Kristen M Abraham

• MA, PhD
• Professor at University of Detroit Mercy

Importance Innovative approaches to address interpersonal risk factors for suicide attempts and suicidal ideation may help reduce persistently elevated suicide rates in the US. Objective To determine whether Peers for Valued Living (PREVAIL), a posthospital peer support intervention, reduces suicide attempts and suicidal ideation among adults psyc...

Objective: The authors evaluated associations between employment at discharge from Veterans Health Administration Vocational Rehabilitation Service (VR) programs and suicide and other causes of death. Methods: For veterans receiving VR between October 1, 2005, and September 30, 2014 (N=78,293), proportional hazards analyses were used to test ass...

Objective: To evaluate care retention among Veterans with serious mental illness (SMI) who were lost to Veterans Health Administration (VHA) care for at least one year and subsequently returned to VHA care via the SMI Re-Engagement program, an outreach program for Veterans with SMI who are lost-to-care. Methods: For the 410 Veterans with SMI who...

Background: Although many studies assess predictors of provider burnout, few analyses provide high-quality, consistent evidence on the impact of provider burnout on patient outcomes exist, particularly among behavioral health providers (BHPs). Objective: To assess the impact of burnout among psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers on ac...

Study objectives were to 1) assess the reliability and validity of the 10-item Mental Health Recovery Measure (MHRM-10) in sample of predominately African American participants with serious mental illness, and 2) evaluate differences in MHRM-10 scores between the present sample and two other samples of persons with serious mental illness with diffe...

Objectives: This study evaluated which predisposing and enabling factors prospectively predicted dental utilization over 6 months among people with serious mental illness. Methods: A sample of individuals with serious mental illness (86.3% African American; 97.4% with public health insurance) was recruited from community mental health centres in...

Objective: To identify work-environment characteristics associated with Veterans Health Administration (VHA) behavioral health provider (BHP) burnout among psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers. Data sources: 2015-2018 data from Annual All Employee Survey (AES); Mental Health Provider Survey (MHPS); N = 57,397 respondents; facility-level...

Objective : We characterised peer support specialists’ self-disclosures related to suicide and recipient responses to inform services for high-risk individuals that may include peer support. Method : We used an inductive approach and thematic analysis to identify themes from audio recordings of initial sessions between peer support specialists tra...

This mixed methods study assessed the emotional impact of therapeutic art techniques in reducing subjective anxiety by comparing three options for drawing a self-portrait: literal self-portrait, mandala, and free drawing. Undergraduate college students (n = 60) were provided with a mood induction procedure and then randomly assigned to a drawing co...

Objective This study evaluated whether supervisory mentorship contributed to peer support specialists’ job satisfaction and burnout via pathways of role clarity and psychological empowerment after accounting for effects of demographic and workplace characteristics. The study also evaluated whether the recovery-orientation of the workplace contribut...

Outreach to people with serious mental illness who are disengaged from treatment can facilitate return to care. However, little is known regarding what outreach strategies are effective. This mixed-methods evaluation assessed best practices for conducting outreach to Veterans with serious mental illness via the national Veterans Health Administrati...

Timely care initiation is a priority within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Patients with serious mental illnesses (SMI) are a group that benefits from timely care initiation due to elevated risks of negative outcomes with delayed care. However, no evaluation has assessed whether VHA SMI patients disproportionately experience delays in me...

Introduction Although the benefits of employment for veterans with mental health conditions are well-known, the effect of veterans’ employment on a health system has not been evaluated. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of veterans’ employment (versus unemployment) on subsequent health care utilization in the Veterans Health Admi...

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.2196/18345.].

Background In the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), mental health providers (MHPs) report the second highest level of burnout after primary care physicians. Burnout is defined as increased emotional exhaustion and depersonalization and decreased sense of personal accomplishment at work. Objective This study aims to characterize variation in MH...

BACKGROUND In the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), mental health providers (MHPs) report the second highest level of burnout after primary care physicians. Burnout is defined as increased emotional exhaustion and depersonalization and decreased sense of personal accomplishment at work. OBJECTIVE This study aims to characterize variation in MH...

Objective: This study tested whether computerized cognitive-behavioral therapy for depression supported by a peer specialist with lived experience of depression (PS-cCBT) improves mental health-related outcomes for primary care patients. Methods: In the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, primary care patients with a new diagnosis of depression...

