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We examined variables associated with treatment engagement in a real-world therapeutic setting. The model of care examined involved school-linked mental health care for children and their families in a rural county. Service utilization characteristics, as well as child- and treatment-specific variables were examined in relation to their impact on therapy length, missed appointments, and treatment outcome. A total of 168 students and their families participated in therapeutic services over a period of approximately 4.5 years. Overall, children who had less psychopathology and a higher level of clinician-rated functioning (GAF) at the start of therapy were more likely to successfully complete treatment. Parental involvement in therapy was associated with a longer course of therapy, as well as more missed appointments. Barriers to treatment and treatment engagement, as well as future directions of study, are discussed.

School districts are increasingly initiating random drug-testing (RDT) programs in an effort to curb substance-use rates among students, yet little is known about student attitudes toward RDT and potential obstacles to program acceptance and effectiveness. The authors surveyed 1011 9th through 11th grade students in 2 rural high schools in North Florida regarding the pending implementation of one of the most aggressive RDT programs in the nation. A significant majority of students predicted that RDT would be effective, yet students were more clearly divided in their perceptions of the fairness and the accuracy of testing. Student perceptions of whether there is a drug problem at their school proved to be a robust predictor of perceptions of policy fairness. Student substance-use rates were more limited predictors of policy effectiveness and fairness. These results may prove useful to school administrators, health professionals, and policy makers seeking to build acceptance for RDT in their schools.

An efficient method for screening depression in primary care may ultimately facilitate referrals to and collaboration with psychologists. The current study extends previous research on the validity of the Mood Module of the Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders (PRIME-MD; R. L. Spitzer et al., 1995) and used nurses as administrators in two rural public health units. Participants were 136 predominantly female (59% Caucasian, 38% African American) primary care patients. Results indicated that 40% were classified as depressed. Depressed participants reported significantly worse mental and physical functioning, even after controlling for age, severity of illness, and tobacco use. Routine screenings for mood disorders in rural primary care could serve as a means of facilitating collaboration between primary care physicians and psychologists.

Following the devastating effects of Hurricane Andrew in South Florida, a unique set of partnerships at the University of Florida (UF) was formed between the Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, the Florida Cooperative Extension Service, and the North Florida Area Health Education Center. The partnership resulted in the creation of the UF Rural Psychology Program, which is intended to proactively address the needs of rural communities with psychological and behavioral health services and programming. This article describes the initiation and ongoing activities of the UF Rural Psychology Program and the innovative roles and collaborative relationships of rural psychologists.

Sixty percent of directors of clinical training (DCTs) at the nation's 164 clinical psychology programs accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) responded to a survey regarding their attitudes toward the hypothetical implementation of a sample predoctoral prescription training model created by the APA's Ad Hoc Task Force on Psychopharmacology (APA, 1992). Results suggested that the majority of DCTs (62%) remained equivocal regarding the implementation of such training at their program. A majority (62%) identified postdoctoral specialization as the preferred method of prescription training. DCTs' perceptions of the benefits of adding predoctoral prescription training best predicted their estimations that such training would be incorporated at their clinical program.

We describe Triumph Over Tragedy, Second Edition: A Community Response to Managing Trauma in Times of Disaster and Terrorism, a curriculum designed to assist Extension professionals and other community stakeholders in helping their communities prepare for, and respond to, trauma associated with natural and human-made disasters. In the post-September 11, 2001 environment, it is imperative that community professionals become involved in planning for the psychological impact of these events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]