Therapeutic Recreational Journal advances the field.

The Therapeutic Recreation Journal (TRJ), the official journal of the National Therapeutic Recreation Association, is a quarterly publication devoted to publishing scholarly and substantive manuscripts on therapeutic recreation issues. Founded to provide a national forum for research and discussion concerning the needs of disabled individuals, problems confronting the profession, and new vistas for service, the journal celebrated its 27th anniversary last year.

TRJ'S editorial staff consists of two co-editors, 18 associate editors, two case history editors, and a managing editor. Each manuscript received is reviewed independently by two associate editors, four reviewers with expertise in therapeutic recreation, and the co-editors. Based on the reviewers' and associate editors' recommendations, the co-editors decide the disposition of each manuscript. The journal staff is discriminating; only half of the papers received in 1993 were published.

In addition to three general issues, one special/thematic issue is published each year. The editorial staff attempts to include research, theoretical, and program-oriented papers in each issue. However, in recent years, three-quarters of submitted manuscripts have had a research focus.

During 1993, 18 full-length papers, two case studies, one research note, and four book reviews were published in TRJ.

Leisure Education Programs Studied

The leisure service profession long has advocated the merits of leisure education programs. In recent years, increasing attempts have been made to study empirically the effects of leisure education programs on different groups of people. Two articles of this kind were published in TRJ last year.

Searle and Mahon (1st Quarter, pp. 9-21) discussed the long term effects of a leisure education program on the psychological well-being of elderly patients in a day hospital program. Analysis of data showed mixed results. On one hand, improvement in perceived leisure competence not only was sustained over the long term for the experimental group when compared to the control group but it continued to increase over time. On the other hand, there was no latent effect on the subjects' locus of control or self-esteem.

The positive effect of a leisure education program on mentally retarded students moving from secondary school to post-school adult life was the focus of a study by Bedini, Bullock, and Driscoll (2nd Quarter, pp. 70-82) in which the authors found that leisure education programs encouraged positive changes in behaviors and attitudes (i.e., leisure awareness, activity initiation, participation, and leisure appreciation).

Outdoors long have been suspected of having powerful therapeutic potential, and several papers published in last year's TRJ explored this notion. Kelly (2nd Quarter, pp. 110-125) provided a comprehensive review of literature related to the therapeutic potential of outdoor adventure programs for mentally ill adults. The author concluded that while literature strongly supports the value of such programs, more research is needed.

Validation for the use of a therapeutic camping experience to reduce anxiety among children diagnosed with severe behavioral and emotional disorders was provided in a study by Rawson and Barnett (1st Quarter, pp. 22-32). The researchers documented a significant decrease in manifest anxiety levels among subjects who had enrolled in a highly structured camping experience. In a related work, Witman (1st Quarter, pp. 44-50) identified characteristics of outdoor adventure programs that were valued most by adolescents in treatment. The author found that "process" oriented characteristics such as "helping/assisting others" and "taking risks" generally were more highly regarded by subjects than were "content" related items such as "doing ropes course activities" or "doing cooperative games." The author suggested that this information be integrated into staff training and program development.

Insight Provided

The leisure needs of individuals with spinal cord injuries were addressed in two separate papers. Both Lee, Brock, Dattilo, and Kleiber (3rd Quarter, pp. 200-211) and Coyle, Shank, Kinney, and Hutchins (4th Quarter, pp. 239-252) provided insight into leisure lifestyles and adjustment activities of spinal injury victims.

Leisure and life satisfaction among aging adults with mental retardation was the focus of an exploratory study completed by Hawkins (2nd Quarter, pp. 98-109). Results of analyses indicated that both age and etiology of mental retardation had a negative effect on perceived life satisfaction and leisure activity involvement. This finding is consistent with the conclusions of studies involving other populations; however, the author cautioned that more empirical work is needed concerning the role and importance of leisure in late life for mentally retarded adults.

Two papers published in TRJ last year dealt with attribution theory as it relates to perceived freedom and self-efficacy. In one work, Morris and Ellis (3rd Quarter, pp. 172-185) provided evidence validating the attributional inferences made from scores from the Perceived Freedom in Leisure scale of the Leisure Diagnostic Battery. In a second paper. Ellis, Maughan-Pritchett, and Ruddell (2nd Quarter, pp. 83-97) reported that among adolescents diagnosed with major depression, perceptions of self-efficacy were increased when attribution-based verbal persuasion and imagery were provided during participation in a video game.

Efforts to understand the leisure motivation patterns of adults with alcohol and drug addictions were the focus of a study by Blakely and Dattilo (4th Quarter, pp. 230-238). Differences in motivation were shown to exist based on age, gender, and user's drug of choice.

Differences in activity levels between depressed and non-depressed nursing home residents were identified by Voelkl and Mathieu (3rd Quarter, pp. 144-155). The authors found that both the frequency and affective response to involvement was greater among residents identified as non-depressed.

Dattilo and Light (3rd Quarter, pp. 156-171) reported that facilitator instruction is an effective and efficient means to promote greater participation in daily interactions by people using augmentation and alternative communication systems. This study is an excellent example of a single-subject methodology.

TR Explored

Several papers published in TRJ in 1993 dealt with various dimensions of professional practice. For example, Langsner (4th Quarter, pp. 262-273) explored the reasons therapeutic recreation professional have for participating in continuing education programs. Elsewhere, Broughton and Overby (3rd Quarter, pp. 212-218) provided helpful information concerning the development of field placement contracts in therapeutic recreation settings. Henderson, Bedini, and Bialeschki (1st Quarter, pp. 33-43) offered an insightful discussion of the implications of feminist perspective for therapeutic recreation practice. In addition, therapeutic recreation professionals' attitudes toward and knowledge of people with AIDS were examined by Glenn and Dattilo (4th Quarter, pp. 253-261).

The formation of a vocational profile of certified therapeutic recreation specialists was the intent of an investigation by Hammersly and Kastrinos (3rd Quarter, pp. 186-199). The authors concluded that the historical dichotomy between "vocational interests" and personality" appeared not to exist in therapeutic recreation.

For the past three years, TRJ has included a "Case Study" section to allow professionals to share unique and specific diagnostic methods, approaches to treatment planning and implementation, or unique evaluation results as applied to a specific client. In 1993, two case studies were published: Voelkl and Hermann (1st Quarter, pp. 51-56) described assessment and treatment issues relating to an older adult displaying symptoms of dementia and depression; Hemingway (2nd Quarter, pp. 126-130) examined therapeutic recreation's role in treating a 27-year-old chemically-dependent male.

Owing to this section's popularity with readers, the editorial board agreed to devote the 1994 special theme issue to case studies.

Not unnoticed by the TRJ editorial board are the repeated laments among professionals concerning the lack of efficacy research in therapeutic recreation. However, one only need glance at the journal to see that TRJ includes many articles supporting the efficacy of therapeutic recreation practices with various special populations.