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Am J Orthopsychiatry 2019 Mar 28. Epub 2019 Mar 28.

Trans Collaborations Local Community Board.

Transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) individuals interact with mental health care systems at high rates and experience substantial barriers to care. Rural TGNC individuals face additional disparities in accessing appropriate mental health services. Little research has focused on the mental health care providers who work with TGNC individuals in underserved areas. Read More

Am J Orthopsychiatry 2019 Mar 28. Epub 2019 Mar 28.

School of Social Work, University of Maryland.

Black students have higher levels of psychological distress compared with other students, in part to racism and discrimination; however, help-seeking remains low. As a result, most research has been deficit-based focusing on mental illness, which provides an incomplete state of their mental health. Therefore, very little is known about positive mental health (PMH), which is composed of social, emotional, and psychological well-being. Read More

Am J Orthopsychiatry 2019 Mar 7. Epub 2019 Mar 7.

Department of Psychology.

The current study examined the ability of mental health indicators, namely depression and perceived stress, to mediate the relationship between racial microaggressions and health among a racially/ethnically diverse sample of 467 college students of color. Consistent with what was hypothesized, the main findings revealed that depression and perceived stress mediated the relationships between types of racial microaggressions, specifically low-achieving, invisibility, and criminality, and somatic symptoms. The study results suggest that there may be multiple pathways by which specific racial microaggressions might be associated with psychological and somatic health indicators. Read More

Am J Orthopsychiatry 2019 Mar 4. Epub 2019 Mar 4.

Anna Freud Centre, University College London.

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is considered an important public health concern that can derail the developmental course of children. Given that children rely upon their attachment figures when they experience upsetting events, attachment organization may play a critical role in predicting victims' adaptation to CSA. To date, no studies have delineated the unique and interactive contributions of these two risk factors in the prediction of psychopathology. Read More

Am J Orthopsychiatry 2019 Feb 28. Epub 2019 Feb 28.

School of Social Work, Cathedral of Learning.

Many researchers have examined the cumulative effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and found that higher levels of ACEs increase the risk for worsening health conditions. Recent research has moved beyond the simple counting of ACEs, to develop a more nuanced understanding of the ways in which ACEs are experienced. Despite evidence that ACEs are experienced differentially by race, limited attention has been paid to these differences. Read More

Am J Orthopsychiatry 2019 31;89(2):268-278. Epub 2019 Jan 31.

Human Development and Family Science, Oklahoma State University.

Previous research indicates a positive link between youth runaway episodes and the likelihood of homelessness in later adolescence and early adulthood. An adolescent's decision to run away from home often accompanies depressive symptomology compared with stably housed youth. The present study used a large, nationally representative sample of 8,560 youth to identify links among runaway behavior, changes in depressive symptomology during the transition from adolescence to emerging adulthood, and homelessness. Read More

Am J Orthopsychiatry 2019 Jan 31. Epub 2019 Jan 31.

Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami.

There is a growing recognition for the need for research to explore the unique and interactive effects of acculturation and sociocultural stress on alcohol initiation. Building on this research agenda, the current study sought to explore the independent and interactive effects of acculturation (i.e. Read More

Am J Orthopsychiatry 2019 31;89(2):192-200. Epub 2019 Jan 31.

Student Health and Counseling Center, The University of Memphis.

In response to the growing trend of White parents adopting children from different racial backgrounds, and heeding the call for more research on adoption-related issues, the present study examined the relationship between perceived racial discrimination and mental health of 206 adult transracial adoptees adopted by White parents. In addition, the study examined adoptive parent racial socialization as a buffering variable in the perceived discrimination-mental health link. We hypothesized that racial discrimination experiences would be related to greater psychological distress and poorer psychological well-being. Read More

Am J Orthopsychiatry 2019 Jan 31. Epub 2019 Jan 31.

Department of Psychology.

Among Latinx in the United States, alcohol is the most widely abused substance and is associated with a range of negative consequences. Acculturative stress is one factor that is relevant regarding Latinx substance use although more work is needed in this area. In theory, those with more adaptive emotion regulation capabilities may be better able to buffer against the adverse effects of acculturative stress on alcohol use because the person has more and better strategies to deal with life stress. Read More

Am J Orthopsychiatry 2019 Jan 31. Epub 2019 Jan 31.

Department of Psychology, University of Maryland-College Park.

