Levels Of Mental Health Functioning Research Articles

Psychometric Analyses of the Challenges and Needs Survey for Family Caregivers of Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Implications for Practice

Understanding the needs and stressors of caregivers of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) informs targeted support strategies. However, most caregiver needs measures lack the breadth of experiences relevant to these families. This study examined the underlying factor structure of the Challenges and Needs Survey (CANS), a caregiving needs measure designed for family caregivers of individuals with ASD. The sample consisted of 286 family caregivers. Participants completed the CANS either online or in the paper form. Exploratory factor analysis was used to examine the underlying structure of the measure. T-tests and correlations were used to compare results by age and gender of the participants. Exploratory factor analysis resulted in 39 items of four factors: autism-related challenges (child), functional challenges, psychological challenges (parent), and aggressive behaviors (child). Parents with both high stress and high needs reported the lowest levels of mental health functioning.

Effects of Mental Health on the Costs of Care for Chronic Illnesses.

The study examined whether comorbid low mental health functioning inflates the cost of treating a chronic disease. Data were from the 2015 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (N=33,893). Costs were estimated from medical records and self-reported health care use. The mental component summary (MCS) score of the 12-item Short Form (SF-12) was used as a measure of mental health status. A general linear model estimated costs with fixed effects for chronic disease (present or absent) and mental health functioning (lowest, middle, and highest MCS score tertiles indicating low, middle, and high levels of mental health functioning, respectively). The SF-12 physical component summary score was a covariate. Eight conditions (arthritis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD], high cholesterol, cancer, diabetes, stroke, coronary heart disease, and asthma) were analyzed separately. For each analysis, presence or absence of the chronic condition had a strong impact on cost. Lower mental health functioning also had a significant impact on cost. However, the interaction between mental health functioning and chronic disease diagnoses was statistically significant for only three conditions and accounted for only a small variation in cost. Sensitivity analyses using MCS score as a continuous variable, using a log10 transformation of the cost variable, and focusing only on persons with scores on the extreme low end did not significantly alter the conclusions. Contrary to expectation, the combination of poor mental functioning and chronic disease diagnosis did not have a strong synergistic effect on cost. Mental and general medical conditions appear to have independent effects on health care costs.

PREDICTORS OF THE PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL INTEGRATION OF HOMELESS ADULTS WITH PROBLEMATIC SUBSTANCE USE

This study examined predictors of physical and psychological integration in homeless adults with problematic substance use. Homeless adults with problematic substance use (n = 115) in Ottawa, Canada, completed questionnaires regarding their demographics (age, gender, Aboriginal ethnicity), health and social functioning (physical health, mental health, alcohol use problems, drug use problems, social skills), environmental factors (satisfaction with personal safety, social support), physical integration, and psychological integration. Participants reported low physical integration (i.e., participation in activities in the community) and did not feel strongly psychologically integrated (i.e., sense of belonging). The final models accounted for 36% and 19% of the variance in physical and psychological integration, respectively. Higher levels of social skills and social support were associated with greater physical integration. Higher levels of mental health functioning and satisfaction with safety were related to greater psychological integration. Implications of the findings for community support services are discussed.

The Relationship between Age and Illness Duration in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a debilitating illness, but it is unclear if patient age and illness duration might affect symptoms and functioning of patients. In the current study, participants were categorized into four groups based upon age (under or over age 55) and illness duration (more or less than 10 years). The groups were compared on functioning and symptoms. Findings indicated that those who were older with a longer illness duration had significantly higher levels of mental health functioning than those who were younger with a shorter or longer illness duration and the older group with a shorter illness duration. The results suggest that older patients with an illness duration of over 10 years have significantly higher levels of mental health functioning than the three other groups. For symptoms, the younger/longer illness duration group had significantly worse immune and autonomic domains than the older/longer illness group. In addition, the younger patients with a longer illness duration displayed greater autonomic and immune symptoms in comparison to the older group with a longer illness duration. These findings suggest that both age and illness duration need to be considered when trying to understand the influence of these factors on patients.

Disability Benefits and Clinical Outcomes among Homeless Veterans with Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Problems

This study examined the relationship between disability payment status and clinical outcomes among 305 homeless veterans entering VA treatment. Disability status and clinical outcomes were characterized using self-report data at program entry, and quarterly for 2 years thereafter. Seeking or already receiving disability benefits at program entry was not associated with any of the 8 clinical outcomes examined. Those seeking or receiving disability benefits during the 2 years that followed showed more serious mental health problems and lower levels of mental health functioning, but no greater risk of substance use or not being employed nor worse housing outcomes than those who remained uninterested in applying for disability benefits. This study does not, therefore, support the notion that disability orientation results in poorer clinical outcomes, at least not among homeless veterans.

Help-Seeking and Non-Help-Seeking Students' Perceptions of Own and Peers' Mental Health Functioning

Help-seeking (HS) students and non-help-seeking (NHS) students were compared on their perceptions of (a) their own level of mental health functioning and (b) the average level of mental health functioning of their (NHS or HS) peers. Results showed that NHS students' perceptions of HS students' self-ratings were similar to HS students' self-ratings of functioning but that HS students underestimated the level of functioning of their NHS peers. Implications of the findings for campus outreach and future research are discussed.

Child sexual abuse, peer sexual abuse, and sexual assault in adulthood: a multi-risk model of revictimization.

This study explored the predictors and consequences of sexual assault occurring after the age of 16 years in a nonclinical sample of women. Child sexual abuse occurring before the age of 16 years was the only predictor of later sexual assault among comorbid risk factors. Peer sexual abuse, number of perpetrators, age at time of sexual abuse, and severity of sexual abuse did not increase the risk for later sexual assault. Adult sexual assault victims showed lower levels of mental health functioning than did survivors of child or peer sexual abuse. We discuss a specificity model of revictimization and the differential effects of child, peer, and adult sexual trauma on the developmental trajectory of sexual violence and psychosocial functioning.