Browsing by Subject "Risk"
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Item A design approach to a risk review for fuel cell-based distributed cogeneration systems(Texas A&M University, 2004-09-30) Luthringer, Kristin LynA risk review of a fuel cell-based distributed co-generation (FC-Based DCG) system was conducted to identify and quantify the major technological system risks in a worst-case scenario. A risk review entails both a risk assessment and a risk analysis of a designed system, and it is part of risk engineering. Thorough literature reviews and expert interviews were conducted in the field of fuel cells. A thorough literature review of the risk engineering field was also conducted. A procedure for a risk review of the FC-Based DCG System was developed. The representative system design was identified by the current DCG design technology. The risk assessment was carried out, identifying the system components and potential failure modes and consequences. Then, using probabilities of failure for the various system components, the risk associated with a particular system design was determined. A Monte Carlo simulation on the total system reliability was used to evaluate the potential for system failure at a time of 1 hour, 5 hours, 10 hours, 50 hours, 100 hours and 500 hours of continuous operation. The original system was found to be acceptable at the initial times, but after 100 hours was predicted to fail. The components which consistently contribute significantly to the overall system risk are the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) and the nickel-metal foam flow fields. A revised system was analyzed with the reliability of the MEA and the Ni-foam set to 100%. After the revision, the components which contributed significantly to the system risk were the pumps. Simulations were run for several alternative systems to provide feedback on risk management suggestions. The risk engineering process developed with the design approach for this research is applicable to any system and it accommodates the use of many different risk engineering tools.Item Am I in danger here? Incorporating organizational communication into an extended model of risk information seeking at work(2016-05) Ford, Jessica Lynn Isabel; Stephens, Keri K.; Barbour, Josh; Donovan, Erin; Kahlor, LeeAnnThere is a notable deficiency in organizational communication literature on the topic of risk information seeking (Real, 2008), given that 3.7 million nonfatal occupational injuries occurred in 2013 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2014). Previous research on organizational communication addressing health and safety at work tends to focus on employee attitudes toward risk (Real, 2008) or looks at the discursive emergence of safety in the workplace (Zoller, 2003), while overlooking how organizational-level constructs, such as information seeking norms and safety information availability influences employees’ search for risk information. In general, communication scholarship on this subject is fragmented, and lacks a representative model accounting for both individual and organizational influences on risk information seeking behaviors. In light of the frequency of on-the-job injuries and fatalities, this dissertation calls attention to the lack of research by organizational communication scholars on employee risk information seeking within high-reliability organizations (HROs). Using quantitative survey data from a large oil refinery, this dissertation expands the Planned Risk Information Seeking Model (PRISM: Kahlor, 2010) to (a) include organizational-level variables, and (b) account for information seeking sources and strategies used by employees. Originally, the goal of Kahlor’s (2010) PRISM was to integrate the relationships from well-known health information seeking models to build a model of risk information seeking that was independent of any health context. However, to fully capture the various constraints—power, control, status—which employees confront to either encourage or avert risk information seeking attempts, this dissertation alters Kahlor’s PRISM. This dissertation offers a set of theoretically-driven hypotheses and research questions to assess the explanatory value of the extended PRISM, aptly named the Organizational Planned Risk Information Seeking Model (O-PRISM). Using Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS) to conduct structural equation modeling tests reveals that the O-PRISM accounts for 62% of the variance in risk information seeking behaviors. Follow-up testing of the PRISM revealed that Kahlor’s original model explained only 34% of risk information seeking behaviors. In addition to answering Real’s (2010) call for “health-related organizational communication” research concerning occupational safety (p. 457), the findings from this study offer insight for safety personnel tasked with encouraging risk information seeking. First and foremost, this study encourages high-reliability organizations to consider how organizational norms are communicated both formally and informally. The results also provide evidence that employee risk perceptions are a poor motivator for information seeking behaviors. Lastly, from