Neighborhood Environment, Sexual Risk Behaviors and Acquisition of Sexually Transmitted Infections Among Adolescents Diagnosed with Psychological Disorders

The association between neighborhood environment and prevalence of STIs, sexual partner variables and condom use among adolescents with psychological disorders was examined. Cross-sectional data in three urban areas of the US (Southeast, Northeast and Midwest) were obtained from 384 sexually active male and female participants who provided urine samples for laboratory-confirmed testing of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis and Trichomonas vaginalis. A total of 15.4% of participants tested positive for one of the three STIs. Results indicated that relative to adolescents living in low risk neighborhood environments, those living in high risk environments were significantly more likely to have a STI and to report having casual partners. Findings suggest that in high risk neighborhoods, STI acquisition may be less dependent on condom use and more dependent on other contextual factors. The importance of expanding public health research to include assessment of neighborhood context as a determinant of sexual risk-taking is emphasized.     

Violence against women: is psychology part of the problem or the solution? A content analysis of psychological research from 1990 through 1999

Previous critiques of traditional psychology portrayed a discipline that examines social problems from an exceptionalistic perspective and decontextualizes the subjects of its inquiries. We analysed 10 years of psychological research on domestic violence, sexual assault, and sexual harassment to determine whether this criticism applied to violence against women research. Specifically, we examined the purpose, level of analysis, sample, and context of 1396 PsychLit abstracts. We found that almost half reported an examination of causal factors. Only one quarter reported intervention studies. Most studies focused at the individual level of analysis and few included contextual factors. Investigators explored questions about domestic violence most frequently among samples of victims and perpetrators drawn from clinical settings. Sexual assault and sexual harassment researchers depended on victims and perpetrators to a lesser extent, but tended to rely upon convenience samples from college settings. Representative community samples were used in only 9% of studies. These findings support the view that psychological research on violence against women suffers from a heavy emphasis on exceptionalism at the expense of a universalistic perspective, the latter of which we contend is critical to advancing the field and reducing a major threat to women's health and wellbeing. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The mental nose and the Pinocchio effect: Thermography,planning, anxiety,and lies

We applied thermography to cognitive neuropsychology, particularly as a somatic marker of subjective experience during cognitive and emotional tasks. We found significant correlations between changes in facial temperature and mental set. Specifically, the temperature of the nose tended to decrease during emotional tasks and increase during cognitive tasks. However, for stress tests or high arousal reactions to emotional stimuli, the direction of the thermal change depended on the nature of the setting, real or simulated. Detection of deception is a mixed field where cognitive effort, physiological stress, and empathy have evolved, affecting the direction of the thermal variation—higher or lower temperature of the tip of the nose and forehead. We found that the temperature change of the nose and forehead may enable detecting when people lie about facts (the Pinocchio effect markers). In general, one important contribution is to recover mental thermometry as a potent tool for neurocognitive studies.     

Relational‐Cultural Theory: A Framework for Bridging Relational,Multicultural, and Social Justice Competencies

Relational‐cultural theory (RCT) theorists advocate expanding the multicultural/social justice counseling competencies beyond the domains of self‐awareness, cultural knowledge, and culturally responsive helping skills. This article provides an overview of RCT and discusses how creating and participating in growth‐fostering relationships are essential dimensions of human development and psychological well‐being. Implications of this theoretical model for counseling practice are also addressed.     

Moving Beyond the Individual: Examining the Effects of Domestic Violence Policies on Social Norms

To be effective, criminal justice policies should affect the underlying social norms for which the policies were enacted. This study sought to determine whether public perceptions of criminal justice policies on domestic violence affected social norms. Two waves of data were collected via a telephone survey where a random probability sample of 973 residents was drawn from 4 communities. A structural equation model was tested and confirmed. Results provided strong support for the hypothesis that perceptions of criminal justice policies have direct effects on attitudes toward criminal justice response, and indirect effects on victim-blaming attitudes, both underlying social norms related to domestic violence. The enactment of criminal justice policies, therefore, may have an impact beyond victims and perpetrators and lead to a transformation of the community through the emergence of new social norms. Public awareness campaigns designed to disseminate criminal justice policies may be instrumental in provoking social change.     

Environmental barriers to HIV prevention among incarcerated adolescents: a qualitative assessment

The purpose of this research was to identify environmental factors that influence incarcerated adolescents' risk for HIV/STDs. Based on data from six gender-stratified focus groups consisting of 28 incarcerated adolescents from three detention centers in Georgia, the following salient environments emerged: schools, families, peer groups, neighborhoods, malls, and detention centers. These environments represent places in which factors related to sexual decision-making are embedded for this high-risk population. Within these environments, five factors influence their risk for HIV/STDs: (1) hierarchical messages that promote abstinence and risk reduction, (2) availability and accessibility of condoms, (3) acceptability of condoms, (4) availability of comprehensive sex education, and (5) parental communication about sex and risk reduction. Increased understanding of the role of these factors may contribute to the development of integrated interventions designed to prevent HIV/STDs among incarcerated adolescents.     

Racial/Ethnic Identity and Subjective Physical and Mental Health of Latino Americans: An Asset Within?

Social Identity Theory indicates that ethnic identity could benefit minority members in a society because of its promotion of a sense of belonging, or of its buffering of the damage of discrimination. Despite growing investigation about Latinos’ overall health, few studies have simultaneously examined the influence of multiple cultural strength factors, especially racial/ethnic identity, social support, and religious attendance, on these outcomes. Using the National Latino and Asian American Study, we examine the potential predictive value of these cultural strength factors on Latinos’ Self-Rated Mental and Physical Health (SRMH and SRPH). Two separate two-step regression models revealed significant positive effects of racial/ethnic identity on both mental and physical health of Latinos, above and beyond the effect of known demographic and acculturation factors, such as discrimination. Religious attendance had a positive effect on SRMH but not on SRPH. The deteriorating roles of discrimination, in mental health only, and that of Length in the US in both outcomes, however, was primarily not altered by entry of these cultural strength factors. The independent direct effect of racial/ethnic identity among Latinos nationwide may suggest that this cultural strength is an internalized protective asset. Longitudinal data is needed to explore its underlying mechanism and long-term impact.