0 - National Criminal Justice Reference Service

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high correlation with the Beck Depression Inventory (Simpson et al., 1992). The Beck Depression
Inventory (BDI) is a 21-item self-report instrument designed to determine tbe relative depression
of an individual (Beck and Steer, 1987). Overall, this instrument offers coefficient alphas typically
above .SO (Hiller, 1996).
Anxiety. A third scale measures the anxiety of the inmate. Malow et al. (1 992) found that
higher levels of anxiety were significantly related to higher levels of drug use and that higher
i
levels of anxiety contributed to riskier health-related behavior. Prior research has shown
acceptable alpha reliability coefficients (see Simpson, 1991; Simpson et al., 1993), and Simpson
(1991) found a test-retest reliability of .84 for the anxiety scale using a sample of substance
abusers on probation.
0
Self Efficacy. The self-efficacy scale is taken fiom the Pearlin Mastery Scale (Pearlin and
Schooler, 1978). This scale was created in a study looking at the structure of coping mechanisms
that people use to cope with various life strains. Using scheduled interviews with approximately
2300 people aged 18-65, Pearlin and Schooler (1978) designed a questionnaire that focused on
potential life strains, conflicts, hstrations, and threats, as well as coping responses. Life strains
may include issues related to marriage, parenting, financial strain, and occupational stressors. The
goal of the researchers was to identifL coping resources available to each interviewee, including
social resources (interpersonal networks) and psychological resources (personality characteristics
such as self-esteem, self-denigration, and mastery). Individuals generally have three types of
coping strategies, including responses that change the situation; responses that control the
meaning of the experience before the emergence of stress; and responses that function to control
stress after its onset (Pearlin and Schooler, 1978).
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This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report has not
been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those of the author(s)
and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.