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Diagnosis and treatment of childhood brain tumor have detrimental effects on physical, neurocognitive, psychological, and social functioning that lasts into adulthood and effects quality of life (QOL). To address diminished QOL, an Internet-based behavioral activation (BA) intervention was developed. Behavioral activation aims to increase activities and behaviors likely to improve thoughts, mood, and QOL. Participants included 127 young adult survivors of childhood brain tumor (SCBT) randomized into the experimental group (n= 64) or the waitlist control group (n= 63). The dependent variables included: life satisfaction, stress, and activation and were assessed with a two-way mixed analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results revealed a significant interaction between the intervention and time on life satisfaction, F(1, 125)=4.793, p = 0.03. There were no significant main effects over time for perceived stress and activation. Findings offer initial evidence that BA can be delivered over the internet and that Internet-delivered BA can have a positive effect on the QOL of young adult SCBT. Internet-based BA interventions can serve as a resource for young adult SCBT who desire to boost their mood and QOL. Behavioral activation (BA) is aimed at increasing positively reinforcing overt behaviors that are likely to promote improved thoughts, mood, and quality of life (QOL). Results indicated study participants in the experimental group demonstrated a significant gain in life satisfaction compared to the control group after receiving the Internet-based BA intervention; and provides support that the intervention was associated with positive changes across time. Findings offer initial evidence that BA can be delivered over the internet and that Internet-delivered BA can have a positive effect on the QOL of young adult survivors of childhood brain tumor (SCBT). Internet-based BA interventions can serve as a resource for young adult SCBT who desire to boost their mood and QOL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to examine the outcomes of customized employment via an analysis using the U.S. Rehabilitation Services Administration Case Service Report (RSA-911) from Federal Fiscal Years of 2017 through 2020. The independent variables were demographics, barriers to employment, and types of state vocational rehabilitation agency (SVRA) services, and the dependent variables were competitive integrated employment status and weekly earnings at exit. Descriptive analyses, multiple logistic regression, and hierarchical multiple regression comprised data analysis. The study sample (N = 2,280) was 57.9% male and 42.1% female and had a mean age of 32.69 years (SD = 12.83). Seventy-seven percent identified themselves as White and 46.7% had a cognitive disability. The results of this study indicated that consumers who have cognitive disability and cultural barriers; are migrant farmworkers and/or dependents; and receive job placement assistance, short-term job supports, maintenance services, benefits counseling, and supported employment are more likely to get competitive integrated employment at exit (R 2 =.34). Multiple variables were found to be significantly related to weekly earnings at exit and explained 24% of the variance. Rehabilitation counselors should take into consideration the findings of this study to determine from which supports consumers may benefit to attain successful employment goals, particularly for customized employment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing community participation can reduce the risk for functional disabilities; participation is influenced by person and environment contextual factors. Development and validation of a brief community participation assessment can advance and support evidence-based assessment in clinical rehabilitation counseling practice. It will be an invaluable rehabilitation and public health surveillance tool that can be used to gauge the health conditions and participation of people with disabilities. The current study evaluated and validated the Wisconsin Community Participation Scale (WCPS) in 982 individuals with chronic health conditions and disabilities. Participants indicated five most meaningful life roles: (a) being able to get around with or without help, (b) live independently with or without help, (c) live a healthy lifestyle, (d) work, and (e) engage in leisure and recreation activities. The WCPS scores were positively associated with physical health, mental health, and life satisfaction and negatively related to functional disability in the theoretically expected directions. The WCPS can help rehabilitation counselors assess their clients' current level of participation in meaningful life roles that are important to them. Rehabilitation counselors can use the WCPS assessment data to guide treatment planning and empower clients to build confidence and self-efficacy to participate in personally meaningful activities in the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to validate a measure of well-being, the PERMA-Profiler, among a sample of young adult survivors of pediatric central nervous system (CNS) tumor. Measurement structure of the PERMA-Profiler was evaluated using exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis using pretest–posttest data. Reliability and concurrent validity of the PERMA-Profiler were examined. This study included 127 young adult survivors of pediatric CNS tumor between the ages of 18 and 30 (M = 23.83, SD = 3.00) years. The results of factor analyses yielded