There is little understanding and minimal research identifying distinct subgroups of drinkers among ethnic minority populations, particularly Asian Americans, although growing evidence suggests that high-risk groups of Asian American drinkers exist. Sociocultural factors, including ethnic background and nativity status can be theoretically important factors that might be associated with these distinct groups. Additionally, well-established correlates of alcohol use, such as drinking to cope, Greek membership, and alcohol expectancies might also be associated with these distinct groups. Read More

Am J Orthopsychiatry 2019 Jan 28. Epub 2019 Jan 28.

Department of Psychology.

Although overall rates of alcohol use tend to be lower among racial/ethnic minority youth compared to White youth, consequences associated with use tend to be more severe. Identifying factors that prevent alcohol use is crucial to reducing its impact among minority adolescents. One such factor is ethnic identity, which involves gaining clarity about one's ethnic background and regard toward one's ethnic group. Read More

Am J Orthopsychiatry 2019 Jan 24. Epub 2019 Jan 24.

Department of Rehabilitation Sciences.

Poor neurocognitive functioning among individuals with schizophrenia is typically conceptualized as resulting from a disease process. The objective of this article is to further expand understanding of poor neurocognition beyond pathogenesis toward a perspective that also incorporates community participation factors. This article focuses on three such factors-sedentary behavior, loneliness, and poverty-that have been demonstrated to be related to neurocognition and are highly prevalent among individuals with schizophrenia. Read More

Am J Orthopsychiatry 2019 Jan 24. Epub 2019 Jan 24.

Psychology Department, Virginia Commonwealth University.

Although African Americans report lower levels of alcohol use relative to their White counterparts, they experience higher rates of alcohol-related problems (e.g., alcohol dependence). Read More

Am J Orthopsychiatry 2019 Jan 24. Epub 2019 Jan 24.

Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts Boston.

Research on college student drinking game (DG) behavior indicates that White students play DGs more often than students from other races/ethnicities. Among DG players, the risk for negative outcomes is the same. We examined DG-specific (e. Read More

Am J Orthopsychiatry 2019 Jan 24. Epub 2019 Jan 24.

Department of Human Development and Family Science, University of Missouri.

Alcohol is a significant issue among the Latino farmworker population. This study used cross-sectional data from the Nebraska Migrant Farmworker Health Study, 2016 (N = 241) to (1) describe drinking behavior, (2) evaluate associations between alcohol consumption and negative consequences from alcohol use and various social and demographic variables, and (3) assess contextual and interpersonal predictors of alcohol consumption and negative consequences from alcohol use. Descriptive, bivariate statistics and hierarchical multiple regression were used. Read More

Am J Orthopsychiatry 2019 Jan 24. Epub 2019 Jan 24.

Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Temple University.

Social networks are regarded as an asset to community integration. While family and friends provide important sources of support, familiar strangers like neighbors can facilitate support through anonymous, but meaningful interactions. Among individuals with serious mental illnesses (SMI), these interactions can help to compensate for increased social isolation and smaller networks of peers. Read More

Am J Orthopsychiatry 2019 24;89(2):144-158. Epub 2019 Jan 24.

Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts, Boston.

This mixed-methods study aimed to gain knowledge of the lived experience of posttraumatic growth (PTG) in 32 low-income Black mothers whose New Orleans' homes were damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, and half of whom had relocated indefinitely to Houston. Data from in-depth interviews with participants were examined in conjunction with quantitative scores on the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI; Tedeschi & Calhoun, 1996). Participants were interviewed face-to-face on a range of postdisaster experiences, including positive changes, in 2009. Read More

Am J Orthopsychiatry 2019 24;89(2):212-221. Epub 2019 Jan 24.

Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

This study examined the association of parental self-stigma with child adjustment, and whether parenting self-efficacy and parenting distress mediated the association. Cross-sectional data were collected from 186 families living with kindergarten children identified to have disabilities in Hong Kong, China (mean age = 61.62 months; 76% of them were boys). Read More

Am J Orthopsychiatry 2019 Jan 17. Epub 2019 Jan 17.

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Greater Los Angeles VA Medical Center.

To address homelessness among Veterans, a growing proportion of permanent supportive housing units supported by the U.S. Departments of Housing and Urban Development and Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program are allocated to programs where multiple Veterans with a history of homelessness live in a particular building, referred to as single-site housing. Read More

Am J Orthopsychiatry 2019 Jan 10. Epub 2019 Jan 10.

Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin.

Research suggests fathers are important to adolescent well-being, yet there is limited information regarding how fathering is associated with adolescent risk and resilience in Mexican American families. This cross-sectional study utilized a structural equation model to examine whether parent-child alienation mediated the relations between parental displays of warmth and hostility and the outcomes of adolescent resilience and delinquency in Mexican American families (N = 272). Results indicated that adolescent-perceived alienation from parents was a significant predictor of both resilience and delinquency. Read More

Am J Orthopsychiatry 2019 Jan 10. Epub 2019 Jan 10.

