Counselling a Couple with a Gambling Problem

This paper discusses work with a couple where a gambling addiction was present. General principles of change are discussed, and the stages of treatment outlined.     

Using an empirical Bayes model to estimate currency exchange rate

An empirical Bayes (EB) model to estimate the exchange rate of a national currency is described. The national currency under consideration is typically non-convertible, and is generally associated with a weak economy of a Third World country. We take the Nigerian currency as an example. Using theta as a generic notation for the exchange rate parameter, a sequence of sample mean estimates theta i MN (i = 1, 2, . . ., m) is generated over m time periods. An EB model is formulated for the theta MN , from which the empirical Bayes estimates theta i EB are calculated. The performances of theta EB and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) estimate theta CBN are compared. On several performance measures, theta EB is shown to be superior to theta CBN .     

Population moments and moments of the sample mean

This paper presents new formulae which simultaneously express and estimate moments of the sample mean and estimate population moments, from a simple random sample drawn without replcement from a finite population. By avoiding the generality of the multivariate case, these two problems are not only unified but are made significantly more tractable. Explicit solution are given up to eighth moments. Asymptotic results for infinite populations are also given.     

Examining Mental Health Court Completion: A Focal Concerns Perspective

Sociologists have long‐raised concern about disparate treatment in the justice system. Focal concerns have become the dominant perspective in explaining these disparities in legal processing decisions. Despite the growth of problem‐solving courts, little research has examined how this perspective operates in nontraditional court settings. This article used a mixed‐method approach to examine focal concerns in a mental health court (MHC). Observational findings indicate that gender and length of time in court influence the court's contextualization of noncompliance. While discussions of race were absent in observational data, competing‐risk survival analysis finds that gender and race interact to predict MHC termination.     

A life course approach to understanding homelessness of shelter residents

ABSTRACT

Using in-depth interviews of 40 residents from a homeless shelter in El Paso, Texas in the United States, this study examines the etiology, processes, and patterns of homelessness by assessing those confronting homeless spells at different time points and for varying reasons. Our study is guided by the research questions: How did residents of homeless shelters experience transitions and turning points of homelessness? What were the coping resources that homeless people drew on to overcome life adversities? Overall, we found that risk accumulation as a result of different traumatic events, such as death of a family member, marital or relationship breakdown, victimization, unemployment, substance addiction, poor mental health, or discrimination confronted in varied contexts, could serve as precursors or consequences that exacerbated the housing crisis over the course of a life. We recommend that efforts geared toward remediating, alleviating, or preventing homelessness be life course driven. It is only through compassion and empathy rather than criminalizing and stigmatizing that we can help stop the triggers and spread of the downward spiral of homelessness.