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Matthew Aalsma
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Youth involved in the juvenile justice system are known to have significant medical and mental health difficulties. Matt Aalsma is concerned about the large number of youth in the juvenile justice system who are minorities and are impoverished. Dr. Aalsma is researching ways to link these youth to the medical and mental health care they need for successful reentry into community life. To help youth get connected to needed services, a medical and mental health care screening program is being tested at the Indianapolis Juvenile Detention Center. This project is funded through a federal grant from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau.
Successful practices developed here in Indiana can have a positive impact on youth in juvenile justice systems across the country. Professor Aalsma’s research seeks to improve the lives of youth in the juvenile justice system as well as their chances for successful transition to community life.
Dr. Aalsma’s project exploring how to link youth in the juvenile justice system to needed medical and mental health care is another example of how IUPUI's faculty members are TRANSLATING their RESEARCH INTO PRACTICE.
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Browsing Matthew Aalsma by Subject "Adolescent"
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Item 4. Getting A Grip On My Depression: A Grounded Theory Explaining How Latina Adolescents Experience, Self-Manage, And Seek Treatment For Depressive Symptoms(Journal of Adolescent Health, 2019) McCord Stafford, Allison; Aalsma, Matthew C.; Bigatti, Silvia M.; Oruche, Ukamaka M.; Burke Draucker, ClaireLatina adolescents are more likely to experience depressive symptoms and less likely to receive mental health services than White peers. Although evidence-based treatments exist to treat adolescent depression, few treatments have been modified to meet the cultural needs of this population. In order to develop culturally sensitive strategies for preventing, identifying, and treating depressive symptoms in Latina adolescents, it is necessary to understand how they experience, self-manage, and seek treatment for their depressive symptoms over time from their own perspective. The purpose of this study was to develop a theoretical framework that explains how Latina adolescents experience, self-manage, and seek treatment for their depressive symptoms.Item Barriers and facilitators to treatment participation by adolescents in a community mental health clinic(2013-05-17) Oruche, Ukamaka M.; Downs, Sarah M.; Holloway, Evan D.; Burke Draucker, Claire; Aalsma, Matthew C.An estimated 40–60% of children in mental health treatment drop out before completing their treatment plans, resulting in increased risk for ongoing clinical symptoms and functional impairment, lower satisfaction with treatment, and other poor outcomes. Research has focused predominately on child, caregiver, and family factors that affect treatment participation in this population and relatively less on organizational factors. Findings are limited by focus on children between 3 and 14 years of age and included only caregivers’ and/or therapists’ perspectives. The purpose of this descriptive qualitative study was to identify organizational factors that influenced participation in treatment, with special attention to factors that contributed to dropout in adolescents. The sample included 12 adolescent–caregiver dyads drawn from two groups in a large public mental health provider database. Analysis of focus group interview data revealed several perceived facilitators and barriers to adolescent participation in treatment and provided several practical suggestions for improving treatment participation. Implications of the findings for psychiatric mental health nurses and other clinicians who provide services to families of adolescents with mental health concerns are discussed.Item Caregiver Comfort in Adolescents Independently Completing Screening Tablet-Based Questionnaires at Primary Care Visits(Elsevier, 2019-09-12) Ferrin, Stephanie N.; Grout, Randall W.; Gilbert, Amy Lewis; Wilkinson, Tracey A.; Cheng, Erika R.; Downs, Stephen M.; Aalsma, Matthew C.; Pediatrics, School of MedicineObjectives The objective of this study was to assess caregiver comfort regarding adolescent completion of computerized health screening questionnaires created for adolescents. Design We conducted a mixed method, cross-sectional survey of caregivers of adolescent patients (n=104) ages 12–18 years that had a medical visit between June and August of 2017. Topics assessed included who completed the questionnaire, caregiver comfort and concern regarding questionnaire data, and caregiver reasons for involvement in completing the questionnaire. A one-way ANOVA was used to compare age of the adolescent and caregiver involvement in the questionnaire. Results The majority of adolescents (64%) reported independent completion of the questionnaire. Thirteen percent of caregivers completed the questionnaire with no involvement of the adolescent and 23% reported that caregivers and adolescents completed the questionnaire in tandem. The majority of caregivers (84%) were comfortable with adolescents completing the questionnaire. A variety of reasons were identified for caregivers completing the questionnaire (time constraints, 22%; adolescent requested caregiver help, 19%; caregiver desired to answer questions, 14%; caregiver did not realize that the questionnaire was intended for the adolescent, 11%; caregiver believed that the adolescent was too young to respond alone, 11%. Caregiver comfort with adolescent completing the questionnaire increase with age. Conclusion We found the reason most caregivers gave for completing the questionnaires were related to clinic processes (e.g. time constraints) Caregivers were more likely to complete the questionnaire with younger adolescents. Thus, pediatricians should consider how to best prepare families for initial questionnaires in primary care.Item The Natural Course of Adolescent Depression Treatment in the Primary Care Setting(Elsevier, 2020) McCord Stafford, Allison; Garbuz, Tamila; Etter, Dillon J.; Adams, Zachary W.; Hulvershorn, Leslie A.; Downs, Stephen M.; Aalsma, Matthew C.; School of NursingIntroduction: Little is known about how adolescents receive depression follow-up in primary care. The purpose of this study was to describe the rates of symptom assessment and depression treatment over time in a group of adolescents screening positive for moderate or severe depression in the primary care setting. Methods: Retrospective chart reviews were conducted to gather information related to symptom reassessments, antidepressant prescriptions, psychotherapy referrals, and treatment discontinuation. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and a qualitative content analysis was conducted to determine the reasons for treatment discontinuation. Results: Eighty records were reviewed (mean age = 15.3, 73% female, 59% Black). Treatment was initiated for 83% (n = 66) of patients, and 45% (n = 30) of patients discontinued treatment during the review period for a variety of reasons. Discussion: To improve adolescents' adherence to depression treatment, providers should address factors that contribute to treatment discontinuation and use tools to manage depression follow-up care.Item Perspectives of family medicine physicians on the importance of adolescent preventive care: a multivariate analysis(BioMed Central, 2016) Taylor, Jaime L.; Aalsma, Matthew C.; Gilbert, Amy L.; Hensel, Devon J.; Rickert, Vaughn I.; Department of Pediatrics, IU School of MedicineBACKGROUND: The study objective was to identify commonalities amongst family medicine physicians who endorse annual adolescent visits. METHODS: A nationally weighted representative on-line survey was used to explore pediatrician (N = 204) and family medicine physicians (N = 221) beliefs and behaviors surrounding adolescent wellness. Our primary outcome was endorsement that adolescents should receive annual preventive care visits. RESULTS: Pediatricians were significantly more likely (p < .01) to endorse annual well visits. Among family medicine physicians, bivariate comparisons were conducted between those who endorsed an annual visit (N = 164) compared to those who did not (N = 57) with significant predictors combined into two multivariate logistic regression models. Model 1 controlled for: patient race, proportion of 13-17 year olds in provider's practice, discussion beliefs scale and discussion behaviors with parents scale. Model 2 controlled for the same first three variables as well as discussion behaviors with adolescents scale. Model 1 showed for each discussion beliefs scale topic selected, family medicine physicians had 1.14 increased odds of endorsing annual visits (p < .001) and had 1.11 greater odds of endorsing annual visits with each one-point increase in discussion behaviors with parents scale (p = .51). Model 2 showed for each discussion beliefs scale topic selected, family medicine physicians had 1.15 increased odds of also endorsing the importance of annual visits (p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Family medicine physicians that endorse annual visits are significantly more likely to affirm they hold strong beliefs about topics that should be discussed during the annual exam. They also act on these beliefs by talking to parents of teens about these topics. This group appears to focus on quality of care in thought and deed.Item Poly-use of cannabis and other substances among juvenile-justice involved youth: variations in psychological and substance-related problems by typology(Taylor and Francis Online, 2019-01-08) Banks, Devin E.; Hershberger, Alexandra R.; Pemberton, Taylor; Clifton, Richelle L.; Aalsma, Matthew C.; Zapolski, Tamika C. B.; Psychology, School of ScienceBackground: Adolescent cannabis use is associated with increased risk for psychological problems, with evidence for more severe problems among youth who use cannabis in combination with other substances (i.e., polysubstance use). Juvenile offenders engage in both cannabis use and polysubstance use at higher rates than the general adolescent population. Yet, limited research has examined the relationship between cannabis poly-use (e.g., cannabis and alcohol use) and functional or psychological problems among juvenile offenders. Objectives: The current study addresses this gap by examining the association of polysubstance use of cannabis compared to cannabis only use with cognitive functioning, psychological distress, and substance-related problems among juvenile detainees. Methods: Participants were 238 detained youth ages 12–18 (80.4% male, 77.3% non-White) who completed assessments of substance use, intellectual functioning, psychological symptoms, and substance-related problems. Youth were also assessed by a clinical psychologist for substance use disorder. Results: Four cannabis-use typologies were identified; cannabis and alcohol use was the largest class, followed by cannabis only use, cannabis, alcohol and other drug use, then cannabis and other drug use. Polysubstance use was associated with lower scores on measures of intellectual functioning, more externalizing and internalizing symptomology, and more substance-related problems relative to cannabis only use. However, the relationship between polysubstance use and problems varied by typology. Conclusions: Findings suggest that justice-involved youth engaged in polysubstance use may be at greater need for concurrent academic, affective, and behavioral support in their rehabilitation and transition back to the community.