Trauma Survivors' Emotional Distress and Barriers to Early Psychological Intervention in an Inner-City Acute Surgical Trauma Service

Fifty-five predominantly low-income ethnic minority patients were interviewed and screened for early signs of psychological distress following traumatic injury. A free, brief intervention and transportation were offered to patients who evidenced psychiatric symptoms. Over half of participants reported psychiatric symptoms, but none accepted the free intervention. This study examined reasons participants remained reluctant to engage in services despite elimination of common barriers. Results highlight the importance of perceptual barriers over structural barriers in engaging patients in psychological interventions following a traumatic event.     

The Mediating Role of Peritraumatic Dissociation and Thought Control Strategies on Posttraumatic Stress in Women Survivors of Child Sexual and Physical Abuse

This study examined the link between cognitive coping strategies, type of abuse, and posttraumatic stress symptomatology. In a sample of 294 undergraduate women, several key findings emerged: (a) reported use of cognitive coping strategies significantly differed based on the type of abuse; (b) some differences in posttraumatic stress symptomatology emerged based on the type of abuse; (c) once the cognitive coping strategies were accounted for, the type of abuse was no longer associated with posttraumatic stress symptomatology. These findings suggest that peritraumatic dissociation, punishment, and social control significantly mediated the relationship between the type of abuse and posttraumatic stress symptomatology. This is important information for interventionists striving to help their clients maximize already-occurring adaptive strategies (e.g., social control).     

Sticks,Stones, or Words? Counting the Prevalence of Different Types of Intimate Partner Violence Reported by New Zealand Women

This study documents the lifetime and 12-month prevalence and overlap of psychological/emotional, physical, and sexual intimate partner violence (IPV) reported by a representative sample of New Zealand women. Use of controlling behaviors by women's current or most recent intimate partner was also explored. The results indicated that 55% of ever-partnered women had experienced any IPV in their lifetime: 33% had experienced more than one type of IPV (usually psychological/emotional violence and physical and/or sexual violence), and 22% had experienced one type of IPV. Use of controlling behaviors by the woman's current or most recent partner was associated with partner's use of physical or sexual violence. Implications are discussed at the population level, for service providers, and for future studies.     

Preface

Abstract

Child victimization is a serious and on-going problem in the United States and throughout the world. In 2000, an estimated 900,000 children were victims of abuse and neglect in the United States. New and different responses to child maltreatment will have to be developed and implemented in response to the increasingly diverse contexts and situations within which maltreatment occurs. Emerging trends in adult-child boundary violations are explored within this volume from a cross-section of disciplines, including law, sociology, criminal justice, psychology, and health services. The selections analyze issues critical to child maltreatment and offer intriguingly different perspectives of present and future issues related to child abuse.     

Attachment Anxiety,Depressive Symptoms,and Adolescent Dating Violence Perpetration: A Longitudinal Mediation Analysis

Adolescent dating violence (ADV) is a prevalent public health issue that has been linked to many negative effects, including attachment anxiety and depressive symptoms. Previous literature suggests that the negative mental states characteristic of attachment anxiety could be associated with dating violence perpetration. Similarly, the negative mental states characteristic of depression have also been linked to perpetration, and might potentially increase an anxiously attached individual’s likelihood of engaging in dating violence perpetration. This study used a 10-month longitudinal design with a sample of 140 middle school and high school students from Southern California. Participants ranged in age from 13 to 18 years and were ethnically diverse. The study aimed at exploring depressive symptoms as a potential mediator for the relationship between attachment anxiety and ADV perpetration. Positive associations were found between attachment anxiety and perpetration (10 months after), attachment anxiety and depressive symptoms (10 months after), and between depressive symptoms and perpetration (both 10 months after). Furthermore, depressive symptoms partially mediated the relationship between attachment anxiety and ADV perpetration (10 months after). These findings have implications for the development of empirically driven school-based prevention and intervention programs.     

A Comparison of Quality of Life in Haemodialysis and Peritoneal Dialysis Patients

Decreased quality of life of end-stage renal disease is further compromised by renal function replacement treatments such as haemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD). Poor quality of life negatively affects treatment outcome. This study compared quality of life between HD and PD patients. Quality of life in 15 HD and 15 PD patients at a South African renal unit was compared using the SF-36 short form. There was no significant difference between HD and PD patients for total SF-36 score, but HD subjects reported more pain. Quality of life is similar in HD and PD patients, with the exception of higher pain levels in HD patients.     

Post-traumatic stress disorder and health risk behaviour among persons 15 years and older in South Africa

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and health risk behaviours among persons 15 years and older in South Africa. We analysed data from the South African National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (SANHANES-1, 2012) (N = 15 201; mean age = 36.9 years, SD = 16.5; 2.1% with PSTD, 4.0% with partial PTSD). The survey included questions from validated measures of the following health risk behaviours: problem drinking, current tobacco use, physical activity, sedentary behaviour, vegetable consumption, and fast food and frequent soft drinks consumption. In adjusted logistic regression analysis, only self-reporting with PTSD was associated with problem drinking. The data did not yield significant association between PTSD status and any of the other health risk behaviours (tobacco use, low physical activity, and fast food consumption).     

Behavioral assessment of physical activity in obese preschool children

We measured changes in physical activity in 2 obese preschool children when a package intervention was evaluated in a reversal design. Physical activity was measured via direct observation and pedometers. Although the intervention produced only modest increases in activity, the results provide preliminary concurrent validation for the dependent measures used, in that the two measures covaried and a similar degree of change was observed with each across baseline and intervention phases.