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Parents of 116 adult children with mental retardation were evaluated for family sense of coherence, social support, family adaptability, family cohesion, and family adaptation. Results indicated that family sense of coherence, social support, and family adaptability (but not family cohesion) made a significant contribution to family adaptation. Suggestions for increasing levels of these family resources are offered. (Author/DB)

Measured parents of 116 adult children with mental retardation on dimensions of family sense of coherence, social support, family adaptability, family cohesion, and family adaptation. Results indicate that most families were resilient and functioning positively. Claims that the empirical typology can be used to describe the strengths of these families. (RJM)

The family adjustment of parents (N=117) of young adults with mental retardation to their son/daughter's initial entry into supported employment was evaluated using the Resiliency Model of Family Stress Adjustment and Adaptation as an analytical framework. Results indicated that family strength dimensions are related to family adaptation and that there are families in need of support services. (Author/DB)

Making an effective career decision can be a stressful experience (Reardon, Lenz, Sampson, & Peterson, 2000). This can be particularly true for the traditionally underemployed and unemployed, such as persons [...], Dysfunctional career thoughts have been associated with a variety of psychological distress. The current study investigates the relationship between dysfunctional career thoughts and psychological distress for individuals with disabilities. The results support the relationship between dysfunctional career thoughts and psychological distress for those persons experiencing higher levels of commitment anxiety and external conflict but not for those experiencing decision-making confusion. Implications for rehabilitation counselors are discussed.

Hepatic glucagon action increases in response to accelerated metabolic demands and is associated with increased whole body substrate availability, including circulating lipids. The hypothesis that increases in hepatic glucagon action stimulate AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-[alpha] (PPAR[alpha] and fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) expression in a manner modulated by fatty acids was tested in vivo. Wild-type ([gcgr.sup.+/+]) and glucagon receptor-null ([gcgr.sup.-/-]) littermate mice were studied using an 18-h fast, exercise, and hyperglucagonemic-euglycemic clamps plus or minus increased circulating lipids. Fasting and exercise in [gcgr.sup.+/+], but not [gcgr.sup.-/-] mice, increased hepatic phosphorylated AMPK[alpha] at threonine 172 ([MATHEMATICAL EXPRESSION NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]) and PPAR[alpha] and FGF21 mRNA. Clamp results in [gcgr.sup.+/+] mice demonstrate that hyperlipidemia does not independently impact or modify glucagon-stimulated increases in hepatic AMP/ATP, [MATHEMATICAL EXPRESSION NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII], or PPAR[alpha] and FGF21 mRNA. It blunted glucagon-stimulated acetyl-CoA carboxylase phosphorylation, a downstream target of AMPK, and accentuated PPAR[alpha] and FGF21 expression. All effects were absent in [gcgr.sup.-/-] mice. These findings demonstrate that glucagon exerts a critical regulatory role in liver to stimulate pathways linked to lipid metabolism in vivo and shows for the first time that effects of glucagon on PPARa and FGF21 expression are amplified by a physiological increase in circulating lipids. adenosine 5'-monophosphate-activated protein kinase; peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-[alpha]; fibroblast growth factor 21 doi: 10.1152/ajpendo.00263.2010.

Introduction The energy state in the cell is defined by adenine nucleotide levels and is critically coupled to nearly all metabolic processes (1). In the cell, the adenine nucleotides ATP, [...], The hepatic energy state, defined by adenine nucleotide levels, couples metabolic pathways with energy requirements. This coupling is fundamental in the adaptive response to many conditions and is impaired in metabolic disease. We have found that the hepatic energy state is substantially reduced following exercise, fasting, and exposure to other metabolic stressors in C57BL/6 mice. Glucagon receptor signaling was hypothesized to mediate this reduction because increased plasma levels of glucagon are characteristic of metabolic stress and because this hormone stimulates energy consumption linked to increased gluconeogenic flux through cytosolic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK-C) and associated pathways. We developed what we believe to be a novel hyperglucagonemic-euglycemic clamp to isolate an increment in glucagon levels while maintaining fasting glucose and insulin. Metabolic stress and a physiological rise in glucagon lowered the hepatic energy state and amplified AMP-activated protein kinase signaling in control mice, but these changes were abolished in glucagon receptor--null mice and mice with liver-specific PEPCK-C deletion. 129X1/Sv mice, which do not mount a glucagon response to hypoglycemia, displayed an increased hepatic energy state compared with C57BL/6 mice in which glucagon was elevated. Taken together, these data demonstrate in vivo that the hepatic energy state is sensitive to glucagon receptor activation and requires PEPCK-C, thus providing new insights into liver metabolism.

Rural Vocational rehabilitation counselors typically encounter difficulties when assisting individuals with disabilities obtain employment because of a lack of transportation, limited employment opportunities, inadequate training and education options, and limited [...], This study investigated the effect of demographic characteristics and the working alliance between counselor and consumer on employment outcomes for rural and urban consumers with disabilities. A sample of 2031 vocational rehabilitation consumers from urban and rural areas were compared. Results indicated that both urban and rural consumers who had more severe disabilities, were older, and had a weaker working alliance with their counselor experienced poorer employment outcomes. Rural consumers with a severe disability were at a greater employment disadvantage than their urban counterparts. Educational level contributed significantly to predicting employment status for urban participants but not for rural participants. Implications for services are discussed.