a theoretical perspective, the present study provokes a discussion about the added value of model adaptations for organizational studies.Item An Economic Analysis of U.S. Farm Programs Including Senate and House Farm Bills on Representative Farms(2013-04-23) Knapek, George MAgricultural policy continues to play a large role in risk reduction for agricultural producers in the United States. However, current budget deficits and growing national debt has many policy makers looking for ways to change the farm safety net. The interactions of current and new policy tools including crop insurance and representative farms were examined in a simulation model for four representative farms. Various outcomes were examined with attention primarily focused on (1) magnitude and frequency of farm program payments, (2) government costs and farmer return on insurance premiums paid, (3) coefficient of variation of farm revenue and probability of negative ending cash, and (4) Stochastic Efficiency with Respect to a Function (SERF) analysis. Results indicated that Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO) and Stacked Income Protection Plan (STAX) programs provide high farmer returns and positive mean payments. However, SCO, STAX, and crop insurance provided lower levels of protection when both the base and harvest price decline by the same amount. Overall, the House farm bill was preferred by all four farms for every scenario. Additionally, the results for Alternative 4, which examined different insurance coverage levels, showed that it was possible for a representative farm to lower its insurance coverage and improve its financial position. The results indicate how farm programs cover various types of potential losses faced by producer which makes the results meaningful to both producers and policy makers alike.Item An evaluation of the risk-return hypothesis: a study of security market performance.(Texas Tech University, 1974-08) Kirby, Robert OwenNot availableItem An investigation into the risk perceptions of investors in the securities of nuclear dependent electric utilities(Texas Tech University, 1983-08) Spudeck, Raymond EdwardNot availableItem Analyzing risk and uncertainty for improving water distribution system security from malevolent water supply contamination events(2009-05-15) Torres, Jacob ManuelPrevious efforts to apply risk analysis for water distribution systems (WDS) have not typically included explicit hydraulic simulations in their methodologies. A risk classification scheme is here employed for identifying vulnerable WDS components subject to an intentional water contamination event. A Monte Carlo simulation is conducted including uncertain stochastic diurnal demand patterns, seasonal demand, initial storage tank levels, time of day of contamination initiation, duration of contamination event, and contaminant quantity. An investigation is conducted on exposure sensitivities to the stochastic inputs and on mitigation measures for contaminant exposure reduction. Mitigation measures include topological modifications to the existing pipe network, valve installation, and an emergency purging system. Findings show that reasonable uncertainties in model inputs produce high variability in exposure levels. It is also shown that exposure level distributions experience noticeable sensitivities to population clusters within the contaminant spread area. The significant uncertainty in exposure patterns leads to greater resources needed for more effective mitigation.Item The application of systems engineering to a Space-based Solar Power Technology Demonstration Mission(2012-05) Chemouni Bach, Julien; Fowler, Wallace T.; Guerra, Lisa A.This thesis presents an end-to-end example of systems engineering through the development of a Space-based Solar Power Satellite (SSPS) technology demonstration mission. As part of a higher education effort by NASA to promote systems engineering in the undergraduate classroom, the purpose of this thesis is to provide an educational resource for faculty and students. NASA systems engineering processes are tailored and applied to the development of a conceptual mission in order to demonstrate the role of systems engineering in the definition of an aerospace mission. The motivation for choosing the SSPS concept is two fold. First, as a renewable energy concept, space-based solar power is a relevant topic in today's world. Second, previous SSPS studies have been largely focused on developing full-scale concepts and lack a formalized systems engineering approach. The development of an SSPS technology demonstration mission allows for an emphasis on determining mission, and overall concept, feasibility in terms of technical needs and risks. These are assessed through a formalized systems engineering approach that is defined as an early concept or feasibility study, typical of Pre-Phase A activities. An architecture is developed from a mission scope, involving the following trade studies: power beam type, power beam frequency, transmitter type, solar array, and satellite orbit. Then, a system hierarchy, interfaces, and requirements are constructed, and cost and risk analysis are performed. The results indicate that the SSPS concept is still