College students' mental health concerns have dramatically increased in prevalence and severity over the past decade, overwhelming the capacity of counseling centers to meet demand for services. In response, institutions of higher education (IHEs) increasingly emphasize prevention, education, and outreach efforts aimed at improving well-being.…

Approximately 2.6 million students are diagnosed with a learning disability (LD) in the United States. There are many negative psychological and psychosocial consequences that can be attributed to having a LD, including a decrease in self- esteem. Low self-esteem has been shown to be liked to depression, suicidal ideation, and anxiety. Early…

Character education programs support the development of positive character traits in children and adults. Effective violence prevention programs improve pro-social competencies and reduce negative behaviors in students by enhancing protective factors (strong bonds with teachers; clear rules of conduct that are consistently enforced) and targeting…

Post-secondary education students will experience transitions, successes, challenges, and adversities during their college years. Although they will continue their growth and development in many aspects of their lives during this time, perhaps a most critical, but often ignored, attribute for them to develop is resiliency, the ability to bounce…

Asperger's disorder (AD) is characterized by sustained and pervasive difficulties with imaginative, social, and communication skills and the presence of repetitive interests and behaviours. A number of models have been proposed to help explain the AD phenotype; however, these theories have not fully accounted for the social difficulties present in…

Sickle cell disease (SCD) complications place patients at risk for poor psychosocial adaptation, including depression and anxiety symptoms. This study aimed to test a mediator model based on the Risk and Resistance model to explore the role of intrapersonal characteristics and stress processing variables in psychosocial functioning. Participants…

Children and youth develop the ability to surmount difficult life challenges through a combination of external supports and internal strengths. Positive peers can contribute substantially to growth in resilient coping and problem-solving skills. Positive Peer Culture (PPC) programs are designed to strengthen supportive social bonds, competence,…

The Five Factor Wellness Inventory-Elementary Version (5F-WEL -E) was used in a pre- and post-test design to determine the wellness of a 13 year-old male with Asperger's Disorder. Wellness in the Creative and Physical Self domains was low. Thus, the school counselor implemented a 5-month treatment plan, based upon the Wheel of Wellness, in the…

Findings from past research emphasize the importance of social isolation and Type A-B behavior in stress management and suggest that relative to Type Bs, Type As are more likely to be social isolates. A study was conducted to measure the interrelationships between Type A-B behavior, social isolation, and the perceived frequency of life stress…

The trait emotional intelligence (trait EI or trait emotional self-efficacy) framework provides comprehensive coverage of emotion-related self-perceptions and dispositions. In this study, we investigated the relationship between trait EI and four distinct socioemotional criteria on a sample of Dutch adolescents (N = 282; 136 girls, 146 boys; mean…

This phenomenological, qualitative study examined resiliency determinants and resiliency formation among 10 women who had been sexually abused as children. An examination of the determinants and processes that facilitated resiliency in participants' adult lives revealed 5 determinant clusters (interpersonally skilled, competent, high self-regard,…

Using a longitudinal design, we investigated the relation of childhood personality type to volunteering during adolescence. We hypothesized that participants with more adaptive personality functioning during childhood would be more likely to volunteer during adolescence and that membership in social organizations would mediate the relation of…

Emotional competency is defined as developed ability and skills in the areas of self-awareness, self-regulation, social awareness, and relationship management. These skills are nurtured, developed, and practiced until they become competencies and serve as a resource when a tragic event occurs. They are relatively undeveloped in very young children…

Few researchers think in terms of their role in translating their findings into action in the field or in programs. The author recalls, when she was Director of Research and Evaluation for the Administration for Children Youth and Families, HHS, how much of the research was not being applied to what goes on or what was needed at the Head Start…

Little research has evaluated the validity of the Coping Deficit Index (CDI) of the Rorschach Comprehensive System (CS). Because the CS Depression Index (DEPI) has frequently been found to yield false negatives, the CDI has been proposed as an alternative means of assessing social coping skills that may relate to depression. This study examined…