a single-factor solution for well-being. Significant relationships between well-being and happiness, life satisfaction, perceived stress, and physical health were observed, providing support for the concurrent validity of the PERMA-Profiler. The PERMA-Profiler displayed good internal consistency and test–retest reliability. The PERMA-Profiler can help rehabilitation researchers and counselors better evaluate well-being in young adult survivors of pediatric CNS tumor, which provides opportunity for more targeted psychosocial interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Functional impairments can lead to stress in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS). The study examined protective person and environment factors (i.e., positive cognitive stress appraisal, core self-evaluations [CSE], resilience, hope, spirituality, social support, and environmental supports) as both mediators and moderators of this association to guide understanding of the experience of stress in this population. The sample consisted of 373 participants with MS. In simple mediation analyses, positive cognitive stress appraisal, CSE, resilience, hope, social support, and environmental supports served as a partial mediator between functional impairments and stress. In a parallel mediation analysis, significant unique indirect effects were observed for two of the seven hypothesized mediator variables (CSE and environmental supports). Separate moderator tests provided support for the CSE variable as a protective factor. The positive association between functional impairments and stress was weaker for persons reporting high CSE compared with those reporting low CSE. The findings provide implications for rehabilitation counseling practices by promoting CSE and environmental supports in improving rehabilitation and psychosocial outcomes for individuals with MS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experience of transitioning into adulthood is a critical phase in life. The navigation of government benefits adds further complexity that can affect employment outcomes for youth with disabilities. Some individuals hesitate to work out of fear to losing access to monetary, disability, and related health care benefits. However, using available work incentives while pursuing employment and career paths can provide opportunities to work and address poverty without forgoing needed services. The Wisconsin Promoting Readiness of Minors in Supplemental Security Income (PROMISE) research grant aimed to positively change youth readiness to work through the use of Motivational Interviewing, work incentive benefits counseling, financial capability building, shifting expectations, and help in navigating transition resources. To measure the impact on readiness to work, 126 transition-age youth receiving supplemental security income (SSI), 188 of their family members, and 411 Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) counselors working with the youth and families completed a modified Stages of Change Scale survey. Results indicated that youths' work readiness and positive feelings about work significantly increased from baseline to follow-up, along with an increase in employment rates. The implications of these findings highlight the utility of incorporating the stages of change theory into the design and implementation of services and supports to increase work readiness for youth with disabilities in transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Completing high school expands career prospects for young adults with disabilities, increasing their likelihood for gainful employment. Those who graduate from high school are more likely to have higher salaries and longer job tenure than those who do not have high school diplomas. As such, graduating from high school is a significant milestone for students with disabilities. Yet, the specific predictors of high school completion among youth with disabilities are not well understood. This study used three multiple logistic regression analyses and a hierarchical logistic regression analysis to evaluate demographic, PROMISE transition services, and vocational rehabilitation (VR) services as predictors of high school completion in a sample of 350 transition-age youth receiving Supplemental Security Income. Among the demographic variables examined, race, disability type, parent education, and family income were significant predictors of completion. For transition services, social skills training and self-advocacy training were independently associated with high school completion, while miscellaneous training was the only independent significant VR service predictor. Findings support the importance of pre-employment transition services, especially in the areas of social skills training, self-advocacy training, and VR services in the areas of miscellaneous training that can be used to promote completion of high school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Saving participation in adolescence is crucial for young adults to achieve financial well-being over their lifetime. Yet, very little is known about the factors that encourage saving participation among youth with disability, including youth who receive supplemental security income (SSI). This study examines relationships between personal and family factors, transition services, and participation in Wisconsin Promoting Readiness of Minors in Supplemental Security Income (PROMISE) individual development account (IDA), within a sample of youth with disabilities who receive SSI. Results of the hierarchical binary logistic and hierarchical