technologically immature and further concept studies and analyses are required before it can be implemented even at the technology demonstration level. This effort should be largely focused on raising the technological maturity of some key systems, including structure, deployment mechanisms, power management and distribution, and thermal systems. These results, and the process of reaching them, thus demonstrate the importance and value of systems engineering in determining mission feasibility early on in the project lifecycle.Item Applying Classification and Regression Trees to manage financial risk(2012-05) Martin, Stephen Fredrick; Scott, James Gordon; Carvalho, Carlos M.; Marti, Nathan C.This goal of this project is to develop a set of business rules to mitigate risk related to a specific financial decision within the prepaid debit card industry. Under certain circumstances issuers of prepaid debit cards may need to decide if funds on hold can be released early for use by card holders prior to the final transaction settlement. After a brief introduction to the prepaid card industry and the financial risk associated with the early release of funds on hold, the paper presents the motivation to apply the CART (Classification and Regression Trees) method. The paper provides a tutorial of the CART algorithms formally developed by Breiman, Friedman, Olshen and Stone in the monograph Classification and Regression Trees (1984), as well as, a detailed explanation of the R programming code to implement the RPART function. (Therneau 2010) Special attention is given to parameter selection and the process of finding an optimal solution that balances complexity against predictive classification accuracy when measured against an independent data set through a cross validation process. Lastly, the paper presents an analysis of the financial risk mitigation based on the resulting business rules.Item Causal Network Methods for Integrated Project Portfolio Risk Analysis(2014-08-06) Govan, PaulCorporate portfolio risk analysis is of primary concern for many organizations, as the success of strategic objectives greatly depends on an accurate risk assessment. Current risk analysis methods typically involve statistical models of risk with varying levels of complexity. Though, as risk events are often rare, sufficient data is often not available for statistical models. Other methods are the so-called expert models, which involve subjective estimates of risk based on experience and intuition. However, experience and intuition are often insufficient for expert models as well. Furthermore, neither of these approaches reflects the general information available on projects, both expert opinions and the observed data. The goal of this dissertation is to develop a general corporate portfolio risk analysis methodology that identifies theoretical causal relationships and integrates expert opinions with the observed data. The proposed conceptual framework takes a resource-based view, where risk is identified and measured in terms of the uncertainty associated with project resources. The methodological framework utilizes causal networks to model risk and the associated consequences. This research contributes to the field of risk analysis in two primary ways. First, this research introduces a new general theory of corporate portfolio risk analysis. This theoretical framework supports risk-based decision making whether through a formal analysis or heuristic measures. Second, this research applies the causal network methodology to the problem of project risk analysis. This methodological framework provides the ability to model risk events throughout the project life-cycle. Furthermore, this framework identifies risk-based dependencies given varying levels of information, and promotes organizational learning by identifying which project information is more or less valuable to the organization.Item Critical Analysis of ?At-Risk? Policy Discourse: Implications for Administrators and Teachers(2010-10-12) Hemmer, LynnWhile No Child Left Behind (NCLB) provides a mechanism for holding states, local education agencies (LEA), and schools accountable to improve academic achievement for all students, policy itself has done little to include students from dropping out of school. Rather, dropout prevention/recovery schools/programs such as alternative schools of choice are recognized and relied upon as a means to reduce the number of students dropping out of school. These schools seek to re-engage the student who is at-risk to dropping out of school through nontraditional means and strategies. As more and more students become disenfranchised and drop out of school, these schools grow in importance. To ensure that all students have equity in education, regardless of educational setting, these schools warrant further attention and consideration. Therefore, two questions become evident: (a) How do educators in alternative schools interpret and implement policy such as NCLB? and (b) How do they define their role and responsibility? This case study examined the socio-legal discourse applied when seven administrators and 15 teachers administered policy as a response to an at-risk student population in five