The Role of Sexual Trauma in the Treatment of Chemically Dependent Women: Addressing the Relapse Issue

A review of the literature indicates a high incidence of sexual trauma among women who seek treatment for substance abuse. Additionally, clients who have experienced sexual trauma appear to be more susceptible to relapse, the return to substance abuse. This article explores issues surrounding sexual trauma and chemical dependency. It aims to provide direction for relapse prevention with a relapse-prone population. Application of traditional milieu substance abuse treatment for sexual trauma survivors is explored. Recommendations for working with sexual trauma survivors who are also substance abusers are presented, as are suggestions for research.     

The Effectiveness of an Occupational Therapy Program for Chemically Dependent Adolescents

This research study, conducted at a residential treatment center for chemically dependent and emotionally disturbed youth, was designcd to answer the following questions: is occupational therapy effective in producing behavioral change in the adolescent chemically dependent population and, if so, what are the factors producing the change? An assessment tool was designed and used in conjunction with observations to determine each resident's behavioral status before and after involvement in occupational therapy groups. All residents admitted to James- town wcre involved in a Work Skills Group (focusing on pre- work skill development) and/or a Relationship Skills Group (fo-cusing on interpersonal skill development). The behavioral status was measured by the therapist using a defined rating scale in an interview format. The changc in ratings from pre- to post-treatment was used as the basis for the data analysis. Groups of residcnts were compared to each other on the, variables of age, sex, attendance, rate of goal completion, group membership, and completion and type of occupational therapy goals. The results of the study indicate that rcsidents who attended occupational therapy, were involved in both groups, completed their occupational thcrapy goals, and completed the occupational therapy program demonstrated significant behavioral change, especially in relationship skills. Age and sex variables alone did not produce significant behavioral change.     

The Influence of Posttreatment Mutual Help Group Participation on the Friendship Networks of Substance Abuse Patients

The effect of 12-step mutual help groups (e.g., Narcotics Anonymous) on members' friendship networks has received little attention. This 1-year longitudinal study examined such effects in a sample of 2,337 male substance abuse inpatients, 57.7% of whom became significantly involved in 12-step activities (e.g., reading program literature, attending meetings) after treatment. An a priori model of the interplay of 12-step involvement and friendship networks was tested using structural equation modeling, and found to have excellent fit to the data. Twelve-step group involvement after treatment predicted better general friendship characteristics (e.g., number of close friends) and substance abuse-specific friendship characteristics (e.g., proportion of friends who abstain from drugs and alcohol) at follow-up. Results are discussed in terms of how mutual help group involvement benefits patients and how the self-help group evaluation paradigm should be broadened.     

The Role of Referent and Expert Power in Mutual Help

This study explored the roles of referent power (i.e., influence based on sense of identification) and expert power (i.e., influence based on knowledge and expertise) in Schizophrenics Anonymous (SA), a mutual-help group for persons experiencing a schizophrenia-related illness. The study describes SA participants' experience of referent and expert power with SA members, SA leaders, and with mental health professionals. It also examines whether or not referent and expert power ascribed to fellow SA participants predicts the perceived helpfulness of the group. One hundred fifty-six SA participants were surveyed. Participants reported experiencing higher levels of referent power with fellow SA members and leaders than with mental health professionals. They reported higher levels of expert power for mental health professionals and SA leaders than for SA members. The respondents' ratings of their SA group's helpfulness was significantly correlated with ratings of referent and expert power. Although expert power was the best independent predictor of helpfulness, a significant interaction between referent and expert power indicated that when members reported high referent power, expert power was not related to helpfulness. These results are interpreted to suggest that there are multiple forms of social influence at work in mutual help.     

Group Counseling for Aged Women

Because of the benefits of group-counseling experiences, the lack of psychological services for older adults, and the unique concerns of aged women, a group-counseling program for aged women was conducted. The results of these efforts are presented for the purposes of sharing the proposed program sequence, describing what actually took place during the group sessions, conveying the comments and reactions offered by the group participants, and summarizing what we learned about facilitating groups for aged women.     

