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Aim Poorer physical and mental health often accompany loss of walking in Duchenne muscular dystrophy. This study assessed the impacts of powered wheelchair standing device (PWSD) use on muscle and joint pain, joint angles when standing and mental health in adolescents with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Methods Fourteen adolescents and parents participated in a stepped wedge design study over 12 months. During a baseline and intervention period, adolescents described pain and mental health, and parents reported their child's mental health. Video data were collected to measure hip, knee and ankle joint angles in the preferred standing position. Results Compared with baseline and adjusting for covariates, standing wheelchair use was associated with no change in muscle or joint pain or videoed joint angles in standing. Child-reported Strengths and Difficulties total scores decreased (coefficient -3.1, 95% confidence interval -4.6, -1.5); and parent-reported Personal Adjustment and Role Skills Scale total scores increased (coefficient 7.9, 95% confidence interval 3.3-12.5). Conclusions PWSD use was associated with maintenance of musculoskeletal status and advantages to mental health. Long-term observations are necessary to improve understanding of how to support wellbeing in adolescents with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Previous studies have shown that the presence of age-based stereotypes in the workplace is often associated with lower levels of work engagement and adjustment among older employees. This study examines possible mediators and moderators of this relationship using data from a sample of 2,348 older (age > 50) employees at the Italian national rail company. We test a model in which the effects of age-based stereotype threat on organizational involvement, future time perspective and psychological well-being are mediated by work-age identity integration (how much individuals see their age and organizational identities as compatible and blended). Secondly, we explored whether these effects are moderated by gender and job status. Results indicate that age-based stereotypes are associated with negative outcomes for employees’ work and personal adjustment, and that these relationships are partially mediated by variations in work-age identity integration.

Although parents' structuring of infant sleep is complexly determined, little attention has been given to parents' marital and personal adjustment in shaping sleep arrangement choices. Linkages were examined between infant sleep arrangements at 1 and 6 months and mothers' marital adjustment, co-parenting quality, and depressive symptoms. The final study sample was composed of 149 families (53% girl infants, 86% European American). Bed sharing mothers had lower co-parenting quality, and, at 6 months, more depressive symptoms than mothers of infants in solitary sleep. One-month co-parenting quality was associated with predictable shifts in sleep arrangements from 1 to 6 months, but 1-month sleep arrangements did not predict changes in personal or co-parenting quality. Findings emphasize the need for greater attention to marital and emotional health in influencing family-level decisions about infant sleep arrangements.

We conducted two experiments to test the impact of positive affect on social problem solving. In Experiment 1, participants induced to experience a positive (vs. neutral) affective state generated a greater number of relevant steps to solve fictitious interpersonal problems as well as more effective solutions to the problems. In Experiment 2, participants induced to experience a positive (vs. negative) affective state generated more functional solutions to their own social problems. The positive mood effects observed in Experiment 2 were moderated by dispositional optimism. Our findings have practical implications, as the extent to which individuals are able to generate effective solutions to social problems has far-reaching consequences with respect to personal adjustment and social functioning.

Child- and caregiver-report about parenting behaviors, and caregiver-report of their own symptoms were examined in relation to children's symptomatology following a potentially traumatic event (PTE) among 91 youth. Child-report of hostile and coercive parenting was a salient predictor of child posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), internalizing symptoms, and personal adjustment. Caregivers' own trauma symptoms predicted caregiver-report of child PTSD, internalizing and externalizing symptoms, but not child-reported child symptoms. Implications for assessment and intervention following exposure to a PTE are emphasized.

This study is an examination of the relationship of perceived social support and adolescents' adjustment behaviors over time. The sample (n = 82) included students from two at-risk urban middle schools. Utilizing two measures, the Child and Adolescent Social Support Scale (CASSS; C. K. Malecki, M. K. Demaray, & S. N. Elliott, 2000) and the Behavior Assessment System for Children, Self Report of Personality (BASC; C. R. Reynolds & R. W. Kamphaus, 1998), data were collected at three time points. Results point to a relationship between social support and student adjustment behaviors over time. Specifically, support from parents was related to clinical maladjustment and emotional symptoms one year later. In fact, parent support was still related to clinical maladjustment one year later even after students' earlier levels of clinical maladjustment were taken into account. Parent support was also related to personal adjustment in the short term (6 months). Classmate support was related to students' emotional symptoms one year later. Finally, school support was related to school maladjustment one year later even after students' earlier school maladjustment was taken into account. Implications for school psychologists are discussed. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 42: 691–706, 2005.