demographically diverse alternative education settings in California and Texas. A critical discourse analysis of text, interviews, and observations was used to reveal administrator and teacher assumptions and motivations of policy and risk. The data analysis revealed three dominant discourses of risk compliance and policy knowledge that were notable forces in the policy implementation of NCLB at these schools. Themes that emerged from the data included responsibility, dissociation, success, and equity. The findings from this study have demonstrated that a moment-by-moment process shapes the construction of role, responsibility, success, and equity as defined by the teachers and administrators. Furthermore, the discourse of risk and policy converged as ideological and political conceptions that perpetuate the notion that educating disadvantaged children as a process of demonstrating a particular level of knowledge and/or acquitting what it means to be considered at-risk. The implication for these educators is that the risk discourse that was engaged influenced their sense of responsibility, practice, and thus may counter policy intent.Item Debris-covered glaciers : modeling ablation and flood hazards in the Nepal Himalaya(2016-05) Rounce, David Robert; McKinney, Daene C.; Maidment, David R; Hodges, Ben R; Catania, Ginny A; Yang, Zong-LiangDebris-covered are ubiquitous in the Nepal Himalaya and significantly alter the glaciers response to climate change and have large implications on the development of glacial lakes. The thickness of the debris is largely heterogeneous over the course of the glacier thereby promoting ablation in areas of thin debris and retarding ablation in areas of thick debris. The debris thickness typically increases towards the snout of the glacier, but can be difficult to measure as field measurements are time-consuming and laborious. This body of work utilizes satellite imagery in conjunction with a debris-covered glacier energy balance model to reasonably estimate the spatial variations in debris thickness for glaciers in the Everest region of Nepal. Sub-debris ablation rates may be computed using the same energy balance model, but requires detailed information regarding the properties of the debris and the surface processes. Detailed field data was collected over the 2014 melt season on Imja-Lhotse Shar Glacier to estimate many of the debris properties. This data was also used to model the sub-debris ablation rates to develop an understanding of the critical properties (i.e., thermal conductivity, albedo, and surface roughness) and processes (i.e., accounting for the latent heat flux) required to accurately model the impact of the debris. The heterogeneous debris cover often causes higher melt rates upglacier, which diminishes the glacier’s topographic gradient thereby promoting glacier stagnation and the development of glacial lakes. These glacial lakes form behind terminal moraines comprising soil and loose boulders that are susceptible to fail causing a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF). GLOFs can have devastating impacts on infrastructure and communities located downstream; however, assessing the risks associated with these floods has traditionally required detailed field campaigns that are difficult to perform as these glacial lakes are located in remote areas at high altitudes. This body of work develops a holistic hazard assessment using solely remotely sensed data to objectively characterize the threat of a GLOF. This hazard assessment provides valuable information concerning potential GLOF triggers that may be used to direct future field campaigns and ultimately the management actions associated with these glacial lakes.Item Decomposition of multiple attribute preference models(2013-12) He, Ying, active 2013; Dyer, James S.This dissertation consists of three research papers on Preference models of decision making, all of which adopt an axiomatic approach in which preference conditions are studied so that the models in this dissertation can be verified by checking their conditions at the behavioral level. The first paper “Utility Functions Representing Preference over Interdependent Attributes” studies the problem of how to assess a two attribute utility function when the attributes are interdependent. We consider a situation where the risk aversion on one attribute could be influenced by the level of the other attribute in a two attribute decision making problem. In this case, the multilinear utility model—and its special cases the additive and multiplicative forms—cannot be applied to assess a subject’s preference because utility independence does not hold. We propose a family of preference conditions called nth degree discrete distribution independence that can accommodate a variety of dependencies among two attributes. The special case of second degree discrete distribution independence is equivalent to the utility independence condition. Third degree discrete distribution independence leads to a decomposition formula that contains many other decomposition formulas in the existing literature as special cases. As the decompositions proposed in this research is more general than many existing ones, the study