The Consortium facilitates collaborative research and the transfer of knowledge among researchers, helping professionals, and public policy makers in the field of substance abuse. The Consortium also tries to make our products available to the general public whenever possible. Below is a list of our projects, and when available, the products associated with them.

          You can request copies of Consortium reports, data sets, and other products.
          (Products available are also listed under the project description)
          Here is a complete project history for the consortium.

Following are a few of the recent research and evaluation projects conducted by the Consortium:

Current:

Past:

  • State Epidemiological Outcomes Workgroup project
  • Keeping Up with the Joneses—An Alcohol Prevention Grant
  • Iowa Prevention of Methamphetamine Abuse Project
  • The Iowa Drug Court Process Evaluation
  • Iowa State Incentive Grant (SIG)
  • Statewide Knowledge Implementation Plan (SKIP) Work Group
  • Motivational Interviewing Training Network
  • An Environmental Scan of Reentry Service in Johnson County
  • Domestic Violence and Substance Abuse Services for Women
  • Targeted Capacity Expansion-Methamphetamine Study 2003 (TCE)
  • Treatment Outcomes Performance Pilot II (TOPPS II)
  • Predicting Successful Treatment
  • Practice-Improvement Collaborative
  • Practice-Improvement Collaborative-Development
  • Iowa Treatment Needs Assessment II
  • Targeted Capacity Expansion-Methamphetamine Study 1999 (TCE)
  • 1999 Iowa Youth Survey
  • Iowa Statewide Data Project
  • Clarinda The Other Way (TOW) Project
  • Alcohol,Violence and Women Project


     

    • Targeted Capacity Expansion Methamphetamine and Cocaine Project

      In September 2006, the City of Cedar Rapids was awarded a three year grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) under the Targeted Capacity Expansion (TCE) Grant Program. The purpose of this grant is to expand and enhance methamphetamine and cocaine treatment for adults in Linn, Benton, and Jones Counties in Iowa. The city contracted with the Area Substance Abuse Council (ASAC) to provide treatment services for the TCE program. ASAC provides treatment services to clients at the Novus Center, located in downtown Cedar Rapids. The Iowa Consortium for Substance Abuse Research and Evaluation was contracted to conduct the evaluation component of the TCE project. The evaluation includes collection of outcome, process, and fidelity data. As part of the outcome evaluation, Consortium staff attempts to interview all clients admitted to the grant program approximately six months following admission.

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    • American Gothic Revisited - Jackson County Grant to Reduce Alcohol Abuse

      The Maquoketa (Iowa) Community School District was awarded a Grant to Reduce Alcohol Abuse funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools in June 2008. Partners in the project include the Andrew, Bellevue, and Preston Community School Districts, the Area Substance Abuse Council (ASAC), and the Consortium. The grant supports prevention programming for 6th through 12th grade youth, substance abuse counseling, and the implementation of an environmental prevention program in the participating school districts. The Consortium is conducting a process and outcome evaluation to determine the degree of success in achieving project goals. Project goals include: 1) 50% reduction in the anticipated year-to-year increase in the percentage of students who report alcohol consumption in the past 30-day period; 2) 50% reduction in the anticipated year-to-year increase in the percentage of participating students who report binge drinking in the past 30-day period; 3) no change or an increase in the percentage of participating students who disapprove of alcohol use; 4) 50% increase in the anticipated year-to-year reduction in the percentage of participating students who believe alcohol is harmful to their health; 5) no change or an increase in the percentage of students reporting parental disapproval of alcohol use; 6) 25% reduction in the anticipated year-to-year increase in the percentage of participating students who report that obtaining alcohol is easy or very easy; 7) demonstrate comprehensive alcohol prevention systems change; 8) demonstrate local capacity to implement and sustain proven alcohol abuse prevention programs; and 9) 70% of students receiving substance abuse treatment services will successfully complete their treatment program.

