The original Personal Growth Initiative Scale (PGIS; Robitschek, 1998) was unidimensional, despite theory identifying multiple components (e.g., cognition and behavior) of personal growth initiative (PGI). The present research developed a multidimensional measure of the complex process of PGI, while retaining the brief and psychometrically sound properties of the original scale. Study 1 focused on scale development, including theoretical derivation of items, assessing factor structure, reducing number of items, and refining the scale length using samples of college students. Study 2 consisted of confirmatory factor analysis with 3 independent samples of college students and community members. Lastly, Study 3 assessed test-retest reliability over 1-, 2-, 4-, and 6-week periods and tests of concurrent and discriminant validity using samples of college students. The final measure, the Personal Growth Initiative Scale-II (PGIS-II), includes 4 subscales: Readiness for Change, Planfulness, Using Resources, and Intentional Behavior. These studies provide exploratory and confirmatory evidence for the 4-factor structure, strong internal consistency for the subscales and overall score across samples, acceptable temporal stability at all assessed intervals, and concurrent and discriminant validity of the PGIS-II. Future directions for research and clinical practice are discussed.

The most effective IGT format appears to include both education about PGI and a growth activity. The benefits of utilising IGT are discussed.

No abstract

Limited research exists in the area of police mental wellness and suicide prevention, especially regarding programs utilized by these agencies. The purpose of this project was to gain a better understanding of the prevalence of use of police officer wellness promotion and suicide prevention programs implemented in the United States and an understanding of the perceptions of program effectiveness (Part A). We also sought to determine whether differences exist in the mental wellness and perspectives of programming of officers from agencies who utilize suicide prevention and wellness programs compared to those agencies who do not (Part B). Data for Part A was collected directly from agencies via a stratified random sample of city police departments and sheriff's offices nationwide. Part B entailed completion of online surveys by individual officers from agencies participating in Part A. The final sample included 55 agencies for Part A and 144 officers for Part B. At the agency level (Part A), Employee Assistance Programs or counseling services were the most common programs offered, and, notably, planning for programming was inconsistent or not well established. At the officer level (Part B), almost 25% of respondents did not know whether their agency had programming; 35% did not feel their agency supports its officers' mental wellness. For officers who did feel their wellness was supported, they reported significantly less stress and higher overall well-being. Of officer respondents, 12.4% indicated it was either "quite" or "very likely" they would attempt suicide someday. Implications and suggestions for law enforcement agencies are discussed.

This study tested the cross-cultural validity of scores on the Personal Growth Initiative Scale-II (PGIS-II; Robitschek et al., 2012) with Hispanic, African American, and European American community samples. Multigroup confirmatory factor analyses were performed on data from 218 Hispanics, 129 African Americans, and 552 European Americans to examine measurement equivalence among these groups. Measurement invariance of the PGIS-II was established with the original 4 factors of readiness for change, planfulness, using resources, and intentional behavior. These findings suggest the PGIS-II can be administered across these groups and provide meaningful comparisons and interpretations. All samples yielded good internal consistency estimates. The African American sample reported higher means than Hispanic and European American samples for all subscale and total mean scores, and Hispanics scored higher in planfulness, readiness for change, and total score than European Americans, indicating potential cultural factors influencing the scores. Implications for research and clinical practice are discussed.

No abstract

Factores asociados al estrés laboral en policías penitenciarios costarricenses Factors Related to Workplace Stress among Costa Rican Correctional OfficersResumen El objetivo de esta investigación fue determinar si una muestra de policías penitenciarios, en Costa Rica, experimenta estrés laboral y si está relacionado con la presencia de estrés, depresión, ansiedad, burnout y otras características personales y ocupacionales. Además, se determina si hay diferencias entre hombres y mujeres con respecto a la presencia de tales factores. La Escala de Depresión, Ansiedad y Estrés (DASS), la Escala de Estrés Laboral para Oficiales Correccionales (EELOC), y el Cuestionario Breve de Burnout (CBB) fueron administrados a 66 oficiales correccionales de diferentes prisiones en Costa Rica. Conclusiones: El estrés laboral está significativamente relacionado con la presencia de estrés, ansiedad y depresión, pero no relacionado con la presencia de burnout. No se encontraron diferencias entre hombres y mujeres en ninguna variable. Es importante saber cómo el ambiente de trabajo afecta las vidas de los oficiales con el fin de mejorar las condiciones de trabajo que podrían tener efectos negativos sobre el desempeño en el trabajo y la salud, así como proporcionar información para los psicólogos policiales, que están a cargo de proveer servicios clínicos y de consejería a los oficiales correccionales.

No abstract