Human Development and Family Studies, College of Health and Human Development, Pennsylvania State University.

This study examined racial/ethnic differences in growth trajectories of alcohol use for a nationally representative sample of U.S. adolescents in the child welfare system (CWS), and how individual, family, and child welfare (i. Read More

Am J Orthopsychiatry 2018 Dec 31. Epub 2018 Dec 31.

Department of Family Medicine and Community Health.

Women veterans in the United States face a disproportionate risk of housing instability (HI) and interpersonal violence (IV), largely perpetrated by intimate partners or involving nonpartner sexual violence, compared to both male veterans and nonveteran women. To explore the ways in which IV and HI intersect in the experiences of women veterans, we analyzed transcripts of in-depth qualitative interviews with 20 women veterans who had screened positive for HI at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Three broad themes emerged related to the intersection of IV (specifically intimate partner violence or nonpartner sexual violence) and HI among women veterans: (1) HI can be precipitated by and increase vulnerability to IV, (2) experiences of IV impact women's definitions of housing safety and security, and (3) IV can pose a barrier to accessing housing services and other support systems. Read More

Am J Orthopsychiatry 2019 27;89(2):279-286. Epub 2018 Dec 27.

Department of Psychiatry.

This study examined predictors of employment service referral and employment outcomes among individuals experiencing chronic homelessness participating in a comprehensive service program emphasizing housing placement and economic independence. The sample included all participants enrolled in the program. Participants self-determined whether to be referred for employment services. Read More

Am J Orthopsychiatry 2018 Dec 27. Epub 2018 Dec 27.

Department of Social Psychology.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) has serious consequences for women, and their vulnerability is increased if their experiences related to abuse occurred at an early age. This study examines the risk of experiencing stressful life events (SLE) during the lives of Nicaraguan victims of IPV in situations of extreme poverty according to their exposure to episodes of violence in their family of origin. In the study participated 136 women victims of IPV living in the marginal areas of the city of León (Nicaragua). Read More

Am J Orthopsychiatry 2018 Dec 27. Epub 2018 Dec 27.

Bob Shapell School of Social Work.

Recovery capital (RC) is an emerging conceptual framework in the addiction field that pinpoints the internal and external (i.e., human, community, cultural, social, financial) resources individuals can draw on throughout the recovery process. Read More

Am J Orthopsychiatry 2019 27;89(2):125-133. Epub 2018 Dec 27.

School of Social Service Administration.

The following study assessed whether future orientation and self-esteem mediated the relationship between family stress and mental health problems among African American youth. Data from this study included 638 African American adolescents purposively sampled from predominantly low-income neighborhoods. Major variables assessed were family stress, self-esteem, future orientation, mental health, and covariates (i. Read More

Am J Orthopsychiatry 2019 27;89(1):40-51. Epub 2018 Dec 27.

Thomas Coram Research Unit, UCL Institute of Education, University College London.

Bisexual individuals experience poorer mental health than other sexual minority individuals. One explanation for this is that biphobia predisposes bisexual individuals to have a more ambiguous sexual identity and fewer opportunities for stress-ameliorating forms of coping and support. This study explores sexual identity and sexual identity dimensions-prominence, valence, integration, and complexity-in bisexual and other sexual minority individuals. Read More

Am J Orthopsychiatry 2018 ;88(6):617-625

Obertament, Catalan Alliance Against Stigma.

There is a strong interest in improving the quality of anti-stigma contact-based interventions. Hence, some mental health anti-stigma campaigns offer prior training to their activists with lived experience of mental disorders. Additionally, collective mobilization seems to impact the identity and well-being of its participants. Read More

Am J Orthopsychiatry 2018 Nov 15. Epub 2018 Nov 15.

Florida Department of Juvenile Justice.

The objective of this study was to analytically identify risk profiles for juvenile human trafficking (JHT) based on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and health risk behaviors. First, the study examined which types of ACEs and health risk behaviors were more prevalent among trafficked adolescents using a sample of 913 male and female juvenile-justice-involved adolescents with suspected or verified JHT abuse reports documented between 2009 and 2015 and a comparison group (matched by age, gender, race, ethnicity, and location). Second, latent class analysis was used to identify profiles of risk for JHT. Read More

Am J Orthopsychiatry 2018 Nov 8. Epub 2018 Nov 8.

School of Social Work, College of Public Health, Temple University.

