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Bullying victimization is a pervasive problem nationwide and is related to students' psychological distress, including increased loneliness, anxiety, depression, helplessness, and suicidal behaviors. Importantly, not all students respond to peer victimization in the same way. This study examined the effectiveness of students' coping strategies in response to bullying as a function of their grade level, gender, and form of victimization. Students in grades five through twelve (N = 2627) completed surveys assessing coping strategy effectiveness and associated emotional distress related to self-reported peer victimization. In general, findings indicated that the most effective coping strategies in response to bullying victimization were support-seeking strategies, use of humor, and cognitive restructuring. However, effectiveness for all strategies (with the exception of peer support) varied by grade level, gender, and form of victimization. Strategies were also more effective for relational victimization than they were for physical victimization. Moreover, although students identified several effective coping strategies, only the use of cognitive restructuring was related to lower levels of associated emotional distress, an important component of effective coping. As such, bullying prevention programs should target students' psychological processes in developing effective interventions. Implications for prevention and intervention efforts are discussed.

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Date Presented 04/19/21 People with schizophrenia have daily living challenges related to impaired cognitive skills and low self-efficacy. This study used the Model of Human Occupation Screening Tool (MOHOST) in a single-case design with multiple baselines (N = 5) to investigate a strengths-based intervention for people with schizophrenia. Visual and statistical analyses yielded a small intervention effect (d = 0.26) and relationships among cognitive variables and MOHOST domains. Participants reported increased self-confidence and occupational engagement. Primary Author and Speaker: Christine A. Linkie Additional Authors and Speakers: Karen Ratcliff, Ickpyo Hong

Date Presented 04/12/21 Stigma is a barrier to health care access for people with mental illness; OTs work with these individuals in all treatment settings. This study explored how a Level II fieldwork setting affects students' attitudes toward mental illness. Mental health settings were related to positive attitudes; pediatric settings were related to stigmatizing attitudes. Integrating mental health into the broader OT curriculum or classroom and clinic, in any fieldwork setting, may positively affect students' attitudes. Primary Author and Speaker: Christine A. Linkie Contributing Authors: Abigail Herman, Mairead Gormley, Erica Di Meo, Jessica Leonard