Rationale: Novel approaches to suicide prevention are needed to address increasing rates of suicide deaths. Research suggests that interventions led by certified Peer Specialists may improve suicide protective factors such as hope and connectedness; however, the effectiveness of a Peer Specialist intervention for reducing suicidal thoughts or beha...

Suicide rates in the United States have been increasing in recent years, and the period after an inpatient psychiatric hospitalization is one of especially high risk for death by suicide. Peer support specialists may play an important role in addressing recommendations that suicide prevention activities focus on protective factors by improving hope...

Although research suggests that various familial factors and the parent–child relationship are important for the adjustment to college, less is known about how a parent with a mental illness impacts the challenges that accompany the transition to college. This mixed methods study examined differences among college students (N = 196, age range 18–30...

Background: Organizational culture and climate are considered key factors in implementation efforts but have not been examined as moderators of implementation strategy comparative effectiveness. We investigated organizational culture and climate as moderators of comparative effectiveness of two sequences of implementation strategies (Immediate vs....

Objective: This evaluation assessed the effectiveness of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) program Reengaging Veterans With Serious Mental Illness in Treatment (SMI Re-Engage). The program serves veterans with serious mental illness who experience extended gaps in use of VHA care. Methods: Propensity score-weighted survival analysis that...

Objective: The study assessed whether receiving specific types of Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Therapeutic and Supported Employment Services (TSES) between fiscal years (FYs) 2006 and 2010 (a time frame that encompasses the Great Recession) was associated with obtaining competitive employment among veterans with mental illnesses. Methods:...

This evaluation identified factors associated with outreach contact to veterans with serious mental illness (SMI) who were lost to Veterans Health Administration (VHA) care. From March 2012 through September 2013, the VHA SMI Re-Engage initiative identified 4,241 veterans for reengagement outreach; 31% of whom were successfully contacted. Higher od...

Policy is a powerful motivator of clinical change, but implementation success can depend on organizational characteristics. This article used validated measures of organizational resources, culture, and climate to predict uptake of a nationwide Veteran's Health Administration (VA) policy aimed at implementing Re-Engage, a brief care management prog...

Using data from a sample of 398 veterans diagnosed with depression, the present study used principal components analysis to shorten the Mental Health Recovery Measure (MHRM) to a 10-item instrument. Results indicated the 10-item MHRM had excellent internal reliability. Construct validity for the 10-item MHRM was evidenced by correlations with measu...

In the past decade, the demand for Veterans Health Administration (VHA) mental health care has increased rapidly. In response to the increased demand, the VHA developed the Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP) team model as an innovative approach to transform VHA general outpatient mental health delivery. The present formative evaluat...

In the armed forces, “service” denotes a willingness to “work for” your country, wages, personal recognition of accomplishment, your brothers/sisters in arms, and references the importance of work in the identity of these individuals. Veteran employment and mental health are intricately connected and at times dependent upon each other. As such, foc...

Background: Prior research found lower employment rates among working-aged patients who use the VA than among non-Veterans or Veterans who do not use the VA, with the lowest reported employment rates among VA patients with mental disorders. This study assessed employment status, employment functioning, and barriers to employment among VA patients...

This study explored whether emerging adults' reports of their relationships with their mothers who have been diagnosed with mental illness and their attempts to make meaning of the experience of having a mother with mental illness were associated with stress-related personal growth. Fifty-two emerging adult children with mothers who have been diagn...

This study compared effectiveness of an enhanced versus standard implementation strategy (Replicating Effective Programs [REP]) on site-level uptake of Re-Engage, a national program for veterans with serious mental illness. Mental health providers at 158 Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities were given REP-based manuals and training in Re-Engage, which...

Background: Few implementation strategies have been empirically tested for their effectiveness in improving uptake of evidence-based treatments or programs. This study compared the effectiveness of an immediate versus delayed enhanced implementation strategy (Enhanced Replicating Effective Programs (REP)) for providers at Veterans Health Administr...

People with bipolar disorders report a lower quality of life than the general population does, and few mutable factors associated with health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among people with bipolar disorders have been identified. Using a cross-sectional design, these analyses examined whether self-efficacy was associated with mental and physical...

This study examined the population-based reach of Veterans Health Administration (VHA) employment services to VHA patients with psychiatric diagnoses. Reach of services includes the percentage and characteristics of people who accessed services compared with those who did not. Using clinical administrative data, we identified patients with a psychi...