This study focused on examining the cross-cultural validity of Bowen family systems theory (M. Bowen, 1978), namely differentiation of self for individuals of color. Ethnic minority men and women completed measures of differentiation of self, ethnic group belonging, and 3 indices of personal adjustment. Initial support for the cross-cultural utility of Bowen family systems theory was observed. Higher levels of differentiation of self predicted better psychological adjustment, social problem-solving skills, and greater ethnic group belonging among persons of color. Limitations regarding the cross-cultural utility of differentiation of self, directions for further research, and implications for counseling are discussed.

Differentiation of self involves the capacity to modulate affect, maintain a clear sense of self, and balance intimacy and autonomy in significant relationships. Given the central role of family relationships for individual functioning, the authors tested whether differentiation mediated or moderated relations between college stress and personal adjustment. Differentiation of self partially mediated effects of academic and financial stress and exerted a direct influence on adjustment. Limitations, directions for future research, and implications for counseling are discussed.

In this study we examined the relationship over time among work experience, psychological distress, and illegal substance use in a sample of 534 women receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. Study participants were interviewed at intake and at 4-month intervals for a period of 2 years. Each interview recorded the number of hours worked in the previous 4 months and the use of powder cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin, or methamphetamines during the same period. To measure the extent of psychological distress, participants were also administered the personal adjustment problems subscales of the Multidimensional Addictions and Personality Profile (MAPP) at intake and at 1-year intervals. A path model was analyzed to assess the temporal effects of employment, drug use, and emotional and psychological distress. Results suggest a cycle in which employment at one time period can reduce the likelihood of drug use in the following period, which, in turn, can lead to improvement in distress. This improvement can lead to an increase in the number of hours worked and further improvement in distress levels. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comm Psychol 31: 223–234, 2003.

The study reported here compared the influences of psychological constructs (job demands and scheduling control) and objective work characteristics (shiftwork, night-work and hospital department type) on job satisfaction, organisational commitment, burnout and withdrawal intentions. Our hypothesis was that psychological constructs have a higher influence on work-related attitudes than objective characteristics of work schedules. In addition to the main effects, we proposed an interactive hypothesis: poor attitudes would result from high demands and low control rather than from other combinations of both psychological variables. Using a sample of 153 hospital nurses in Israel, the hypotheses were generally supported. As night-work, shiftwork and working in intensive care units are unavoidable characteristics of the modern medical environment, these findings are meaningful for improving the personal adjustment of hospital nurses.

This questionnaire study of 939 senior high school students, and a follow-up of 336 of these people two years later, investigated a variety of issues related to religious doubts and their implications for adolescents’ lives. Although average doubt levels were “mild” as measured by the Religious Doubts scale, the greatest doubts were expressed based on religion’s failure to make people “better,” the claimed infallibility of scriptures, and pressures to accept religious teachings. Doubting was consistently related to decreased personal religiousness, and doubt levels remained relatively stable over the two years of this study. Greater doubting was linked with more problematic family environments, and less parental warmth and strictness. There was mixed evidence that doubt was associated with poorer personal adjustment, and when these relationships were investigated within major denominational subgroupings, only (some) associations for mainstream Protestants were significant. Doubting was also associated with an inclination to consult anti-religious sources of information (rather than pro-religious sources), and these styles of consultation also predicted levels of future religiousness.

The nature of students' expectations about university, and their relation with adjustment in university, were examined in a longitudinal investigation. Prior to starting university, participants responded to open-ended questions regarding their expectations about university. At this time, and during their 1st, 2nd, and 4th years of study, measures of adjustment were completed. Four distinct types of expectations about university were identified: optimistic, prepared, fearful, and complacent. Students whose expectations were fearful reported more stress, depression, and poorer university adjustment than did individuals with other types of expectations, particularly prepared. Moreover, group differences in university adjustment existed throughout students' 4 years at university, and were not attributable to self-reported previous levels of personal adjustment or academic achievement.