Gender Self-Stereotyping Is Context Dependent for Men But Not for Women

Two experiments tested whether activation of associations between the self and specific aspects of the gender stereotype is context dependent. Self-stereotype associations were assessed with a sequential priming paradigm, using the words “I” versus “others” as primes, and gender-stereotypic trait words as targets in a lexical decision task. For males, self-primes increased the accessibility of male-stereotypic traits in a context in which the stereotypic trait target was relevant but not in an irrelevant context. For females, self-primes increased the accessibility of female-stereotypic traits irrespective of the context. Difference in context dependence of self-stereotyping reflect more flexible gender-role self-concepts for males than females.     

Black Women and White Women in Groups: Suggestions for Minority-Sensitive Group Services on University Campuses

Similarities and differences between group dynamics of one all-Black-woman's support group and one all-White-woman's support group are presented and discussed in terms of future implications for university counseling center program development.     

Evaluation of Group Vocational Counseling for Women

Single mothers on income assistance participated in a vocational counseling group to facilitate job reentry. Although no statistical changes in participants were recorded, patterns of change are discussed.     

Dating Violence Prevention: A Didactic Support Group for Young Women

The authors discuss the social problem of dating violence and present a didactic support group model designed to empower young women to see themselves as “choice makers” with the ability to make informed decisions in their own best interest. They also present research findings that support the content of the group model and articulate some of their experiences in conducting this group in both high school and college settings. Finally, they discuss the potential impact of the group according to feedback from participants.     

The Fear of Turning into Dust: Notes on a Group for Sexually Abused Women

For 10 years, I have been responsible for a group for adults who were sexually abused during childhood. In this brief paper, I will analyze one aspect of the particular kind of identification that exists between a child and an abusing adult, using Bion's concept of valency and Kaes' theories of unconscious alliances and pacts, in an attempt to further qualify Ferenczi's concept of identification with the aggressor. I will then show how the group encourages the process of disidentification with the aggressor.     

The Prophylactic Mastectomy Dilemma: A Support Group for Women at High Genetic Risk for Breast Cancer

The goal of this pilot study was to test the usefulness of a six session psychoeducational support group for women at high genetic risk for breast cancer who were considering prophylactic mastectomy. The themes of the group sessions included overestimation of and anxiety about risk; desire for hard data; the emotional impact of watching a mother die of breast cancer; concerns about spouse reactions; self- and body image; the decision-making process; and confusion over whom to trust in decision making. Both the participants and the multidisciplinary leaders concluded that as a supplement to individual counseling, a support group is a beneficial and cost-effective treatment modality. Recommendations for the optimal format for such a group are described.     

A Support Group for Women with Relationship Dependency

The author describes a support group for women with relationship dependency focusing on friendship, decision making, and feelings. Issues include loneliness, coping with loss, anger, and self-esteem. Guidelines for counselors are provided.     

Attitudes of Southern Women: Selected Group Comparisons

Questionnaire data from 100 white women in a Southern city were examined to learn whether women belonging to groups that focus on social change or business and professional concerns were less traditional in their attitudes and behavior patterns than women who affiliate with groups that share common religious beliefs or similar socioeconomic status and whose stated purpose has a social orientation. Women belonging to the first category of groups were more likely than the other women to combine employment with marriage and children, to have help from husbands with household duties, and to support the Equal Rights Amendment.     

African American Muslim Women: An Invisible Group

Little is written about Islam and African American women or men from a psychosocial perspective. Most of the literature is on the historical and political development of the Nation of Islam, and the differences among the male leaders. This focus obscures the fact that the majority of African Americans Muslims belong to traditional Islamic groups. Drawing upon a variety of literatures, this paper seeks to explore some background information about Islam and the African American community, and to understand the appeal of Islam to African American women.