Frequency and impact of trauma in older women: A military and nonmilitary sample

Understanding the impact of trauma on late-life functioning in older females is needed in order to provide best care. We explored the impact of trauma on late-life psychological and physical health and functioning among older women (n = 48) who served in the military, or participated in a military lifestyle. Eleven of these women were not veterans, but married to military personnel. Number of traumatic exposures and types of events experienced was associated with increased trauma symptom severity. Trauma symptom severity was associated with decreased physical functioning and increased pain. Increased numbing and avoidance was significantly associated with poorer physical functioning and increased pain. Older women in this study remained at risk of experiencing negative consequences of trauma in terms of increased quantity and severity of trauma symptoms and physical decline and pain. Clinical and research implications are discussed.     

Unexpected Social Benefits of Alcoholics Anonymous for Older Women

The authors interviewed older women in Alcoholics Anonymous to explore the participants' most beneficial and meaningful experiences in the program. Findings suggested that these women obtained unexpected social benefits from their participation. These benefits are examined through the framework of Carstensen's ( 1993 ) socioemotional selectivity theory.     

Mentoring in the Academic Medical Setting: The Gender Gap

Mentoring is an essential part of success in the academic medical center. The provision of effective mentoring is key to the success of the increasing numbers of women entering medicine. However, the gender distribution within the hierarchy of medicine has not changed in that the power still resides with men in the system. Currently, men are attempting to mentor women, and so as the proportion of women in medicine continues to grow, they will become more influential in this setting and will become increasingly responsible for providing mentoring to men. In either case, effective communication across gender lines is an essential aspect of the mentoring process. Psychologists in academic medical settings can provide guidance to faculty and staff on the critical aspects of social development and communication, which may affect how women and men are mentored and the success of this mentoring process, whether across or within gender lines.     

Women's experiences of workplace bullying: changes in social relationships

This article reports a qualitative study, which investigated social processes in workplace bullying, based on in‐depth interviews with ten British women professionals who were targets of workplace bullying. Data were analysed using grounded theory methods. The resulting analysis showed links between disclosures of bullying, reactions of others, and some impacts on targets' psychological health. Key themes which emerged from the data included ‘being heard’ which describes how others reacted to disclosures of bullying behaviours, and the ‘ripple effect’ which describes how bullying impacted upon targets' significant others; these predominantly describe relationships with others outside the workplace. The theme of ‘withdrawal’ describes how targets and others managed relationships within the workplace, and ‘denial’ and ‘personalizing problems’ describe how others within the workplace responded to knowledge of bullying behaviours. The theme ‘maintaining self’ describes how participants responded to changed relationships and struggled to maintain a coherent sense of self during and subsequent to bullying. This research emphasizes the role of social processes and social environments, rather than individual or personality characteristics, in explaining the development of workplace bullying and its impacts on targets. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Refusing to be Marginalized: Groupwork in Mental Health Services for Women Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse

Childhood sexual abuse is a major aetiological factor in the development of mental health difficulties experienced by women. Although this conclusion is supported by two decades of extensive research, it has had little impact on the provision of mainstream mental health services. It remains exceptional for there to be specialist therapy or counselling provision for women survivors of childhood sexual abuse within statutory mental health services. This represents a serious gap in service provision and, it is argued, results in extended and inappropriate treatment for women survivors using mental health services. In this article, the development of a multi-agency approach to the provision of groupwork for women survivors of childhood sexual abuse within mental health service is described. A women-centred model of groupwork is outlined. Evaluation and funding are discussed. It is argued that, as a time-limited and effective treatment option, groupwork for women survivors of childhood sexual abuse should form a central part of service provision within statutory adult mental health services.     

On advancing behavior analysis in the treatment and prevention of battering: Commentary on Myers

MYERS OFFERS AN IMPORTANT CHALLENGE TO BEHAVIOR ANALYSTS: eliminating the battering of women. In this commentary, we extend the conceptual model advocated by Myers, urge a bidirectional approach that focuses more on the battered woman and less on the battering man, caution against the indiscriminate use of marital therapy approaches, and argue that the most important contributions in the field may come from behavioral prevention rather than treatment interventions.     

Initial examination of a multidimensional model of trauma-related guilt: Applications to combat veterans and battered women

Guilt is conceptualized as a multidimensional construct consisting of negative affect and a set of interrelated cognitions. Guilt magnitude is thought to be a function of the magnitudes of six variables posited as primary components of guilt: a negative event, distress, perceptions of responsibility, lack of justification, wrongdoing, and false beliefs about preoutcome knowledge. The model was tested with samples of Vietnam veterans and battered women. Participants rated their reactions to and perceived roles in trauma-related events. Among Vietnam veterans, distress ratings were highly correlated with guilt severity. Cognitive guilt-component variables were significantly correlated with guilt in both groups. In multiple regression, guilt components accounted for 61% of variance in veterans' guilt and 44% of variance in women's guilt. Among veterans, distress ratings were highly correlated with measures of PTSD and depression. In both groups, cognitive guilt-component variables were positively correlated with psychopathology. Results support the view that beliefs about one's role in trauma are important factors in posttrauma adjustment.     

Shame, Women, and Group Psychotherapy

This paper addresses gender-related experiences of shame, focusing on the shame-prone woman. Specifically the varied manifest behaviors, dynamics, and defenses commonly observed in shame-prone women are described. It is recommended that the addition of group therapy to individual treatment, once the client is ready, can expedite progress for these patients, as they are more able to integrate previously disowned and shamed aspects of themselves. A number of potential problems when working with these patients in group are identified and explored.     

Book Reviews

Dalton, Dennis, Mahatma Gandhi: Nonviolent Power in Action
Goodman, David G. and Miyazawa, Masanori, Jews in the Japanese Mind: The History and Uses of a Cultural Stereotype
Rejai, Mostafa and Phillips, Kay, World Military Leaders: A Collective and Comparative Analysis     

Homeless women and their families: Characteristics,life circumstances,and needs

This study investigated the needs of a sample of 100 women from shelters for the homeless in Richmond, Virginia. The women's responses to a 117-item interview were used to obtain information regarding their domicilary status, work history, educational background, family and health history, social support, reasons for homelessness, and social service needs. The results indicated that a significant number of the women had moved as many as six times within the past five years for various reasons, including domestic violence, interpersonal conflict, overcrowding, and eviction. Many women were high school graduates and had job skills in the health care, educational, and clerical fields. Most women were raised by their natural or extended family and the majority of them had a friend or family member who provided social support. Identified needs included housing, food, clothing, and transportation. The needs of homeless women and their children were different from the needs of the homeless chronically mentally ill and require specialized services as well as an increase in the available number of low-income housing units.