Jennifer First

The Centrality of Communication and Media in Fostering Community Resilience: A Framework for Assessment and Intervention

A community is resilient if it is able to “bounce forward” after an adverse event. Community resilience is generally considered a process that is indicated by community adaptation following a disaster or crisis. In this article, we employ media and communication perspectives (communication ecology, public relations, and strategic communication) to review the community resilience literature and propose a revised community resilience model. Our proposed model includes four components: communication systems and resources, community relationships, strategic communication processes, and community attributes. Each of these components includes several elements that are described. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Transitions Are Scary for Our Kids, and They're Scary for Us: Family Member and Youth Perspectives on the Challenges of Transitioning to Adulthood with Autism.

BACKGROUND Adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) face many challenges as they age into adulthood. Because little is known about the perspectives of caregivers and youth during this critical transition, this study explored their social, educational, and vocational needs and experiences. METHOD Two focus groups were conducted with youth with ASD (n = 13) and two focus groups were conducted with their caregivers (n = 19), where theme analysis strategies derived from Grounded Theory were utilized to identify themes. RESULTS Both groups experienced fear and anxiety about transitioning, unmet needs were also high, leaving caregivers struggling to fill gaps. Most caregivers and youth reported lacking individualized services. Caregivers faced difficulty in motivating youth and creating opportunities for education and employment. Although youth have future goals, they were unaware of steps needed to accomplish them and hesitant to talk to caregivers. CONCLUSIONS Findings indicate considerable unmet needs for caregivers and youth with ASD. Perspectives of both groups should be considered when developing programmes and educating providers.

2011 Joplin, Missouri Tornado Experience, Mental Health Reactions, and Service Utilization: Cross-Sectional Assessments at Approximately 6 Months and 2.5 Years Post-Event.

Introduction. On May 22, 2011 the deadliest tornado in the United States since 1947 struck Joplin, Missouri killing 161 people, injuring approximately 1,150 individuals, and causing approximately

Randomized controlled trial of the Resilience and Coping Intervention (RCI) with undergraduate university students.

2.8 billion in economic losses. Methods. This study examined the mental health effects of this event through a random digit dialing sample (N = 380) of Joplin adults at approximately 6 months post-disaster (Survey 1) and a purposive convenience sample (N = 438) of Joplin adults at approximately 2.5 years post-disaster (Survey 2). For both surveys we assessed tornado experience, posttraumatic stress, depression, mental health service utilization, and sociodemographics. For Survey 2 we also assessed social support and parent report of child strengths and difficulties. Results. Probable PTSD relevance was 12.63% at Survey 1 and 26.74% at Survey 2, while current depression prevalence was 20.82% at Survey 1 and 13.33% at Survey 2. Less education and more tornado experience was generally related to greater likelihood of experiencing probable PTSD and current depression for both surveys. Men and younger participants were more likely to report current depression at Survey 1. Low levels of social support (assessed only at Survey 2) were related to more probable PTSD and current depression. For both surveys, we observed low rates of mental health service utilization, and these rates were also low for participants reporting probable PTSD and current depression. At Survey 2 we assessed parent report of child (ages 4 to 17) strengths and difficulties and found that child difficulties were more frequent for younger children (ages 4 to 10) than older children (ages 11 to 17), and that parents reporting probable PTSD reported a greater frequency of children with borderline or abnormal difficulties. Discussion. Overall our results indicate that long-term (multi-year) community disaster mental health monitoring, assessment, referral, outreach, and services are needed following a major disaster like the 2011 Joplin tornado.

Public Disaster Communication and Child and Family Disaster Mental Health: a Review of Theoretical Frameworks and Empirical Evidence

ABSTRACT Objective: The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the Resilience and Coping Intervention (RCI) with college students. Participants: College students (aged 18–23) from a large Midwest US university who volunteered for a randomized controlled trial during the 2015 spring semester. Methods: College students were randomly assigned to an intervention (n = 64) or a control (n = 65) group. Intervention participants received three 45-minute RCI sessions over subsequent weeks. All participants completed pre- and post-intervention assessments at the beginning of Week 1 and end of Week 3. Student resilience, coping, hope, stress, depression, and anxiety were assessed. Results. RCI participants reported significantly more hope and less stress and depression from Week 1 to Week 3 compared with control participants. Results for resilience also approached statistical significance. Effect sizes were small to moderate. Conclusions: This study found preliminary evidence that RCI is an effective resilience intervention for use with college students.