provides a model of preference that has potential to be used for assessing utility functions more accurately and with relatively little additional effort. The second paper “On the Axiomatization of the Satiation and Habit Formation Utility Models” studies the axiomatic foundations of the discounted utility model that incorporates both satiation and habit formation in temporal decision. We propose a preference condition called shifted difference independence to axiomatize a general habit formation and satiation model (GHS). This model allows for a general habit formation and satiation function that contains many functional forms in the literature as special cases. Since the GHS model can be reduced to either a general satiation model (GSa) or a general habit formation model (GHa), our theory also provides approaches to axiomatize both the GSa model and the GHa model. Furthermore, by adding extra preference conditions into our axiomatization framework, we obtain a GHS model with a linear habit formation function and a recursively defined linear satiation function. In the third paper “Hope, Dread, Disappointment, and Elation from Anticipation in Decision Making”, we propose a model to incorporate both anticipation and disappointment into decision making, where we define hope as anticipating a gain and dread as anticipating a loss. In this model, the anticipation for a lottery is a subjectively chosen outcome for a lottery that influences the decision maker’s reference point. The decision maker experiences elation or disappointment when she compares the received outcome with the anticipated outcome. This model captures the trade-off between a utility gain from higher anticipation and a utility loss from higher disappointment. We show that our model contains some existing decision models as its special cases, including disappointment models. We also use our model to explore how a person’s attitude toward the future, either optimistic or pessimistic, could mediate the wealth effect on her risk attitude. Finally, we show that our model can be applied to explain the coexistence of a demand for gambling and insurance and provides unique insights into portfolio choice and advertising decision problems.Item Engineering Geologic Assessment of Risk to Visitors: Canyon Lake Gorge, Texas(2010-07-14) Kolkmeier, Benjamin D.Presented here are the results of a study of geological hazards conducted in Canyon Lake Gorge of Central Texas. Canyon Lake Gorge formed in 2002 when the emergency spillway of Canyon Lake was overtopped. Since that time, the gorge has been opened to public tours, and the organization governing the gorge has expressed concern regarding visitor safety. The surveys in this study gathered data through field observations and supplemented those data with non-destructive tests from an impact test hammer. The goal of this study was to gather original field data on potential hazards of the gorge with the hope that insight from these data could be used to enhance visitor safety in the gorge. The field observations made in this study identified the presence of undercut rock ledges that could present varying degrees of risk to visitors. Easily eroded clayey wackestone facilitated formation of these potential hazards. Lithologies such as packstone and grainstone serve to form ledges atop the wackestone. Preexisting fractures and joints in the ledge forming rock, which compound the danger of the unstable masses of undercut ledges, provide failure planes. This study identified current areas of unstable masses by location and differentiates the degree of risk present at each location, using simplified classes of low, medium, and high risk. Level of risk was determined primarily by the potential injuries incurred. Often, the height was dependent upon the thickness of an easily eroded wackestone bed that undercuts ledge forming rock. Canyon Lake Gorge is a young and dynamic geomorphological environment seeking equilibrium through gravity facilitated erosional events. In time, natural formation of riser beds will mitigate the potential hazards of some undercut ledges. Based on the potential hazards identified in Canyon Lake Gorge, four safety recommendations are proposed: - Visitors should always be guided by trained personnel. This practice is in place. - Visitors should be educated on the dangers of Canyon Lake Gorge before entering. - Unavoidable hazards should be evaluated for ways to mitigate risk. - The gorge should be continually monitored to insure safety of the visiting public.Item Essays on credit risk(2005) Tang, Yongjun; Titman, Sheridan; Yan, HongThis dissertation examines the determinants of credit spreads. The purpose and contribution of this dissertation is to provide a more comprehensive and coherent view of credit risk valuation. Specifically, I examine the effects of previously overlooked factors (in addition to conventional factors such as market financing costs, firm leverage, and firm risk) on credit risk using credit default swap (CDS) rates that better reflect associated credit risk. I undertake this study through both theoretical exploration and empirical examination. On the theoretical front, I present a structural credit risk model that explicitly