          American Gothic Revisited – Jackson County Program Evaluation Project Year 1, Report 2
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    • American Gothic Revisited - Rural Linn County Grant to Reduce Alcohol Abuse

      The Mount Vernon (Iowa) Community School District was awarded a Grant to Reduce Alcohol Abuse funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools in June 2007. Partners in the project include the Springville, Central City, and Center Point-Urbana Community School Districts, the Area Substance Abuse Council (ASAC), and the Consortium. The grant supports prevention programming to for 6th through 12th grade youth, substance abuse counseling, and the implementation of an environmental prevention program in the 4 participating school districts in Linn County, Iowa. The Consortium is conducting a process and outcome evaluation to determine the degree of success in achieving project goals. Project goals include: 1) 50% reduction in the anticipated year-to-year increase in the percentage of students who report alcohol consumption in the past 30-day period; 2) 50% reduction in the anticipated year-to-year increase in the percentage of participating students who report binge drinking in the past 30-day period; 3) no change or an increase in the percentage of participating students who disapprove of alcohol use; 4) 50% increase in the anticipated year-to-year reduction in the percentage of participating students who believe alcohol is harmful to their health; 5) no change or an increase in the percentage of students reporting parental disapproval of alcohol use; 6) 25% reduction in the anticipated year-to-year increase in the percentage of participating students who report that obtaining alcohol is easy or very easy; 7) demonstrate comprehensive alcohol prevention systems change; 8) demonstrate local capacity to implement and sustain proven alcohol abuse prevention programs; and 9) 70% of students receiving substance abuse treatment services will successfully complete their treatment program.

          Rural Linn County GRAA Evaluation Report Project Year 1
          Rural Linn County GRAA Evaluation Report Project Year 2
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    • The Iowa Drug Court Process Evaluation

      The Iowa Drug Court Process Evaluation (10/1/2006-9/30/2007), funded by the Iowa Department of Human Right, Division of Criminal and Juvenile Justice Planning through the National Institute of Justice, involves the seven communities in Iowa that implement family and juvenile drug courts. The Consortium will observe court proceedings using Satel’s criteria and will interview administrative staff regarding the drug court process.
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    • Prevention Through Mentoring Evaluation

      Prevention through Mentoring (7/1/2006-6/30/2009) is a multi-site project funded by IDPH. Prevention agencies implement school and community-based individual and group mentoring programs. The Consortium provides training and technical assistance to sites regarding survey administration and data entry, and monitors site-based data entry. The Consortium also analyzes data and provides outcome reports.

          Prevention Through Mentoring Annual Evaluation Report FY09
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    • Youth Development Evaluation

      Youth Development (7/1/2006-6/30/2009) is a multi-site prevention project funded by IDPH. Prevention agencies implement school and community-based prevention programs. The Consortium provides training and technical assistance to sites regarding survey administration and data entry, and monitors site-based data entry. The Consortium also analyzes data and provides outcome reports.

          Youth Development Annual Evaluation Report FY09
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    • Comprehensive Prevention Project Evaluation

      The Comprehensive Prevention Project (7/1/2006-6/30/2009), funded by IDPH involves a community prevention program that supports 28 communities. The Consortium’s activities involve developing survey instruments; training site staff on survey administration and data entry; monitoring data entry; analyzing data and reporting on participant outcomes related to the prevention programming.
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    • Outcomes Monitoring System (OMS)

      Outcomes Monitoring System (OMS), a collaborative project between the Iowa Consortium and the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH), was established in 1999 to systematically gather data on substance abuse treatment outcomes in Iowa. Randomly selected clients from IDPH-funded treatment agencies are contacted for follow-up interviews that occur approximately six months after discharge from treatment. The Consortium is responsible for data collection, analysis, and reporting. Annual and Trend reports present admission and follow up data and evaluate outcomes such as abstinence, arrests, employment, length of stay, and discharge status. Demographic information for clients selected into OMS is also provided.
         The following reports of client outcomes are currently available:
         Year Six (2004)
         Year Seven (2005)
         Year Eight (2006)
         Year Nine (2007)
         Year Ten (2008)
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    • Consensus Paper Series (CPS)

      The Consensus Paper Series establishes a systematic process to identify pressing and pertinent issues related to substance abuse treatment and prevention in Iowa and obtain expert input specific to the issue addressed.  Activities include identifying issues, researching the topics, developing statements, and obtaining concurrence on policy-related issues experienced by a variety of substance abuse professionals. The result will be a series of consensus statements on protocol or processes for handling targeted issues.  The long-term outcome of the papers will be standard protocol to efficiently implement policy or processes that can improve service delivery in the State. 
          Consensus Paper Series
          Consensus Paper Topic Suggestions 02-24-05
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    • Journal: Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention and Policy

      The Consortium is starting a new journal, Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy, that will encompass all aspects of research concerning substance abuse, with a focus on policy issues.  The journal will provide an environment for the exchange of ideas, new research, consensus papers, and critical reviews, to bridge the established fields that share a mutual goal of reducing substance abuse.  These fields include: legislation pertaining to substance abuse; correctional supervision of substance abusers; medical treatment and screening; mental health services; research; and evaluation of substance abuse programs.  To submit a manuscript, click on the submission link below. 
          Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention and Policy
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    • Keeping Up with the Joneses—An Alcohol Prevention Grant (8/1/04-7/31/08)