One hundred and ninety-eight adolescents and their mothers (N = 189) and fathers (N = 136) participated in a 4-year longitudinal study. Adolescent problem behaviour was assessed by the Youth Self-Report (YSR) and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). In addition, parental stress and marital adjustment were determined. Results showed that mothers and fathers showed high agreement, especially about their daughters, whereas parents and adolescents showed little agreement. Agreement was higher for internalising than for externalising behaviours. In general, adolescents reported more symptomatology than their parents did. However, mothers' ratings of their children's behaviours were significantly correlated with adolescents' self-ratings, but fathers' ratings were not. Statistical tests of correlations showed that mothers experiencing stress caused by marital problems perceived more problem behaviours in their children. Fathers' perceptions were relatively unaffected by personal adjustment. However, poor marital adjustment perceived by both parents showed a significant negative relation to adolescent externalising problem behaviour.

An extensive survey of problems encountered by foreign students of the University of the Ryukyus and the resulting levels of stress was carried out in order to determine the main stressors hindering academic progress and personal adjustment. Subjectively perceived stress levels after arrival in Japan were obtained from 134 subjects through a comprehensive questionnaire for reporting specific stressors. The 30-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) was included to assess mental health state. Differences in scores by area of origin were also determined for the total GHQ scores and its sub-scales. The GHQ results showed that regardless of length of time in Japan, more than 60% of the subjects scored within a range usually indicative of a mental health risk. Mean scores by area of origin showed a 50% reduction over time for non-Chinese Asians and North American/Europeans, but only a reduction of 1.1% or less for Chinese, Latin American, Middle/Near Eastern and African subjects. Limitations in achievement of academic goals were reported by the greatest number of students as causing moderate to excessive stress (57.5%); most frequently reported causes were language inadequacy (55.2%), reference materials unavailable (34.3%), unfamiliarity with Japanese study methods (32.1%), and inadequate guidance from teachers/advisors (26.9%). Various social, personal and daily life problems in the non-academic setting were also reported as causing high stress levels. Most of the stressors identified are not considered inevitable and point toward directions to pursue in preventive strategies in mitigating psychological distress and maladjustment of students.

This study tested the relationships of bases of leader power (coercive, reward, legitimate, expert, and referent) to subordinates' organizational commitment and of power bases and commitment to subordinates' effectiveness (performance, conformance, dependability, and personal adjustment). Two hundred fifty employees and their supervisors from three banks in Bangladesh were individually interviewed to fill out the Rahim Leader Power Inventory, Organizational Commitment Questionnaire, and Minnesota Satisfactoriness Scales, to measure power, commitment, and effectiveness, respectively. Two stepwise hierarchical regression analyses showed that legitimate and expert power bases were positively associated with commitment. Coercive power was negatively associated with effectiveness and expert power was positively associated with the same. Implications of the findings for international managers working in developing countries are discussed. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

The authors examined the moderating effect of goal instability on the benefits of components of perceived social support on entering freshmen's academic and personal adjustment. A significant interaction was identified between goal instability and two components of social support: appraised and belonging. Low goal-directed individuals reporting low appraised social support reported lower levels of personal adjustment than did high goal-directed individuals with the same level of appraised social support. In addition, high goal-directed individuals reporting a high sense of belonging reported greater personal adjustment than did high goal-directed individuals with low reported sense of belonging. Implications for the role of goal directedness and social support on improving college adjustment are discussed.

The current study explored whether college students' reported participation in one of four theoretically distinct family alignments was differentially related to their scores on a multidimensional measure of college adjustment. Students were classified into one of four family alignment groups (noncoalition, mother-coalition, father-coalition, and triangulation) on the basis of their comparative levels of conflictual independence from each parent. Results suggest that students' academic and personal adjustment are differentially affected by the nature of the parent-student conflictual alignment. Results also support the consideration of a family perspective when evaluating the student's adaptation to the college environment.