multiple regression analyses suggests that the PROMISE interventions variable sets emerged as the most frequent predictors of IDA saving participation among youth receiving SSI. Specifically, work incentive benefits consultation services, financial capability-focused financial coaching services, and self-advocacy training were significant predictors of a youth's IDA saving participation. This study's findings offer important implications for transition planning and building financial capability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose In the post coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) recession economy, rehabilitation counselors, transition specialists, and other disability service providers must redouble their efforts to connect with employers to create employment opportunities for people with physical and mental impairments. The purpose of the present study was to investigate company characteristics and effective disability inclusion practices that are related to employment of people with disabilities. Methods Four hundred sixty-six employers completed a demographic questionnaire and the Disability Inclusion Profiler. Results Results indicated company characteristics and disability practices were positively related to employment of people with disabilities. Conclusions Findings of the present study can be used by transition specialists, rehabilitation counselors, and other disability service providers to engage and connect with employers to increase employment opportunity for people with disabilities in the post COVID-19 economy. Future research and practice implications are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic health conditions and disabilities interfere with major life activities, and these interferences are the result of complex interactions between health condition factors, psychological factors, personal factors, and socioenvironmental factors. The World Health Organization (WHO) International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) framework is a biopsychosocial model that conceptualizes the experience of disability with attention to these interactions. The World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0) is an assessment tool developed to measure self-reported activity limitations and restrictions to participation experienced by individuals with disabilities independent of his or her medical diagnosis. In order to allow practitioners to effectively use this tool with individuals with various chronic illnesses and disabilities, the current study aimed to evaluate the measurement structure and psychometric properties of the WHODAS 2.0. A total of 945 adults with disabilities participated in the current study. Results support two-factor structure of this measurement tool with adequate reliability and construct validity. The WHODAS 2.0 is a valid, useful tool for rehabilitation counseling professionals to more effectively support adults with chronic health conditions and disabilities in achieving their psychosocial and employment success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunities Act requires state vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies to work closely with businesses to create employment opportunities for people with disabilities. The workplace climate may determine employers' willingness to hire and retain persons with disabilities. Rehabilitation researchers are conducting research to validate assessment tools to help companies assess factors that affect their disability inclusion climate. The purpose of this study was to examine the factorial validity of the Workplace Culture and Disability Inclusion Questionnaire (WCDIQ), developed to assess the disability inclusion climate in a workplace and to evaluate organizational factors that contribute to disability employment and inclusive practices. A sample of 284 human resources managers and professionals who made hiring decisions participated in the study. Exploratory factor analysis indicated a four-factor solution: (a) disability inclusion policies and procedures, (b) disability inclusion efforts and strategies, (c) disability inclusion preparedness, and (d) health and illness management policies and procedures. All four factors had strong internal consistency reliability and correlated with disability employment rates. The results of this study provide initial support for the reliability and validity of the WCDIQ for use by employers to evaluate their disability employment and inclusion efforts, and identify areas that need improvement. With further refinement, the WCDIQ can be used to guide the development of evidence-based disability employment and inclusion interventions to promote employment opportunity for people with disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Working alliance is one of the most important common factors for successful counseling/psychotherapy outcomes. Based on the empirical literature about working alliance, it seems that self-determination and self-efficacy theory (SDT/SET) can potentially be used as a motivational model to explain the relationship between working alliance and vocational rehabilitation (VR) outcomes. The purpose of this study is to evaluate three primary SDT/SET constructs, autonomous motivation, expectancy and engagement, as mediators for the relationship between working alliance and stages of change (SOC) for employment. Methods A serial multiple mediation analysis (SMMA) was computed to evaluate autonomy, outcome expectancy, and VR engagement as mediators of the relationship between working alliance and SOC for employment in