      The Anamosa Community School District was awarded funding for the Keeping Up with the Joneses project funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools through the Grants to Reduce Alcohol Abuse Program. The project supports prevention programming to all 6th through 12th grade youth in the 4 school districts in Jones County. The Consortium is conducting a process and outcome evaluation to determine the degree of success in achieving project goals. The goals of the project are to: 1) reduce underage alcohol use and binge drinking by the youth targeted by the prevention programs; 2) increase the number of targeted youth who disapprove of alcohol abuse; 3) increase the number of targeted youth who believe alcohol is harmful to their health; 4) demonstrate comprehensive, county-wide alcohol prevention system change; and 5) demonstrate local capacity to implement and sustain research-based prevention programs.

          Jones County Final Report
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    • Iowa State Incentive Grant

      The Consortium is conducting a process and outcome evaluation of this project that will focus on: 1) coordinating prevention funding in the state, and 2) awarding subgrants to Iowa communities for local prevention activities. The overall goals of the program evaluation plan are to 1) document the state-level activities associated with the State Incentive Program in Iowa, 2) document the activities and accomplishments of the State Incentive Program’s subrecipient community projects, and 3) measure changes that occur in Iowa that guide the assessment of the State Incentive Program.
         The State Incentive Program’s final evaluation report is available:
         SIG Final Report
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    • The Statewide Knowledge Implementation Plan (SKIP)

      Emerging need for evidence-based substance abuse treatment practices has led to the development of Iowa’s Statewide Knowledge Implementation Plan (SKIP) Work Group.  This new SKIP Work Group will devote its efforts to creating a sustainable mechanism for examining and evaluating which evidence-based practices could be applicable for the state of Iowa.  Representation on this 14-member working group includes public health, provider directors, clinical supervisors, counselors, community-based corrections, managed care, hospital-based programming, and research consultation from the Iowa Consortium.  Rural and urban settings are represented as are all geographic regions of the state.  Two of the resources for examining the criteria for Evidence-Based Practices include:

      Criteria for Evaluating Evidence Based Practice
      Evidence-based practices Implementation Guide
      SKIP Manual
      Motivational Interviewing Process Report
      State Knowledge implementation Area: Resources, activities, and links
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    • Motivational Interviewing Training Network

      The Consortium, IDPH, and Magellan Health Services of Iowa worked together to implement Motivational Interviewing in Iowa.  The selection and subsequent implementation of Motivational Interviewing (MI) is part of a statewide process to implement evidenced-based practices in Iowa.  Once a core set of professionals were trained, the Iowa Consortium for Substance Abuse Research and Evaluation (Iowa Consortium) recommended that the state form an MI Network to sustain and expand training in the state.  The MI network consists of substance abuse professionals who have completed advanced MI training.  The report highlights Iowa’s experience in implementing MI to treatment agencies and state corrections staff statewide.


      • Motivational Interviewing Newsletter: What is MI?
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    • An Environmental Scan of Reentry Services in Johnson County, Iowa

      The Consortium conducted an environmental scan in order to identify particular aspects of faith-based community services in Johnson County that could benefit adults re-entering the community from substance abuse treatment and/or incarceration. Information was collected through interviews with 11 faith-based organizations, the community corrections agency, and a substance abuse treatment provider in Johnson County. Correctional officers and substance abuse treatment staff members highlighted information regarding their interactions and knowledge of faith-based organizations. They also provided valuable insight as to the needs of their re-entry clients who have a challenging and difficult road ahead of them if they are to be successful in staying motivated for quality of life changes.

      The information gathered will also serve as a starting point for building resource capacity by increasing the awareness of faith-based service provision that is often undocumented and undervalued, particularly in regard to hunger, at-risk children and families, homelessness, transportation, medical assistance, and community support. Current research recognizes the need for re-entry adults to join a supportive community that will provide an outlet for productive personal growth, in order to successfully remain in recovery and/or remain crime free. The daily service offerings that are part of the inherent life of a faith-based community have the natural potential to provide that active, positive and supportive community.
      Request a copy of the report.
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    • Domestic Violence and Substance Abuse Services for Women: Staff Education and Collaboration

