 National Core Indicators study (Human Services Research Institute, 2001a, 2001b) to examine the relationship between choice and 3 quality-of-life indicators: community inclusion, rights, and opportunities for relationships. Consumers (N = 224) with mild intellectual disabilities participated in the study. Structural equation modeling was used to assess the influence of type of living arrangement and choice on quality of life. Consumers who lived in the community and made more choices had higher scores on quality-of-life indicators. The findings have implications for disability policy, practice, and future research.

Multiple Jeopardy Poor, Economically Disconnected, and Child Welfare Involved

Although the welfare literature reveals a growing number of parents who are economically disconnected, meaning neither employed nor receiving cash assistance, little is known about the prevalence and impacts of disconnection among child welfare–involved parents. This study took advantage of a statewide survey of child welfare–involved parents to examine economic disconnection in this population and to explore the relationship between disconnection and parent engagement in child welfare. One fifth of the sample reported that they were economically disconnected, with several patterns differentiating disconnected caregivers from those who received benefits or earned income through employment. Disconnected caregivers were younger and more frequently had children in out-of-home placements as opposed to receiving services in home than economically connected caregivers. They also reported higher unmet needs for basic services, such as housing and medical care, but were more likely to report financial help from their informal network. Finally, disconnected caregivers reported lower engagement in child welfare services even when controlling for demographic characteristics, chronic psychosocial risk factors, placement status, and maltreatment type. The findings document economic disconnection among child welfare–involved parents and raise important questions about the implications of disconnection for families and for child welfare outcomes.

Dual-System Families: Cash Assistance Sequences of Households Involved With Child Welfare

Dual-system families, those involved with the child welfare system and receiving public cash assistance, may be more vulnerable than families connected to only one of the two systems. This study advances our understanding of the heterogeneous and dynamic cash-assistance histories of dual-system families in the post–welfare reform era. With merged administrative data from Washington over the period 1998–2009, we use cluster analysis to group month-to-month sequences of cash-assistance use among households over the 37-month period surrounding child removal. Close to two thirds of families who received any assistance either had a short spell with Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or lost TANF. Smaller percentages had steady support. Families who lose assistance are less likely than average to reunify while those who connect to benefits are more likely, suggesting that coordination between systems may serve dual-system families well.