Damon L. Rappleyea

Fruits of Improved Communication: The Experiences of Hispanic Couples in a Relationship Education Program

Marital and relationship education (MRE) has demonstrated its efficacy as a viable intervention helpful to couples and individuals who receive it. However, an overrepresentation of Caucasian populations existed in MRE research resulting in a need to understand how MRE is received by those in underserved populations. The current study reports the findings derived from focus groups consisting of Hispanic individuals and couples who attended and completed 20 hours of MRE using a PREP-based curriculum. Participants were asked five questions regarding differences they perceived in their relationships as a result of attending the MRE program. While participants agreed that they had learned and acquired new communication skills, they also reported substantial changes in the amount of peace and calm in their homes as well as increased understanding of and patience toward their partners. Additionally, participants reported sharing what they had learned in the MRE with family members who were not in attendance. This seemed to represent an effort to “pay it forward” to their loved ones. This study suggests that the benefits of MRE for these Hispanic families were felt well beyond those who actually attended the MRE program.

Recognizing and Responding to Partner Violence: An Analog Study

The purpose of this study was to modify a study by Hansen, Harway, and Cervantes (1991) that investigated whether clinicians recognized and responded to indicators of intimate partner violence. In the current study participants included 112 mental health clinicians who read a clinical vignette, then responded to several open-ended questions, while still blind to the purpose of the study. Participants then answered several objective questions about how they respond when treating cases of intimate partner violence. Logistic regressions were conducted for recognition of and response to partner violence to determine significant predictors. While the overall models were significant, few significant individual predictors emerged. The significant predictors included: education, mental health discipline, and theoretical orientation.

Gender Differences and Communication Technology Use Among Emerging Adults in the Initiation of Dating Relationships

For many emerging adults, initiating and developing a romantic relationship is likely to be very different from the experiences of previous generations. Many studies address the abundant use of technology among young adults in virtually every aspect of their lives. Few studies, however, have investigated the use of communication technology and its impact on how relationships are discovered, initiated, and maintained among this group. Researchers collected data from 1,003 young adults (ages 18–25 years) through an online survey about communication technology use and dating behaviors. Results were analyzed using chi-square tests to assess for differences between groups. Findings suggest significant differences between men and women and their use of communication technology during the initiation of dating relationships. Additionally, young adults believe that “talking,” “hanging out,” and “sharing intimate details” are more important when compared with using communication technologies to establish a relationship. The information yields valuable understanding about the role communication technology plays in the intimate relationship development of emerging adults.

Therapist Response to Intimate Partner Violence: A Qualitative Content Analysis

This article describes a modified study originally conducted by Hansen, Harway, and Cervantes (1991) that sought to understand how clinicians recognized and responded to potential indicators of intimate partner violence. Eighty-four mental health practitioners, blind to the purpose of the study, read a clinical vignette and then responded to four open-ended questions. Conceptual categories were generated from the open-ended questions using a qualitative content analysis. The constant comparative method was used to group themes within categories. It was concluded that licensed marriage and family therapists recognized the potential for domestic violence in the vignette and would choose to respond to such cases by increasing the safety of participants and providing conflict resolution skills as the focal point of treatment. The applicability of the findings and direction for future research are discussed.

Intimate partner violence screening among migrant/seasonal farmworker women and healthcare: a policy brief

Migrant and seasonal farm working (MSFW) women report higher rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) as compared to the national average (Hazen and Soriano in Violence Against Women 13:562–582, 2007). Although prior researchers have indicated that implementing IPV screenings in healthcare settings significantly increases rates of identifying IPV (Nelson et al. in Ann Intern Med 156:1–17, 2012; Ramsay et al. in Br Med J 325:314–318, 2002); many providers opt not to screen (Jonassen and Mazor in Acad Med 78(10):S20–S23, 2003; Smith et al. in Fam Community Health 20:1–18, 1998). The purpose of this policy brief is to review previous research related to IPV among MSFW women and, based on the findings, recommend policies that may help to improve the detection, intervention, resources, and available science with respect to this underserved population.

A Systematic Review of the Biopsychosocial–Spiritual Health of Active Duty Women

Women make up approximately 15% of today’s active duty (AD) military. Not only are more women volunteering for military service now than ever before in America’s history, but due to recent policy changes, they are also allowed to apply for more jobs. Therefore, since the number of women in the military is continuing to rise and there are more job opportunities for women in the military, it is important to understand the unique health effects they experience that differ from civilian women and AD males. Although there is current literature on the biological, psychological, social, and spiritual health of veteran women, few researchers have explored the biopsychosocial–spiritual effects of military service on AD women. Thus, the purpose of this systematic review was to explore the existing research on the biopsychosocial–spiritual health factors associated with military service in AD women. The results of this study indicated that there is more data on the biological health compared to the psychological and social health of AD women. There is even less research demonstrating the interconnectedness among biological, psychological, social, and spiritual health with AD women. Future research recommendations and policy implications are provided.

Training Considerations for MFTs in Couple and Financial Counseling

Evidence suggests that many couples attending marital therapy report that financial concerns have a significant impact on their distress. Despite the complaint, many Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) training programs do not offer courses that teach therapists how to properly address financial concerns as a part of their training or curriculum, leaving many practitioners unaware of the processes associated with remediating the distress. The authors address the concepts of financial literacy and financial problems, and suggest a training curriculum to guide therapists in decisions about treating financial concerns for couples. Suggestions of future research and core competencies are discussed.

Perceptions of Personal Safety Among Lower-Income Relationship Education Participants: A Grounded Theory Study

ABSTRACT The federal government has fiscally supported relationship education (RE) for lower-income citizens. However, concerns exist that this particular population may be at increased risk for intimate partner violence (IPV), and some are concerned that government endorsement of RE could encourage women to stay in unsafe and violent relationships. Research examining the relationship between RE and IPV is limited. Using grounded theory, the researchers sought to answer the question: How does participation in RE impact participants’ perceptions of safety in their intimate relationships? Researchers developed a theoretical model suggesting that through the course of RE, participants are exposed to both curriculum and group processes that help increase their awareness of themselves, their partner, and their relational processes, which contributes to increased feelings of connection and general safety within the relationship.

Healthcare providers' experiences screening for intimate partner violence among migrant and seasonal farmworking women: A phenomenological study.

Migrant and seasonal farmworking (MSFW) women patients experience substantially more intimate partner violence (IPV) than the general population, but few health‐care providers screen patients for IPV. While researchers have examined screening practices in health‐care settings, none have exclusively focused on MSFW women.

Understanding Financial Literacy and Competence: Considerations for Training, Collaboration, and Referral for MFTs

Bryce L. Jorgensen, Ph.D. and Damon L. Rappleyea, Ph.D. (*shared first-authorship), and Alan C. Taylor,Ph.D., Department of Child Development & Family Relations, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC.Correspondence concerning this manuscript should be directed to Bryce L. Jorgensen or Damon L.Rappleyea, East Carolina University, 108 Rivers Building, Greenville, NC 27858. E-mail:jorgensenb@ecu.edu or rappleyead@ecu.edu.