      The project work focuses on the developmental processes necessary to begin collaborative work between domestic violence shelters and substance abuse agencies as they address the challenge of a shared clientele with unique needs. The participating sites will work collaboratively with the Integrated Services Project Team (ISP), and Professor William Downs as Principal Investigator, to develop better practices, cross train staff in regarding battered women abusing substances, and plan for the implementation of integrated services as agency staff members are striving to effectively work with this population of women. The Consortium began providing evaluation services for the project beginning October 1, 2001. Consortium team members will provide an independent evaluation of the project that will monitor: 1) attainment of objectives; 2) participating agency staff degree of satisfaction with educational programming developed and implemented; and 3) degree of positive increase in attitudes toward interagency cooperation. Professor William Downs, University of Northern Iowa was awarded National Institute of Justice, Office of Violence Against Women funding for his project.
      Click here to download the Year one report ( Size ~ about 2 MB) or Request an electronic copy of the report
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    • TOPPS

      In October 2000, the Consortium will begin year three of research through IDPH and the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) to help strengthen and enhance the independent Outcome Monitoring System (OMS). Through the TOPPS (Treatment Outcomes Performance Pilot Studies) II protocol the OMS will test a computerized instrument for assessment and placement in a pilot group of agencies. Along with the computerized assessment, researchers will be implementing a screening instrument for reported co-occurring psychiatric symptoms, identifying outcomes for methamphetamine users and analyzing supplementary statewide data sets to aid in the collection of specific outcome variables for substance abuse clients.
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    • Targeted Capacity Expansion-Methamphetamine Study- 2003 (TCE)

      Targeted Capacity Expansion-Methamphetamine Study (TCE) The TCE project is a three-year Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) grant awarded to the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) in 2003. The Consortium is sub-contracted through IDPH as the grant evaluator. The IDPH was awarded this grant to enhance methamphetamine treatment for adults in the Des Moines area. The grant money is primarily being used to create additional treatment slots for methamphetamine users and lengthen their treatment stays. The project will also provide case-management services to these clients. The Consortium will be concentrating on follow-up interviews to evaluate treatment experiences for each client, and analyze the collection for outcome measures and indicators for successful treatment completion.
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    • Predicting Successful Treatment

      The Consortium will investigate and model client characteristics that predict treatment success. The project consists of four steps:
      • A literature review to identify evaluate predictors of treatment success.
      • An analysis of existing data using Iowa's substance abuse reporting system (SARS) to create a statistical prediction model of success.
      • A review of the model with substance abuse treatment agency directors and Iowa Department of Public Health officials.
      • Develop suggestions for future data collection and improvements in the SARS.

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    • The Iowa Practice Improvement Collaborative

      was one of eleven CSAT-funded centers nationwide devoted to bridging the gap between research, policy and practice in the field of substance abuse. The Iowa PIC was a partnership of substance abuse providers, researchers, policy makers, and consumers. PIC activities centered on co-occurring disorders training, prison-based treatment, issues of substance abusing women, technical assistance for providers and policy makers, and implementation of evidence-based practices.

      Iowa PIC Web Portal
      Prison-Based Substance Abuse Treatment for Women
      Focus on Co-occurring Disorders
      Co-occurring Disorders Staff Survey Questionnaire
      Co-occurring Disorders Director's Survey Questionnaire
      COD Summary Report
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    • Practice-Improvement Collaborative-Development

      The Iowa Consortium in conjunction with the Prairielands Addiction Technology Transfer Center completed a one-year developmental award from CSAT for the purpose of establishing new and enhancing current mechanisms for collaboration between research, intervention and prevention practice, state policy offices and consumers in Iowa. Using a structure of inter-disciplinary committees on Epidemiology, Treatment and Prevention, the PRC effort created a strategic plan for Iowa research needs which includes: co-occurring disorders, needs for women in treatment, training on best practices for treatment clinicians and prevention specialists, community-wide prevention coalitions, and technical assistance for agencies, legislators, and substance abuse agencies in the state. Each committee included practitioners, policy makers, consumers, and researchers in an effort to encompass a wide view of the treatment and prevention needs in the state.
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    • Iowa Treatment Needs Assessment II

      • Adult Household Survey The purpose of the Adult Household Survey is to add a trend analysis to the state's previous treatment needs assessment results (1993) and to strengthen the state's substance abuse treatment needs data base by improving the measurement of substance use and dependency rates in Iowa. Directed by Gene Lutz, Ph.D., at the University of Northern Iowa, the statewide random digit dial survey sampled approximately 6000 adults statewide and will provide more comprehensive geographic and sociodemographic breakdowns of substance abuse prevalence rates and more information regarding the barriers to treatment.