Depressive disorders are a serious public health concern and treatment priority for the Veterans Health Administration. Computer-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (cCBT) is an effective intervention for patients with major depressive disorders; however, rates of program completion are an area of concern, which may be improved through the assistanc...

Background: Persons with serious mental illness (SMI) are disproportionately burdened by premature mortality. This disparity is exacerbated by poor continuity of care with the health system. The Veterans Health Administration (VA) developed Re-Engage, an effective population-based outreach program to identify veterans with SMI lost to care and to...

Objective: Guided by a life course perspective, the present study examined whether aspects of the emerging adult-mother relationship, specifically affection, felt obligation, role reversal, and reciprocity, mediated the association between having a mother with mental illness and poorer psychological adjustment. Method: Emerging adults with mothe...

Objective: This study examined the association between utilization of Veterans Affairs (VA) health services and the probability of treatment dropout among veterans with serious mental illness. Methods: Utilization of VA health services in the fiscal year (FY) before treatment dropout among veterans with serious mental illness who were lost to ca...

Guided by a life course perspective, the current study examined whether emerging adults with and without mothers with affective disorders viewed their relationships with their mothers differently, and whether aspects of the emerging adult-mother relationship were associated with reports of caregiving for mothers. Reports from emerging adults with m...

Objectives. Persons with mental disorders experience functional impairments and premature mortality. Limited continuity of care may contribute to disparities in this group. We describe the replication of an evidence-based outreach program (Re-Engage) to reconnect Veterans with mental disorders into care who have dropped out of services. Methods. U...

INTRODUCTION: Bipolar disorder is associated with functional impairment across a number of domains, including health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Many patients are treated exclusively in primary care (PC) settings, yet little is known how HRQOL outcomes compare between PC and community mental health (CMH) settings. This study aimed to explore t...

Although reduced care engagement has been linked to increased mortality for persons with serious mental illness (SMI), there have been limited investigations into specific mortality causes for this group. This study evaluates the effects of care disengagement on mortality cause and time until death in Veterans with SMI. A total of 3300 Veterans wit...

Using a sample of 222 young adults attending college, the present study examined the relative contribution of young adults’ perceived economic pressures, financial coping and religious meaning-making coping strategies in accounting for variation in their reports of psychological well-being within the context of the United States economic crisis. Re...

A transformation is occurring in mental health services throughout the country that presents opportunities for both seasoned and aspiring psychologists. This paper draws on the experiences of (a) a VA staff psychologist, (b) a psychology postdoctoral fellow, (c) a director of clinical training (and clinical-community psychologist) at an APA-accredi...

The present intergenerational study examined the perceived impact of the recent U.S. economic crisis on a sample of 68 young adult-parent dyads. The relative contribution of perceived economic pressure, reports of adult child-parent relationship quality, and concerns about the economic future in accounting for variation in self-reports of psycholog...

The present study compares 94 young adults' self-reported felt obligation toward parents, psychological symptoms, psychological well-being, and interpersonal loneliness in three family types: families where a mother has serious mental illness, families where a father has serious mental illness, and families with nondistressed parents. Results indic...

The importance of employment in lives of people with psychiatric disabilities is well documented. Yet, the role of case managers in facilitating or inhibiting employment opportunities for consumers is only beginning to be understood. This study examined the psychometric properties of a newly developed self-report measure designed to assess case man...

This study examined the role of religious, benefit finding, and goal-oriented meaning making strategies used by 111 young adults in response to their experience of personal loss. Death of a loved one and relationship loss were the two types of loss most frequently reported by participants. In general, young adults reported being affected by their l...

A network approach to disaster preparedness in university settings is described. Basic network concepts relevant for disaster preparedness and methods for analyzing network data without complex mathematics are presented. A case study of campus mental health and academic units at a midwestern university is presented to illustrate the practical appli...

To test the hypothesis that the established relationship between materialism and psychological well-being would be eliminated or significantly attenuated when controlling for social support, 159 American college students completed the Richins and Dawson (1992) materialism scale, the Cohen and Hoberman (1983) Interpersonal Support Evaluation List, a...

Document formatted into pages; contains vii, 95 p. Thesis (M.A.)--Bowling Green State University, 2007. Includes bibliographical references. Mode of access: World Wide Web. System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader.