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FACTORS PREDICTING SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF A COUNTY DRUG COURT PROGRAM
Title
FACTORS PREDICTING SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF A COUNTY DRUG COURT PROGRAM
Creator
Haak, Christopher
Date
2013, 2013-12
Description
Drug treatment courts have become a vital part of the trend towards rehabilitative criminal justice and spawned numerous other rehabilitative...
Show moreDrug treatment courts have become a vital part of the trend towards rehabilitative criminal justice and spawned numerous other rehabilitative courts since starting in Dade County, Florida over 23 years ago. The growth and increased use came out of a strong research foundation that looked at the factors that led to the ability to complete the program and avoid rearrest. This study used archival data on 183 individuals who had previously completed the drug court program either successfully or unsuccessfully and examined factors that predicted successful graduation, focusing on those that could be modified. Predictors included age, gender, employment at entry, drug of choice, level of risk, depression, anxiety, and defensiveness. The predictors were grouped into three different areas: demographics, level of risk, and mental preparedness to enter treatment. Logistic regression was used to examine whether the predictor variables were predictive of completion status. Findings show that individuals with alcohol as drug of choice and individuals with higher anxiety scores were significantly more likely to successfully complete the drug treatment court program. Individuals with higher level of risk, depression, and defensiveness scores were found to be significantly more likely to unsuccessfully complete the drug treatment court program. These findings support previous research on individual factors and drug treatment court program outcome, and the results show that further exploration is necessary to understand why these variables are predictive and whether changes to treatment can address the needs they highlight.
M.S. in Psychology, December 2013
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DIAGNOSING AND TREATING ADHD: CLINICIAN CHARACTERISTICS, METHODS OF DIAGNOSIS, DIAGNOSTIC RATES, AND TREATMENT RECOMMENDATIONS
Title
DIAGNOSING AND TREATING ADHD: CLINICIAN CHARACTERISTICS, METHODS OF DIAGNOSIS, DIAGNOSTIC RATES, AND TREATMENT RECOMMENDATIONS
Creator
Haak, Christopher Luke
Date
2019
Description
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the top five most common referrals among all neuropsychologists (Sweet et al. 2015)...
Show moreAttention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the top five most common referrals among all neuropsychologists (Sweet et al. 2015) and continues to elicit public and professional concern about over-diagnosis in children (Sciutto & Eisenberg, 2007) and under-diagnosis in adults (Asheron et al., 2012; Kooji et al., 2010). In recent years, the prevalence of ADHD has increased (Polanczyk et al., 2007 & 2014, Thomas et al., 2015). It is unclear what is driving these changes though changes in criteria may be playing a role (van de Voort et al., 2014). Further, there has been little research on whether professional training, beliefs, and practice factors can influence the likelihood to diagnose ADHD. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which neuropsychologists’ professional characteristics, training, and beliefs about ADHD diagnosis and treatment influence their likelihood to diagnose ADHD. The study also evaluated whether there are differences in assessing and treating ADHD based upon the client population focus (child, lifespan, or adult) of neuropsychologists. Participants in this study were 106 neuropsychologists from across the United States and Canada who were recruited through neuropsychology listservs to participate in an online survey. Results indicated that population focus was associated with significant differences in approach to diagnosing and treating ADHD, with child- and lifespan-focused neuropsychologists reporting higher rates of ADHD diagnosis. Additionally, having a higher percent of clinical cases in which ADHD is a referral question and greater self-reported adherence to following full diagnostic criteria for making a diagnosis were associated with higher ADHD diagnostic rates, controlling for age, gender, ethnicity, and other professional characteristics. This study is among the first to examine specific clinician factors impacting diagnostic rates and its findings have several implications for practice and research.
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DIAGNOSING AND TREATING ADHD: CLINICIAN CHARACTERISTICS, METHODS OF DIAGNOSIS, DIAGNOSTIC RATES, AND TREATMENT RECOMMENDATIONS
Title
DIAGNOSING AND TREATING ADHD: CLINICIAN CHARACTERISTICS, METHODS OF DIAGNOSIS, DIAGNOSTIC RATES, AND TREATMENT RECOMMENDATIONS
Creator
Haak, Christopher Luke
Date
2019
Description
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the top five most common referrals among all neuropsychologists (Sweet et al. 2015)...
Show moreAttention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the top five most common referrals among all neuropsychologists (Sweet et al. 2015) and continues to elicit public and professional concern about over-diagnosis in children (Sciutto & Eisenberg, 2007) and under-diagnosis in adults (Asheron et al., 2012; Kooji et al., 2010). In recent years, the prevalence of ADHD has increased (Polanczyk et al., 2007 & 2014, Thomas et al., 2015). It is unclear what is driving these changes though changes in criteria may be playing a role (van de Voort et al., 2014). Further, there has been little research on whether professional training, beliefs, and practice factors can influence the likelihood to diagnose ADHD. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which neuropsychologists’ professional characteristics, training, and beliefs about ADHD diagnosis and treatment influence their likelihood to diagnose ADHD. The study also evaluated whether there are differences in assessing and treating ADHD based upon the client population focus (child, lifespan, or adult) of neuropsychologists. Participants in this study were 106 neuropsychologists from across the United States and Canada who were recruited through neuropsychology listservs to participate in an online survey. Results indicated that population focus was associated with significant differences in approach to diagnosing and treating ADHD, with child- and lifespan-focused neuropsychologists reporting higher rates of ADHD diagnosis. Additionally, having a higher percent of clinical cases in which ADHD is a referral question and greater self-reported adherence to following full diagnostic criteria for making a diagnosis were associated with higher ADHD diagnostic rates, controlling for age, gender, ethnicity, and other professional characteristics. This study is among the first to examine specific clinician factors impacting diagnostic rates and its findings have several implications for practice and research.
Show less