Individuals with psychiatric disabilities who are involved in the criminal justice system face a number of challenges to community integration upon release. There is a critical need to develop and evaluate interventions for these individuals that connect them to the community by enhancing naturalistic social connections and helping them to participate meaningfully in valued roles. The purposes of this article are to describe, provide a theoretical rationale, and propose a conceptual model for the use of a particular restorative justice model, circles of support and accountability, to meet this need. Read More

Am J Orthopsychiatry 2019 8;89(2):237-247. Epub 2018 Nov 8.

Wayne State University.

The differential contexts that ethnic minorities face as a result of lower societal status impact outcomes of trauma. Cultural betrayal trauma theory (CBTT) is a contextualized framework that was created to examine trauma in minority populations. According to CBTT, due to societal inequality, within-group trauma in minority populations is a cultural betrayal that contributes to outcomes. Read More

Am J Orthopsychiatry 2018 Nov 1. Epub 2018 Nov 1.

School of Social Work and Department of Sociology, Columbia University.

Depression is the most prevalent mood disorder in the United States, and disparities in depressive symptoms and treatment by socioeconomic status have been well-documented. Recent evidence suggests the prevalence of depression is increasing, but less is known about time trends in disparities. Using nationally representative data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, we examined patterns of depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-9) and treatment (self-reported psychotherapy and psychopharmacology). Read More

Am J Orthopsychiatry 2019 1;89(2):248-257. Epub 2018 Nov 1.

Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto.

This article examines the feasibility of a complex intervention designed to facilitate the transition of youth out of homelessness. It is intended to contribute to efforts to build out the youth homelessness intervention literature, which is underdeveloped relative to descriptive characterizations of risk. The 6-month intervention examined here, referred to as the Housing Outreach Program-Collaboration (HOP-C), is comprised of transitional outreach-based case management, individual and group mental health supports, and peer support. Read More

Am J Orthopsychiatry 2018 Nov 1. Epub 2018 Nov 1.

Department of Psychology.

Experiencing discrimination or rejection from one's own ethnic group can have adverse effects on mental health above and beyond general ethnic discrimination alone. Intragroup marginalization is a term that involves being marginalized by members of one's own ethnic group for acting in concordance with the mainstream culture (Castillo, Conoley, Brossart, & Quiros, 2007). Minimal research has examined rejection by one's own ethnic group for acting too enculturated to one's home culture, or intragroup separation. Read More

Am J Orthopsychiatry 2019 1;89(1):16-26. Epub 2018 Nov 1.

School of Social Work, Arizona State University.

Little is known about mental illness discrimination toward and supports for people with mental health conditions (MHCs) who are of color and/or lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB). Informed by an intersectionality framework that facilitates an understanding of intragroup dynamics, this exploratory qualitative study used in-depth interviews to ask 20 people with MHCs and family members of people with MHCs who also identified as of color and/or LGB about their experiences (a) with mental illness discrimination and supports within their identity communities and (b) in peer- and family-run programs. Participants of color reported that their racial-ethnic communities commonly deny that MHCs exist and shame people with MHCs, and LGB participants said that LGB communities often exclude and stereotype them. Read More

Am J Orthopsychiatry 2018 Nov 1. Epub 2018 Nov 1.

Department of Psychological Science, University of California, Irvine.

Evidence suggests that emotional understanding (EU) assists in the regulation of aggression, which in turn, predicts better social functioning. Although the links among EU, aggression, and social functioning have been preliminarily explored, significant gaps remain in our comprehension of the factors that could qualify these links (e.g. Read More

Am J Orthopsychiatry 2018 Sep 24. Epub 2018 Sep 24.

Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh.

Religious freedom restoration acts (RFRAs) in the United States potentially facilitate discrimination against lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals (i.e., sexual minorities). Read More

Am J Orthopsychiatry 2019 10;89(2):181-191. Epub 2018 Sep 10.

Department of Family and Child Sciences.

The link between maternal depression and negative child outcomes has been well-established; however, less is known regarding the impact of harsh parenting on child outcomes, especially for women living with depressive symptoms and whom also experienced child maltreatment. The purpose of this study was to examine harsh parenting practices as a mediator in this known association, in order to examine factors associated with negative child outcomes and to explore a reduction in future transmission of risk. Mediation analyses were conducted with 2 samples of mother-child dyads at separate time points (child age 6: = 325; and youth age 12: = 213) using data collected from the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect. Read More

Am J Orthopsychiatry 2019 10;89(2):201-211. Epub 2018 Sep 10.

Paul Baerwald School of Social Work and Social Welfare.