considers both macro-economic conditions and firm fundamentals. I show that the model predicts more appropriate levels of credit spreads across all credit rating classes than the existing structural models and produces the empirically observed upward-sloping term structure of credit spreads for high-yield bonds that most other models fail to explain. On the empirical front, I capitalize on the advantage of CDS spreads as a better measure of credit risk than other existing measures. Using this measure, I first test and verify some of our model’s predictions, namely, both macro-economic conditions and firm characteristics have significant effects on credit spreads. The most notable finding is that credit spreads increase with investor sentiment. The second part of my empirical investigation examines the role of imperfect information in the CDS market. Using several proxies (especially analyst forecast dispersion) for transparency, I find that credit spreads decrease with transparency, but this effect is most pronounced for issuers with low disclosure costs. I also find significant liquidity effects and illiquidity spillover in the CDS market, contrary to the conventional wisdom.Item Essays on the economic analysis of risk(Texas Tech University, 2003-05) Thompson, Mark A.An important challenge to risk management is to understand the role that shocks play on measures of economic activity. Here, such unexpected disturbances or shocks are defined as "news." This dissertation focuses on how economic news affects financial and labor markets in three essays. The topic of the first essay is the impact of news on health care sector retum volatility. The second essay deals with how information and shocks are transmitted through the health care industry and finally, the third essay examines how labor market conditions respond to a catastrophic event such as a severe windstorm. Each essay incorporates time series econometric techniques to analyze the dynamic response to economic news and events. A brief synopsis of each essay follows.Item Exceptional soybeans : genetically modified soybeans in Argentina and international environmental governance(2015-05) Smith, Geneva Montana Leader; Lentz, Erin C.; Smith, LindsayOn the margins of the first and developing worlds, Argentines have made many bids to enter into the small cohort of international power-players with varying degrees of success. This report takes a step back from rumors and suspicions surrounding Argentina to instead draw attention to the economic growth and international political clout gained through state and private industry support of agricultural biotechnology. Perhaps more important than revenue generated through exports of a lucrative crop, this transformative technology, namely in the form of genetically modified (GM) soybeans, has given Argentine political and industry elites the means to establish credibility in the international community. In turn, this has aided the Argentine state in negotiating the contours of its sovereignty on its own terms. GM soybeans have indeed become a stalwart of Argentine economic growth and a means to gain respect from the international community. There is still controversy, however, surrounding regulation of GM soybean production and the uncertain effects on those whose livelihoods depend on its continued adoption. Given that the jury is still out on the long-term effects of agricultural biotechnology production on soil quality, health and human safety, and rural job opportunities, the domestic effect of Argentine exceptionalism deployed for international purposes is troublingly unclear. An exploration of Argentine exceptionalism in relation to a shifting, yet always hybrid political economy and some of the contradictions via two case studies is a first step toward discovering how transitions to agricultural biotechnology affect the lives and livelihoods of Argentines at home.Item Exploring protective factors in school and home contexts for economically disadvantaged students in the middle school(2012-05) Okilwa, Nathern S. A.; Holme, Jennifer Jellison; Reyes, Pedro; Yates, James; Saenz, Victor; Crosnoe, RobertThe purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of middle school students particularly focusing on the academic achievement of economically disadvantaged students. Existing data show that there is an increasing cohort of school children experiencing poverty, either short or long term. For poor middle school students, the risk for school failure is amplified by the general risks associated with middle school transition and early adolescence development. The cumulative nature of these risks is often associated with undesirable school outcomes including grade retention, behavior problems, absenteeism, delinquency, teenage pregnancy, school dropout, fewer years of schooling, and lower academic achievement. However, there is evidence that some students succeed in spite of adversity, which is often attributed to protective factors present in the students’ own immediate environment – school, home, and community. This current study, therefore, examined the relationship between two potential protective factors–parent involvement and school belonging–and student