Individuals with disabilities should expect employee benefits similar to those expected by all employees (Gilbride, Thomas, & Stensrud, 1998; Hart Research Associates, 2001; Rehabilitation Act Amendments, 1998; Shoob, 2001). The [...], This study investigated the impact of race and gender on access to typical employee benefits for individuals with disabilities. The authors analyzed data on the proportion of employers offering specific benefits. The study focused on two areas: (a) Males with disabilities were compared with females with disabilities and males and females with disabilities were compared with workers in the general population, (b) Caucasians with disabilities were compared with Non-Caucasians with disabilities and Caucasians and Non-Caucasians with disabilities were compared with workers in the general population. The results show that there were (a) no differences between males and females with disabilities, (b) minimal differences between Caucasians and Non-Caucasians with disabilities, and (c) significant differences between individuals with disabilities and workers in the general population. Implications for rehabilitation counselors is discussed.

Estimates show that 22.1 percent of Americans ages 18 and older have a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year (Regier, Narrow, Rae, Manderscheid, Locke, & Goodwin, 1993), about 1 [...], A key factor in the development of an effective relationship between the client and counselor is the development of a strong working alliance (Bordin, 1979). It is pertinent to recognize the consumer's subjective views (Lustig & Crowder, 2000) regarding the impact of the services they receive. In this study, individuals with severe mental illness (N=305) completed a survey that measured their reported level of the working alliance and information related to the outcome measures. Results indicated that employed clients measured stronger on the working alliance than the unemployed clients. Additionally, higher levels of working alliance were associated with higher levels of job satisfaction. Finally, the results indicated that for unemployed clients, the stronger the measured level of working alliance the more positive the clients viewed their employment future.

Cognition has been widely recognized as an important factor to consider when working with individuals regarding issues related to vocational development and career decision making (Lustig & Strauser, 2000). Research [...], Research has suggested that an individual's career thoughts play a significant role in what an individual perceives as viable career options and how an individual makes specific career choices. This study examined the differences in career thoughts between 63 individuals with a disability and a convenience sample of 149 college students in a southern urban university. The results of independent sample t-tests suggested no significant differences between the groups on all four scales of the Career Thoughts Inventory. The authors discuss effect sizes, several possible explanations for the results, and limitations to the study. The results would also suggest that rehabilitation professionals working with individuals with disabilities should not assume that individuals with disabilities have a higher level of dysfunctional career thoughts. Instead, rehabilitation professionals should individually analyze an individual's career thoughts to determine implications for career development and rehabilitation planning.

With the changing nature of work and the globalization of the economy, workers are having to develop extensive cognitive, interpersonal, and critical thinking skills to successfully compete for and maintain [...], Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a condition that can occur at any age with people who have no predisposing conditions. PTSD is distinguishable from other DSM-IV-TR anxiety disorders as its symptoms develop after exposure to an extreme stressor or traumatic event (i.e. rape, sexual assault, physical violence and war). Research has suggested that individuals with disabilities, especially women, experience higher rates of violence, abuse, and trauma when compared to their non-disabled peers (Watson-Armstrong, O'Rourke, & Schatzlein, 1999), theoretically putting them at increased risk for the development of PTSD. The purpose of this article is to provide a brief review of PTSD and discusses the implications for rehabilitation planning and individual vocational development. The Ecological Model of Career Development (Syzmanski, 2000) is applied to help the reader conceptualize the effects of PTSD on vocational behavior. Specific attention is given to the potential effect of PTSD on the congruence between the individual and work environment. Recommendations are then offered to increase the effectiveness of rehabilitation counselors working with individuals with disabilities who may be experiencing PTSD.

The Resiliency Model of Family Stress, Adjustment, and Adaptation is a useful theoretical framework for understanding the adaptation of a family to the transition from school to work and adult [...]

Rehabilitation professionals agree that families can be the 'most powerful and enduring (Krause & Seltzer, 1994, p. 217) influence in the lives of persons with mental retardation (Cook & Ferritor, [...], Families are a critical influence in the lives of adults with mental retardation. The Resiliency Model of Family Stress, Adjustment, and Adaptation provides a framework for rehabilitation counselors to understand key issues confronting families with an adult son or daughter with mental retardation. This article reviews the empirical bases and practice implications related to four issues: (a) relationships with service providers, (b) permanency planning, (c) social support, and (d) multicultural considerations. Assessment methods useful for rehabilitation counselors are also discussed.

Arthur E. Dell Orto and Robert P. Marinelli Editors Macmillan Publishing 1995, 820 pp., $105 hardcover The Encyclopedia of Disability and Rehabilitation is a major accomplishment in the field of [...]