Commitment to school, commitment to learning, and educational expectations have been shown to contribute to positive outcomes among youth in the general population. However, it is an underexamined phenomenon among youth in care. This study examines the contribution of mother and father support and the moderating role of parents' marital status to commitment to school and learning among youth in residential care settings (RCSs) in Israel. Read More

Am J Orthopsychiatry 2018 10;88(6):723-731. Epub 2018 Sep 10.

Department of Psychiatry & Health Behavior.

Sexual minority individuals experience a disproportionate burden of mental health issues, particularly in less populous cities of the southern United States. Unique identity-related stressors may explain these disparities. The current study examines relationships between sexual minority stress, identity, and anxiety in sexual minority individuals from a small metropolitan area of the South. Read More

Am J Orthopsychiatry 2019 6;89(1):77-85. Epub 2018 Sep 6.

The Louis & Gabi Weisfeld School of Social Work.

This qualitative study explored the perspectives of at-risk Israeli female adolescents of Ethiopian origin (N = 15) regarding barriers to forming alliances with social workers. The study's rationale was based on the idea that an alliance enables clients to bring forth challenges and difficulties that are directly related to their well-being and, as such, is fundamental to the helping process. Four themes were identified as barriers to the forming of alliances with social workers: social workers' lack of availability; clients' perceived loss of independence in the process of receiving help; clients' sense of being forced to perform a different self ("passing"); and clients' difficulties in "opening up. Read More

Am J Orthopsychiatry 2018 ;88(5):550-562

Department of Special Education and Counselling, The Education University of Hong Kong.

Despite the growing population of Mainland Chinese students at the local government-funded universities in Hong Kong, little is known about their acculturation experiences and psychosocial adjustment. Drawing on an acculturation framework (Berry, 2003) and theories of coping (Folkman, 1984), resilience (Masten, 2001), and socioecological processes (Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 2006), this article provides an in-depth account of acculturative stress and coping behaviors experienced by Mainland Chinese university students in Hong Kong. Using qualitative research methods, we conducted seven focus groups with a total of 32 Mainland Chinese students from a public university in Hong Kong over a 3-month period. Read More

Am J Orthopsychiatry 2018 ;88(5):516-528

Department of Educational Leadership, Policy, and Human Development, North Carolina State University.

This explanatory concurrent mixed-methods study aimed to explore vicarious trauma (VT) among American Muslims; whether they are experiencing it, what factors may be contributing, and how they are experiencing VT. VT and religious identity were the main variables of interest for the quantitative data; qualitative questions provided greater insight into participants' personal experiences. Religious identity and ethnicity were found to be significant in the multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) model and collectively explained 21% of the variance in VT scores. Read More

Am J Orthopsychiatry 2019 3;89(2):228-236. Epub 2018 Sep 3.

Department of Mental Health.

Youth exposure to trauma is a significant public health problem in the United States, particularly in urban areas. Although trauma-informed care (TIC) training of service providers to address this challenge is increasing nationwide, we lack empirical evidence regarding the feasibility and acceptability of cross-organizational TIC training, including perspectives of training participants. The purpose of our study was to evaluate participating service providers' self-reported changes in knowledge about trauma, attitudes toward traumatized individuals, and beliefs in their capacity to provide referrals to trauma services after completion of the TIC intervention. Read More

Am J Orthopsychiatry 2019 3;89(1):115-123. Epub 2018 Sep 3.

Department of Psychology, Bowling Green State University.

Using a sample of 60 adults with serious mental illness in an inpatient psychiatric hospital, the present study examined the role of therapeutic relationship characteristics between consumers and mental health providers and consumers' views of recovery-oriented service delivery and individual well-being. Specifically, the present study examined how consumers' reports of working alliance and provider directiveness were associated with consumers' views of recovery-oriented service delivery and individual well-being. After controlling for demographic characteristics, self-reported psychiatric symptoms and number of hospitalizations, findings suggested that consumers' reports of stronger working alliance and higher levels of provider directiveness were significantly related to higher perceptions of recovery-orientation in the inpatient hospital setting. Read More

Am J Orthopsychiatry 2018 3;88(6):650-660. Epub 2018 Sep 3.

School of Nursing.

Despite increased risks for mental health problems, East Asian immigrant women have the lowest overall service-utilization rates of any cultural group in the United States. Although the influence of cultural processes as the cause of low service use is widely speculated, no empirical study has tested cultural determinants (including culturally specific idioms of distress, culture-based illness interpretations, or concerns about social consequences), social contextual factors, perceived need (PN), and help-seeking (HS) behaviors. In the present study, we examined how cultural determinants, such as symptom experience, beliefs and interpretations, and perceptions about the social environment, affect PN and HS type for Japanese women living in the United States. Read More