achievement. Previous research has established that parent involvement and school belonging are both associated with positive school outcomes including academic motivation, self-efficacy, internal locus of control, pro-social and on-task behavior, school engagement, educational aspirations and expectations, and better academic achievement. Consequently, this study examined three main questions: (a) How is parental involvement associated with academic achievement for economically disadvantaged eighth grade students? (b) How school belonging associated with academic achievement for economically disadvantaged eighth grade students? (c) Do the relations between parent involvement, school belonging, and eighth grade achievement vary as a function of prior achievement and middle school? To answer these research questions, this study used the nationally representative longitudinal data from Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten (ECLS-K) Class of 1998/99. The findings for this study showed that when parent involvement and school belonging were considered together, the association between parent involvement and student achievement diminished while school belonging consistently emerged as a significant predictor of achievement. However, while school belonging emerged as a significant predictor of achievement, this study established that students’ prior achievement was the single strong and significant factor explaining achievement for poor eighth grade students.Item Impact of regulatory risk on capital structure decisions for electric utilities: a theoretical and empirical analysis(Texas Tech University, 1985-12) Rao, Ramesh PillarisettiNot availableItem Inmate characteristics and mental health services: An examination of service utilization and treatment effects(Texas Tech University, 2008-05) Shaw, Lucas B.; Morgan, Robert D.; Garos, Sheila; Cook, Stephen W.; Giles, Charles L.Many individuals incarcerated in the prison system suffer from mental health problems. As the inmate population grows, correctional mental health professionals are being overwhelmed with a population that is more likely than the general public to experience mental health problems (Fazel & Danesh, 2002). To maximize resources, it is important that treatment be offered to inmates who will receive the most benefit (e.g., Andrews, Zinger et al., 1990). Variables that have been found to impact treatment utilization and treatment outcome include demographic variables (e.g., Kessler et al., 2005), help-seeking attitudes, and client expectations (Grencavage & Norcross, 1990). For correctional mental health treatment, risk for recidivism is another variable that is predictive of treatment outcome (Andrews, Zinger et al., 1990). This study examined these variables aiming to gather information necessary to maximize treatment effectiveness. Participants consisted of 278 incarcerated adult offenders from the Kansas Department of Corrections. Inmates who received mental health services while incarcerated and those who have not were included in the study. Variables under investigation include sociodemographic variables (e.g., race, age, educational level, institutional security level, length of prison sentence), attitudes toward help seeking, expectations about mental health treatment, and risk for recidivism. Although several studies have examined inmate characteristics that affect mental health treatment (e.g., Deane et al., 1999; Morgan et al., 2004; Morgan et al., 2007; Williams et al., 2001), the impact of these characteristics on treatment effects remained uninvestigated. The objectives of this study were to identify sociodemographic variables that affect service utilization; identify if correctional mental health treatment impacts treatment outcome variables (improves institutional behavior, reduces risk for recidivism) and identify inmate characteristics (help-seeking attitudes, treatment fears, and client expectations) that impact treatment outcome variables; and identify if inmate characteristics impact treatment satisfaction. Logistic regression analysis identified security level as the most powerful predictor of mental health service utilization. Hierarchical linear regression analyses indicated that the amount of mental health treatment an inmate received was associated with institutional behavior (number and severity of disciplinary infractions). In addition, help-seeking attitudes was associated with institutional behavior and risk for recidivism. Results of standard multiple linear regression analyses indicated that treatment satisfaction was associated with inmate characteristics (i.e., help-seeking attitudes and client expectations). These results indicated that treatment utilization is impacted by sociodemographic variables. They also showed that certain outcome variables might be affected by the amount of mental health treatment and inmate characteristics. As a result, correctional psychologists may be better able to predict which inmates are more likely to utilize mental health services and which inmates will receive the most benefit from services. Findings and conclusions are discussed in light of limitations of the study.
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