Because of a growing need in the area of worksite health promotion to assess the employer as well as the employee, an organizational heart health support instrument and data collection process was developed and field tested. Modeled after criteria found in the 1992 National Survey of Worksite Health Promotion, the instrument was reviewed by experts in the field and found to have sufficient content and face validity. Following training of a group of 14 advanced health promotion majors serving as independent raters, the instrument was field tested at four cooperating worksites. Significant differences were observed by mean organizational support scores across these worksites. Of 134 total items, 133 were found to have inter-rater agreement of 80 percent or greater. Additionally, internal consistency reliability ranged from .83 to. 97 for the instrument's six sub-scales. Taken in total, the instrument was judged acceptable for field use to assess organizational need, heighten management's awareness of programming options, plan initiatives, and evaluate progress. For more sophisticated efforts, continued research is needed for this relatively unexplored area of activity.

This study investigated the relationship of scores on the Psychopathic Deviate, Denial, Dependency, and MacAndrew Scales of the MMPI; intelligence; age; income; and education to continuance in a residential alcohol treatment program. Dropouts scored higher on the Psychopathic Deviate Scale than completers did. For completers, Psychopathic Deviate scores were correlated with age and Denial scores were correlated with intelligence. These relationships did not occur for dropouts. Findings were compared to research done in hospital settings.

The role of coping style in renal failure adjustment was investigated in a sample of 62 patient volunteers. Two descriptive questions were considered. Is psychosocial adjustment related to coping style? Do patients receiving differing treatments rely on distinctive coping styles? Aggressive coping style was inversely related to psychological adjustment. Patients receiving staff-supervised treatment had significantly higher scores on a scale measuring more passive defense.

The manner in which dialysis patients respond to the stress of chronic renal failure has been focused on in an active body of research. The general approach to the concept of adjustment is critically reviewed and its implications for research considered. A number of important selected factors are reviewed and conclusions in each of the areas are presented. Specific problems are defined and alternative approaches proposed.