Addressed three questions in a study designed to identify problems in adapting psychosocial measures for outcome evaluation of drug abuse treatment. Answers were sought by comparing samples of consecutive admissions to a drug dependence treatment center (N = 201) and to an inpatient psychiatric unit (N = 159) on home and community adjustment ratings (Personal Adjustment and Role Skills scales, Ellsworth, 1975) by self and significant others. For question one (Are there unique problems in gathering outcome data?), drug users' informants returned significantly fewer ratings: return rates were higher for drug users more seriously disturbed. For question two (Are data "reliable?"), comparable agreement was observed between self and other ratings for both drug users and psychiatric Ss; drug users' outcome data are as "reliable," but not as retrievable, as psychiatric outcome data. For question three (Is outcome change unique?), drug users rated as improving significantly more than psychiatric Ss in employment and in drug abuse. Several methodological issues must be resolved, however, before psychosocial outcome data may be used in comparative studies of drug abuse treatment effectiveness.

This paper examines the long-term effect of Spiritist cult social process on those who become healing mediums. Although many studies have shown spirit cults to exert a positive therapeutic influence on their clients, a longitudinal perspective shows that cult socialization may lead to a reverse of the initial benefits. Clients who are diagnosed as seriously disturbed and whose cure depends on their training as healing mediums do initially appear to undergo extensive personal transformations. However, this new personal adjustment can be threatened or even reversed by the dynamics of the cult group itself.

Classified MMPI profiles of 61 male and 119 female Italian psychiatric outpatients as neurotic (N = 100), psychotic (N = 45), or indeterminate (N = 35) by means of the Meehl-Dahlstrom rules. These classifications were uninfluenced by age or sex. Real and ideal self descriptions on the Adjective Check List (ACL) also were obtained. Thirteen of the 24 ACL scales scored on the real protocols differentiated significantly (P < .05) among the three subgroups. Adequacy of personal adjustment, as inferred from these differences, was poorest for patients with "psychotic" MMPI profiles, next poorest for the indeterminates, and best for those in the neurotic category. Personal Adjustment was the lowest ACL scale for all three subgroups. Only one ideal self scale differentiated significantly among the three subgroups. Also, the ideal self profile for the total sample of 180 patients was almost perfectly correlated with that for a sample of 229 nonpatients. Descriptions of the real self appear to be related systematically and meaningfully to psychiatric status as indicated by the Meehl-Dahlstrom, rules, whereas descriptions of the ideal self are not associated with diagnosis.

Examined the relationship among sex-role categories and indices of social/personal adjustment and psychiatric symptoms in a male alcoholic (N = 123) population. No significant relationships were found between PRF sex-role categories and measures of distress, mood disturbance and psychiatric symptomatology; nor was sex-role type found to be associated with behaviors common to alcoholism. These findings differ from those of others, which report that less sex-typed males have more adjustment problems. The inability to demonstrate a relationship between maladjustment and the PRF ANDRO typology raises the question whether sex-role affiliation is largely independent of factors suggestive of poor mental health.

Investigated race and sex differences of lower-class adolescents ( N = 76) on the MMPI, cynicism, estrangement, and ACL personal adjustment scales. Results revealed no racial differences on MMPI clinical scales or the ACL personal adjustment scale. Significant racial differences on L, F, and cynicism supported the interpretation of cultural differences rather than differential racial adjustment. Sex differences were more prevalent than race differences and discussion cautioned against overlooking sex differences in favor of racial differences and cautioned against the use of the K correction procedure with MMPIs obtained from adolescents.

Forty-seven parents from 25 families who had lost a son in the War of Attrition of 1969–1970 were interviewed in the course of this study. The interviews teok place 2–3 years after the bereavement. The purpose of the study was an assessment of personal adjustment of bereaved parents, and an examination of background and behavioural characteristics which might differentiate between parents making a better and less good adjustment to the loss of a son. To this end data were collected via semistructured interviews. Non-objective variables: religiosity, social interpersonal relationships and adjustment were rated by independent judges. Reliability of interjudge agreement ranged from 0·67 to 1·00. Hypotheses were tested using correlation matrices. The hypothesis stating a positive relationship of high religiosity and good adjustment was not confirmed. The results suggest a very significant relationship between good adjustment and level of education (r = 0·668, α > 0·01). Level of education was responsible for most of the variance and thus made impossible an answer regarding the relationship between religiosity and recovery after bereavement. To elucidate religiosity's function in adjustment, control of education level would be necessary. While this was not done in the present study, a further research plan was suggested. The hypothesis stating a positive correlational relationship between adjustment and interpersonal skills as reflected in social contacts and marital relations was confirmed (r = 0·735, r = 0·573, α > 0·01). The findings of this study suggest that individuals who have suffered a severe stress, may gain strength, encouragement and compensation when their life style includes higher educational level and satisfying interactions with other people.

The major objectives of this research were to explore two basic general questions: (1) does race, sex, or grade influence clothing and social and personal adjustment variables, and (2) what are the relationships among clothing attitudes and adjustment variables? The subjects were 213 fe males and males (age range 14–19), Blacks and Whites, ninth and tenth grade, in a city high school. Demographic facts of race, sex, and grade were transcribed from school records. A question naire was designed in three sections to collect data for clothing attitudes and social and personal adjustment variables. Differences in race, sex, and grade were tested by analysis of variance. Chi-square statistics were computed to test that the coefficients of correlation were from the same population. Race, sex, and grade did not have an effect on the clothing attitude, dressing for self. Sex had an effect on feelings of clothing deprivation, with females experiencing more deprivation than males. The effect of sex on dressing for others indicated that females more than males were likely to dress for others. The white subjects regarded dressing for others as more important than the black subjects. Tenth grade subjects regarded dressing for others as more important than 9th grade sub jects. Self-acceptance was affected by sex. Females had lower self-acceptance than the males, with black 10th graders having the lowest self-acceptance. Black subjects accepted Blacks socially, and Whites accepted Whites.

Evaluated the personal adjustment of counseling center clients (N = 60) whose MMPI's highest scale score was a Sc over 70. Analysis of case notes showed that while these clients posed more difficult counseling problems than the average client, the severity of disturbance was markedly less than one would expect from a sample with a mean Sc score of 91. An exploratory stepwise regression analysis indicated that chronic adjustment correlated significantly, R = .79, to an equation in which Sc, MA, R, DY, and Do had positive coefficients and HY, ES and CN negative coefficients. This regression equation also related significantly to the incidence of role identity problems, p less than .01; counselor judgment of client improvement, p less than .001; and bizarre ideation, p less than .001. Consideration of present client stress and prior adjustment factors was discussed as important in formulating less psychopathological interpretations for MMPI profiles with markedly elevated Sc scores.

A pair of studies assessed the validity of two American instruments for use with British samples: the Personal Attributes Questionnaire (PAQ) as a measure of masculine/instrumental and feminine/expressive traits, and the Texas Social Behavior Inventory (TSBI) as a measure of social self-esteem. Relationships also were explored between gender stereotypes and psychological malaise, as measured by the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ). Data from both studies verified the suitability of the PAQ and the TSBI for use with British adolescent samples. In Study 2, relationships between gender stereotypes and measures of personal adjustment were obtained, providing a partial replication of results previously reported for American samples (Spence & Helmreich, 1978).

The hypothesis associating psychological androgyny with greater personal adjustment has recently been contradicted in several studies in which masculine individuals, regardless of gender, generally appeared to be better adjusted than either androgynous or feminine persons. In the present research, five studies involving 363 subjects tested the hypothesis that such data may reflect a culture that values and differentially rewards agentic (masculine) characteristics and competencies in both men and women while taking communal (feminine) characteristics somewhat for granted. Subjects evaluating candidates for agentic roles preferred masculine candidates (regardless of gender). Masculine and androgynous persons were preferred for a communal role, while feminine persons were almost never chosen for either agentic or communal roles.

The present study explored the relationships between late adolescents' self-reported personal adjustment and individuation from their families of origin. Individuation was defined as adolescents' subjective perceptions of how psychologically enmeshed they were in the transactional processes of fusion and triangulation within their families of origin. The results indicated a significantrelationship between adolescents' perceived involvement in their family's patterns of fusion and self-esteem, mastery, college maladjustment and the number of reported health problems. Perceived involvement in the family triangulation process was significantly related to adolescents' perceptions of self-esteem and mastery. The implications of the study's findings and directions for future research are discussed.

Summary Forty-four 10-year-old spina bifida children and 52 non-disabled controls completed the Rogers Personal Adjustment Inventory and their teachers assessed their school behaviour on the Bristol Social Adjustment Guide. Spina bifida children and the controls had similar school adjustment scores but the former appeared to have significantly more emotional problems on the Rogers Inventory suggesting that they have private worries not revealed by characteristic behaviour in school. Factors associated with apparent emotional upset are considered and implications for support discussed

Learning-disabled persons can be held prisoners of themselves due to psychosocial disabilities.

The purposes of this study were to develop instruments to assess the nature of student-teacher relations and classroom activities, and the personal adjustment of preservice science teachers in two concurrent programs and to see if the two groups differed significantly in the three areas measured by the Checklist for Assessment of Science Teachers (CAST). The CAST was completed by university supervisors, cooperating teachers, and classroom pupils in terms of 92 secondary student teachers at the completion of three student teaching quarters. Multivariate analysis of variance was used to detect differences between treatment groups. The major differences between the two groups of science student teachers were the types of classroom activities used and the nature of their student-teacher (teacher-pupil) relations.

This investigation focused on the differences in reported personal adjustment problems between freshmen students who made a congruent college major choice and students who made an incongruent choice. Personal adjustment was defined operationally with the Mooney Problem Checklist. Congruent and incongruent college major choice groups were defined operationally using the Vocational Preference Inventory. In the analysis of variance of the adjustment scores, the interaction term involving congruence of major choice and sex and the test for the main effect of sex were not significant. The test for the main effect of congruence was found to be significant. Subjects who had made a congruent college major choice reported fewer personal adjustment problems when compared to subjects in the incongruent group.

On the basis of a self-report measure of rate of physical maturation, college students were categorized into groups of early, average, and late maturers and compared on a number of personality measures. Results indicated that: (a) late physical maturation represents a handicap to the personality development of boys, (b) early maturation is no greater an asset to personality development in boys than is an average rate of maturation, (c) the effects of rate of maturation on personal adjustment are much less profound in girls than boys, (d) the direction of the effects is similar in both sexes.

A JICARILLA Apache's relations to the kin of his mate are guided by a number of general and well-understood rules. There are certain relatives by marriage whom he is obliged to avoid. There are others whom he should address only in a special "polite" form of speech. Yet while a definite system of behavior, with its particular emphases, terminology, and usages can be delineated, there are also discernible modifications in rule to accommodate the very human elements of dislike, friendliness, familiarity, and conflicting relationships, and these are just as interesting and significant. In what follows an attempt is made to present the structure of Jicarilla obligations and practices between affinal relatives, and at the same time to indicate the degree to which the theory yields to individual need and desire or to special circumstance. No other single act alters the life of an individual in Jicarilla society to the degree that marriage does. It is not merely that at marriage a person must make a personal adjustment to a sexual partner, for there is one word that signifies an "affair" or sexual adventure and another word that denotes the solemn founding of a home, or a socially approved marriage. It is rather that at marriage much of behavior is modified and reorganized, and this is particularly true for the man. Residence is changed for him, fresh economic responsibilities and ties are established, new canons govern speech and movement.

Urban migration creates many adjustment problems for those American Indians who find economic opportunities on their reservations inadequate. Their extremely high rate of arrest in comparison with other urban groups, almost all for drunkenness or drinking-related offenses, is testimony to the extent of their difficulties and the inadequate resources that they possess for coping with them. A systematic investigation of 259 male Navajo Indian migrants to Denver over the last ten years reveals a number of economic, social, and psychological pressures and constraints bearing on them, which account in large part both for intragroup differences in adjustment among them, and for their high arrest rates in comparison with other minority groups. The interaction among these determinants, as well as feedback from the migrant's behavioral response, is analyzed as a system of mutually interlocking and reinforcing variables through time. Practical implications of this study are briefly explored, including the apparent primary role played by the migrant's marginal economic position in the city.