The Recovery Knowledge Inventory is a self-report measure intended to identify the knowledge of and attitudes toward recovery-oriented care among mental health providers and staff. The developers of the Recovery Knowledge Inventory found good-to-poor reliability statistics on the original four-factor model. This study reassessed the psychometric properties of the Recovery Knowledge Inventory using exploratory factor analysis to find a factor structure that was a good fit for the model. Thus, a confirmatory factor analysis was used to verify the exact structure of the relationship among the factor structures in the model. Results indicated identified a single factor structure consisting of ten items, which reflected the process of recovery. The factor loadings, however, did not support more than one factor. The original developers of the Recovery Knowledge Inventory recognized the limitations of the instrument, which was originally comprised of four-factor structure, and asked for further development of the measure. Therefore, this study endeavored to address the psychometric properties of the Recovery Knowledge Inventory and identifies a factor structure that better defines the recovery orientation of mental health staff and practitioners. As a result, it adds to the limited literature of measures that evaluate staff recovery orientation.

For more than four decades, researchers have found depression to be a common mental illness among the elderly. Depression is a generalized mood disorder characterized by feelings of sadness and hopelessness, a sense of worthlessness, difficulty concentrating, loss of interest, and decrease in energy level. This definition is reflected in the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). The rates of depression among elderly residents of institutions are 67% higher than among elderly adults residing at home. As in the United States, elderly women are twice as likely to be diagnosed with depressive symptoms as elderly men.. Time and again, research has revealed that depression is a significant problem for individuals later in life and may affect their psychological well-being. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) 2010 wave, a secondary analysis was conducted to examine depression among community-dwelling, African American women, age 50 and over, as it relates to age, social support, religion, caregiving, and physical health. Intersectionality and social construction were used as theoretical frameworks for the study. Findings indicated significant relationships between depression and age, social support, and physical health. However, depression is treatable with pharmacotherapy, psychotherapy or combination of both.The overall purpose of this study was to explore the factors that may predict depression among older African American females, as well as identify gaps in the literature and add to the knowledge base about depression among this population of color, and develop a framework for future studies investigating mental health issues among diverse populations beyond African Americans.

Objective The Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status is a commonly used screen of neuropsychological performance (RBANS). A 5-factor structure is used when scoring this measure, revealing 5 composite scores that are used in clinical diagnosis (Immediate Memory; Visuospatial/Constructional; Language; Attention; Delayed Memory). This structure has been supported in a sample of older adults with cognitive impairment. However, a 5-factor structure has not been consistently observed. Rather, in a sample of veterans, a 2-factor solution was noted, as was in a large exploration of past RBANS studies. We explored the factor structure of the RBANS in a sample of patients with Huntington’s Disease (HD). Method Participants were 147 patients with HD who presented to an outpatient HD clinic at UConn Health Center, Mage = 46.75, SD = 13.35; Meducation = 13.87, SD = 2.63. Results Exploratory principal component factor analysis with direct Oblimin rotation was conducted. A 2-component structure was found with eigenvalues > 1 (65.1% variance). Contrary to expectations from other clinical samples, we did not find the traditional 5-factor solution. Rather, results revealed a 2-factor solution. Factor loadings generally are comprised of visually-loaded (Figure Copy, Line Orientation, Picture Naming, Figure Recall) versus non-visually-loaded tasks. Conclusions Results revealed a 2-factor structure of the RBANS in a sample of patients with HD, contrary to the traditional 5-factor solution typically derived into composite scores with this measure. Our findings suggest that HD patients may not perform on the RBANS in a traditional manner. Thus, clinicians evaluating HD patients should exercise caution when using composite scores when considering patient performance on this measure.

Substance abuse is one of the most serious threats facing the current American society. Approximately 25% of the Americanpopulation will have an alcohol or drug disorder at some point in life, afflicting individuals of every age, gender, race, and social status. The disorder can destroy the physical and mental health of the abuser, simultaneously deteriorating their families, relationships, andultimately their lives. The American Psychiatric Association (2018) defines a substance as a drug that is abused, such as, alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, an inhalant or a medication (e.g. a sedative, anxiolytic, or a toxin that can produce harmful effects when ingested or otherwise taken into the body). Misuse is defined as the act of using a substance in a manner that causes detrimental effects in some area of the individual's life. The purpose of this study is to explore the main models regarding the etiology and treatment of substance abuse.

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