      • Substance Abuse Treatment Needs in Alternative Schools This study examined the substance abuse treatment needs estimates for students not enrolled in regular schools. It was the first report in a family of studies included in the Iowa Treatment Needs Assessment II project. The study examined alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) use by students enrolled in Iowa's regular and alternative school programs. The sample also included juveniles at Iowa's two training schools and juvenile home.

      • Substance Abuse Indirect Indicator Trend Study This study was designed to identify public record indicators that might provide a reliable and valid estimate of alcohol, tobacco and other drug dependence prevalence rate trends in Iowa. The public record indicator trends were then compared to trends from the 1993 and 1996 Adult Household Survey dependence prevalence rates. In most instances neither the direction nor the extent of the changes from 1993 to 1997 in the self-report survey indicators was matched by the public record indicators.

      • Cost Effectiveness Study The objective of this study was to identify costs and cost savings that result from substance abuse treatment utilization. A representative sampling of substance abuse treatment clients, who completed treatment and a matched comparison group using clients who began, but did not complete their treatment, were compared using cost data extracted from existing state agency databases. Selected client characteristics describing client situations two years prior and three years subsequent to treatment was also analyzed.

      • Iowa Prevention Needs Assessment Project Funded by the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP), this study is the state's most comprehensive effort of it kind to date. The project has three main study components: a State Household Survey, a Special Population Study, and a Social Indicator Study. This study provided information on substance abuse risk factors, protective factors and outcomes using measures developed through prior prevention research. It provides estimates of substance abuse risks, protective factors, and outcomes by demographic and geographic characteristics of the adult population.
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    • Targeted Capacity Expansion-Methamphetamine Study (TCE)

      The TCE project is a three-year Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) grant awarded to the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) in 1999. This grant is one of 100+ TCE grants awarded nationwide over the past two years. The Consortium is sub-contracted through IDPH as the grant evaluator. The IDPH was awarded this grant to enhance methamphetamine treatment for adults in the Des Moines area. The grant money is primarily being used to create additional treatment slots for methamphetamine users and lengthen their treatment stays. The project will also provide case-management services to these clients. The Consortium will be concentrating on follow-up interviews to evaluate treatment experiences for each client, and analyze the collection for outcome measures and indicators for successful treatment completion.
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    • 1999 Iowa Youth Survey

      This is a collaborative effort of the Iowa Department of Public Health, Iowa Department of Education, The Office of Criminal Juvenile Justice Planning, The Governor's Alliance on Substance Abuse, and Higher Plain, Inc. The Consortium developed and administered the youth survey in public schools in the fall of 1999 to approximately 90,000 students in grades 6, 8, and 11. Nearly 500 youth in out-of-home placement were also surveyed. The survey collected data on risk factors, protective factors, and substance use/abuse. In the spring of 2000 the Consortium offered a variety of reports for dissemination to the public (State, county, AEA, DeCat regions, Judicial regions, and DHS regions to name a few. Reports are available on the Iowa Youth Survey Report website
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    • Iowa Statewide Data Project

      The Iowa Statewide Data Project is a joint effort with the Consortium and The Higher Plain Inc. of Iowa City, using Federal Department of Education funds to enhance the analysis and community use of the Iowa Youth Survey data. The Governor's Alliance on Substance Abuse (GASA), the Iowa Department of Education (IDOE), the Office of Criminal Juvenile Justice Planning (CJJP), and the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) also supports the Consortium with this project. Training sessions were held on the use of the survey for funding applications and strategic community planning. The Higher Plain staff developed a comprehensive training manual.
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    • Clarinda TOW Project

      The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) funded a two-year grant to the Consortium to continue the evaluation of the Clarinda TOW (The Other Way) program at the Clarinda Correctional Facility. The TOW evaluation will address the following questions: 1) Does the program accomplish its stated intermediate goals (i.e. influence attitude change regarding substance use)? 2) Are there differences between clients that completed the cognitive unit program at TOW versus the two 12-step based units?; and 3) Are certain types of clients better served by the TOW program than others?
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    • Alcohol,Violence and Women Project

      This study is an assessment of women with alcohol problems and women who receive counseling for domestic problems. Researchers compared treatment services and examined the integration between the two services. The sample includes over 200 women in substance abuse treatment agencies, domestic violence shelters and safe houses across Iowa City and Northern Iowa sites. The instrument package consisted of in-person interviews and self-administered tests that addressed attitudes and experiences of childhood and adulthood.
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