a sample of 277 people with chronic illness and disability (CID) receiving services from state VR agencies in the United States. Results The SMMA results indicated that working alliance was positively associated with SOC for employment (total effect), while the direct effect between working alliance and SOC for employment was not significant after controlling for the effects of the mediators, indicating significant mediation effects. The mediation effects were estimates of the indirect effects for working alliance on SOC for employment through (a) autonomous motivation, (b) outcome expectancy, (c) VR engagement, and (d) autonomous motivation, outcome expectancy and VR engagement together. Conclusions The results indicated that a strong working alliance has the benefit of helping consumers develop autonomous motivation to work and increasing their vocational outcome expectancy and engagement in VR services, leading to employment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The clearest career path to the middle class generally involves access, and completion, of postsecondary education. However, persons with disabilities are less likely to enroll or graduate from college compared with their same-age peers without disabilities. The quality of life of students with disabilities, and their well-being, may be a root cause of low graduation rates. To flourish in life is to both feel good and function effectively. Seligman developed the Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment (PERMA) model that may be useful in understanding the well-being of individuals. The purpose of this study is to examine the factorial structure of the PERMA model in sample college students with disabilities and then examine the model’s relationship with outcomes important to college adjustment such as academic achievement, relationship problems, stress, life satisfaction, and core self-evaluation. Ninety-seven college students with disabilities enrolled in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) were recruited for the study. Findings support a one-factor solution for the PERMA measurement model. Furthermore, PERMA was negatively correlated with factors associated with college difficulty and positively associated with factors linked to college success. The PERMA model also demonstrated that well-being mediates the relationship between functional disability and life satisfaction. Implications for rehabilitation researchers and practitioners are reviewed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to test a meditational model of the relationship between core self-evaluations (CSE) and life satisfaction in persons with spinal cord injuries. A quantitative descriptive design using multiple regression analysis was used. Two hundred forty-seven persons with spinal cord injuries participated in the online study. Hope, perceived health, autonomy, and social support were found to partially mediate the relationship between CSE and life satisfaction. CSE affected life satisfaction by first increasing hopeful thinking, positive health perceptions, a sense of autonomy, and support from others in persons with spinal cord injuries. Future research should explore the development of interventions to increase CSE to increase the positive variables that affect life satisfaction in individuals with spinal cord injuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence-based practice (EBP) is receiving increased attention from vocational rehabilitation (VR) professionals as the demand for accountability in rehabilitation and healthcare systems expands. The purpose of the current study was to determine the level of understanding VR professionals have of EBP with specific attention to perceived self-efficacy, outcome expectancy, barriers, and readiness to use evidence in current practice. Data were collected from 396 rehabilitation counselors, who were recruited from four state VR agencies. Results indicate self-efficacy and outcome expectancy were positively associated with readiness to use EBP, and agency barriers and personal barriers were negatively related to readiness to use EBP. These social-cognitive predictors accounted for 44% of the variance in the stages of change scores, and outcome expectancy was the most significant predictor after controlling for the effect of perceived self-efficacy and barriers. To increase EBP among rehabilitation counselors, efforts should focus on increasing self-efficacy and outcome expectancy of EBP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social distancing currently in place to reduce community spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has also resulted in negative structural, social, psychological, and financial consequences. Loneliness is linked to adverse mental health and health outcomes, and facing COVID-19 can increase feelings of stress and loneliness. In this study, we aimed to gain a better understanding of how COVID-19 affects mental health in vulnerable populations. Data from 269 individuals with disabilities and chronic conditions (mean age 39.37; 56.1% male; 84.0% white) were collected to understand whether loneliness mediates the relationship between perceived COVID-19 stress and maladaptive COVID-19 coping strategies among people with disabilities and chronic health conditions. The findings suggest that loneliness serves as a partial mediator between perceived COVID-19 stress and maladaptive COVID-19 coping. Implications of the findings for public health and rehabilitation intervention for individuals with disabilities are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]