Patrick J. Fowler

Community violence: a meta-analysis on the effect of exposure and mental health outcomes of children and adolescents

Meta-analytic techniques were used to estimate the effects of exposure to community violence on mental health outcomes across 114 studies. Community violence had its strongest effects on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and externalizing problems and smallest impact on other internalizing symptoms. Victimization by community violence most predicted symptomatology compared to witnessing or hearing about community violence. Witnessing community violence had a greater effect than hearing about violence on externalizing problems, but both types of exposure had an equal impact on other internalizing problems. PTSD symptoms were equally predicted by victimization, witnessing, or hearing about community violence. Compared to children, adolescents reported a stronger relationship between externalizing behaviors and exposure, whereas children exhibited greater internalizing problems than did adolescents.

Family, public and private religiousness and psychological well-being over time in at-risk adolescents

Positive effects of different dimensions of religiousness (including private, public and familial) on well-being as well as the stress buffering effects of religiousness have been documented. However, relatively little research has explored how these different facets of religiousness are related to psychological well-being in at-risk adolescents. This study examined family, public and private religiousness and their protective influence on psychological adjustment in adolescents at risk for poor psychological and behavioural outcomes. Participants include 186 urban teens divided between African Americans and European Americans. Structured interviews assessed religiousness, stress, as well as change in emotional distress and substance abuse problems over a one-year period. Greater private religiousness protects adolescents exposed to higher levels of stress from emotional and behavioural problems. In contrast, higher levels of family religiousness exacerbate emotional problems over time in adolescents exposed to greater stress. Findings demonstrate the complex influence of religiousness on psychological well-being in adolescence.

Community Violence Prevention and Intervention Strategies for Children and Adolescents: The Need for Multilevel Approaches

Exposure to community violence pervades the lives of many urban American youths. A growing body of research illustrates when and how exposure to neighborhood violence impacts the psychosocial functioning of youths. However, few empirically supported preventative efforts exist to mitigate these effects. The following briefly outlines the state of current intervention efforts, and then summarizes how articles presented in this special issue address the existing gaps in theory and practice of serving youth exposed to community violence. Programs demonstrate innovative and collaborative primary, secondary, and tertiary preventative efforts to meet the needs of youths. Directions for future research and program development call for expansion of current efforts to provide a public health response to support urban neighborhoods at risk for violence.

Age Differences Among Homeless Individuals: Adolescence Through Adulthood

The present study examines differences between homeless adolescents, young adults, and older adults served by homeless shelters or food programs to inform service provision. Four homeless studies using the same sampling and measurement methods were pooled to permit comparisons across age groups. Results showed that homeless adolescents demonstrated greater resilience than younger and older adults. Adolescents reported the shortest duration of homelessness, lowest number of life stressors, fewest physical symptoms, largest social networks, and fewest clinically significant mental health problems. Adolescents also received fewer alcohol and drug abuse diagnoses than younger and older adults. Younger adults reported less time homeless and fewer physical symptoms than older adults, but more life stressors. Younger adults also endorsed higher levels of hostile and paranoid psychological symptoms. Implications for service provision and policy are discussed.

Community and family violence: Indirect effects of parental monitoring on externalizing problems

This study examines the mediating role of parenting on the relationship between exposure to violence and externalizing problems. Participants include 214 at-risk urban adolescents. Structured interviews assessed exposure to community and family violence, parental monitoring and warmth, as well as substance abuse and conduct problems. Structural equation modeling provided evidence of a mediation model that fits European Americans but is less predictive for African Americans. For European Americans, findings suggest greater exposure to community violence is associated with more externalizing problems, and also indirectly effects problems by disrupting parental monitoring. Although family violence relates to less parental warmth, no association exits between warmth and externalizing problems. Unmeasured variables that contribute to racial differences may explain how violence impacts African American teens.

Journal of prevention & intervention in the community. Introduction.

The articles contained in this issue are an accumulation of research dedicated to improving services for the homeless. In the past two decades, homelessness has increased as a major social problem in the United States. Estimates of daily homelessness have reached close to 750,000, while 2.5– 3.5 million people experience homelessness every year. Recent literature has noted that homeless populations evidence higher rates of mental illness, substance abuse, criminal behavior, and severe stress when compared to both normative and similar at-risk groups. Prevalence estimates for mental illness among the homeless range from 10% (considering only schizophrenia and major affective disorders) to over 90% (considering all disorders). Homeless individuals are at greater risk for severe medical difficulties and hospitalization, yet they are less likely to obtain health care for these issues. Alcohol and drug use, HIV risk behaviors, and physical and sexual abuse are much more prevalent in the homeless population when compared to housed individuals. Already a transient population, key developmental and environmental transitions also have a significant impact on the homeless, and interventions and efforts aimed at preventing future episodes of homelessness are essential. The research presented in this volume provides insight into several key transitional periods for the homeless and efforts to alleviate both at-risk behaviors prevalent in the homeless population, as well as future episodes of being without permanent housing.