A qualitative study of stress and coping when transitioning to adulthood with autism spectrum disorder

Children have been identified as particularly vulnerable to psychological and behavioral difficulties following disaster. Public child and family disaster communication is one public health tool that can be utilized to promote coping/resilience and ameliorate maladaptive child reactions following an event. We conducted a review of the public disaster communication literature and identified three main functions of child and family disaster communication: fostering preparedness, providing psychoeducation, and conducting outreach. Our review also indicates that schools are a promising system for child and family disaster communication. We complete our review with three conclusions. First, theoretically, there appears to be a great opportunity for public disaster communication focused on child disaster reactions. Second, empirical research assessing the effects of public child and family disaster communication is essentially nonexistent. Third, despite the lack of empirical evidence in this area, there is opportunity for public child and family disaster communication efforts that address new domains.

Resilience and Coping Intervention (RCI): A Group Intervention to Foster College Student Resilience

ABSTRACT The transition into adulthood can be stressful and challenging for adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their caregivers. Few studies have examined the perspectives of adolescents with ASD and their caregivers during the transition to adulthood. This qualitative study utilized the method of four focus groups with 19 caregivers and 13 adolescents with ASD. Main themes of stress reported by participants included encountering challenges in accessing services, difficulties with adapting to transition changes and managing multiple responsibilities, and vocation and higher education challenges. Main themes of coping reported by participants included accessing support from community services, receiving support from family, friends, and teachers, and seeking opportunities for self-determination. These findings provide insight into adolescent and caregiver perceptions of the challenges they face when youth transition to adulthood with ASD, along with resources and coping strategies they have found helpful. Implications are provided to assist social workers and practitioners in supporting adolescents with ASD and their caregivers during the transition to adulthood.

Youth perceptions of stress and coping when transitioning to adulthood with autism: A photovoice study

ABSTRACT Many colleges and universities report an increase in the prevalence of reported stress, anxiety, and depression among college students. The current article describes the Resilience and Coping Intervention (RCI), a group intervention designed to help college participants identify thoughts, feelings, and coping strategies related to a problematic experience or to an everyday stressors. To illustrate the RCI group process, vignettes from two RCI sessions with undergraduate college students are provided to demonstrate how the intervention enables group members to discuss their challenges, explore and validate their experiences, problem solve, and connect with peers. In addition, the vignettes provide descriptions of college students’ reported stressors and challenges, thoughts and feelings, and coping mechanisms. Given the increased prevalence of reported stress, anxiety, and depression among students, colleges need feasible and effective interventions such as RCI that reduce stress and help students to develop coping skills and strategies.

Post-traumatic growth 2.5 years after the 2011 Joplin, Missouri tornado

Transitioning into adulthood can be challenging and stressful process for youth living with autism spectrum disorder. Few studies have examined the perspectives of youth with autism spectrum disorder during the transition to adulthood. Using the participatory methodology of photovoice among 11 young adults with autism spectrum disorder aged 18–23, this study’s aim was to identify strategies and resources youth with autism spectrum disorder utilize to cope with stress when transitioning to adulthood. Qualitative phenomenological analysis of participant narratives and photographs revealed four main themes. These included: (1) utilizing music, books, and physical exercise; (2) seeking support; (3) spirituality; and (4) building self-esteem and confidence. These findings provide insight into youth experiences of stress and coping when transitioning to adulthood with autism. Identifying the coping experiences of youth with autism spectrum disorder is important for the design of future programs, services, and policies supporting transition-aged youth with autism spectrum disorder.

Intimate Partner Violence and Disasters

ABSTRACT In 2011 a major tornado struck Joplin, Missouri, killing 158 and injuring 1,150 individuals. Approximately 2.5 years after this disaster, an online survey of Joplin adult residents (N = 438) was conducted to examine the relationship between disaster experience, post-traumatic stress (PTS) symptoms, communication with family, friends, and neighbors, and post-traumatic growth (PTG). Results indicate that more tornado exposure and tornado PTS symptoms were related to more PTG. In addition, engaging in more communication about the tornado with family, friends, and neighbors was related to more perceived PTG. Implications for social work practice in long-term post-disaster communities include building upon areas of growth and promoting positive interpersonal connections among survivors.