RaeAnn E. Anderson

The psychometric properties of the Sexual Experiences Survey–Short Form Victimization (SES-SFV) and characteristics of sexual victimization experiences in college men.

Estimates of the rate of sexual victimization in college men vary wildly, likely because of the lack of validated measures. This study provides psychometric data on the Sexual Experiences Survey–Short Form Victimization (SES-SFV) and basic descriptive characteristics of sexual victimization of college men via the SES-SFV. Participants (n = 405) completed a web survey containing the study measures; a subset of 69 participants completed the SES-SFV again 1–3 weeks later. Convergent validity correlations were consistent but modest in size. Two-week test–retest reliability estimates varied widely by the type of sexual victimization assessed and scoring format used; dichotomous scores were the most reliable and category scores the worst. More than 1 in 4 participants (28%) reported experiencing sexual victimization at Time 1; most reported victimization frequencies greater than 1 (22.8% of sample). Using behaviorally specific items, 1 in 7 reported experiencing rape (14.1%). The most common type of sexual victimization experienced was unwanted sexual contact. Rape acknowledgment among men who experienced rape (12.2%) was much lower than has been observed in women. Our results indicate mixed evidence for the reliability and validity of the SES-SFV in college men, highlight important characteristics of sexual victimization in college men, and demonstrate the need for further research on the best strategies for the assessment of sexual victimization in college men.

Relation between sexual and gender minority status and suicide attempts among veterans seeking treatment for military sexual trauma.

There is limited study of suicidal behaviors among veterans identifying as sexual and gender minorities (SGMs), despite previous research indicating rates of suicide attempts are high within civilian SGM populations. Further, some research incorporating military service members suggests those identifying as SGMs are disproportionately exposed to military sexual trauma (MST), an additional risk factor for negative psychiatric sequelae. To address health care research disparities among minority veterans (i.e., women, those endorsing MST, SGMs), we examined presentations of veterans (N = 277) who attended initial consultation appointments for MST-related treatment and completed a semistructured clinical interview including demographic characteristics, history of suicide attempts (HSA), and a diagnostic evaluation. Twenty-eight (10.1%) veterans identified as SGMs. SGM/non-SGM groups were contrasted on suicidal and psychiatric morbidity outcomes. Overall, endorsement of HSA was high (30.7%). Despite similar clinical profiles, 53.6% of veterans who identified as SGM endorsed HSA in contrast with 28.1% of peers identifying as heterosexual and nontransgender, a significant effect of small-to-moderate size. Findings suggest assessment and clinical management of suicidality is of critical importance for clinicians providing services to veterans pursuing recovery from MST, generally, and may be especially so when delivering care to SGM. Further, results underscore the need for culturally competent delivery of trauma-focused interventions.

Patterns of co-occurring addictions, posttraumatic stress disorder, and major depressive disorder in detoxification treatment seekers: Implications for improving detoxification treatment outcomes

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Poly-substance use and psychiatric comorbidity are common among individuals receiving substance detoxification services. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) are the most common co-occurring psychiatric disorders with substance use disorder (SUD). Current treatment favors a one-size-fits-all approach to treating addiction focusing on one substance or one comorbidity. Research examining patterns of substance use and comorbidities can inform efforts to effectively identify and differentially treat individuals with co-occurring conditions. METHODS Using latent class analysis, the current study identified four patterns of PTSD, MDD, and substance use among 375 addiction treatment seekers receiving medically supervised detoxification. RESULTS The four identified classes were: 1) a PTSD-MDD-Poly SUD class characterized by PTSD and MDD occurring in the context of opioid, cannabis, and tobacco use disorders; 2) an MDD-Poly SUD class characterized by MDD and alcohol, opioid, tobacco, and cannabis use disorders; 3) an alcohol-tobacco class characterized by alcohol and tobacco use disorders; and 4) an opioid-tobacco use disorder class characterized by opioid and tobacco use disorders. The observed classes differed on gender and clinical characteristics including addiction severity, trauma history, and PTSD/MDD symptom severity. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS The observed classes likely require differing treatment approaches. For example, people in the PTSD-MDD-Poly SUD class would likely benefit from treatment approaches targeting anxiety sensitivity and distress tolerance, while the opioid-tobacco class would benefit from treatments that incorporate motivational interviewing. Appropriate matching of treatment to class could optimize treatment outcomes for polysubstance and comorbid psychiatric treatment seekers. These findings also underscore the importance of well-developed referral networks to optimize outpatient psychotherapy for detoxification treatment-seekers to enhance long-term recovery, particularly those that include transdiagnostic treatment components.

66 College men’s perceptions of sexual perpetration behaviour

Background Between 8%–30% of college men engage in sexual perpetration. Yet, there are no effective intervention programs designed to change the behaviour of individual men at risk for sexual perpetration. In addition, recent research has shown that 95% of college men who engage in rape, the most severe form of sexual perpetration, do not label their behaviour as rape. This lack of acknowledgment or distortion in perception may represent a cognitive mechanism of sexual perpetration. The goal of this study was to examine whether college men can accurately label sexual perpetration in peers and correlates of these labels. Methods 500 college men participated in this web-based study. Participants were randomly assigned to complete 1 of 4 experimental vignettes which portrayed a sexual assault. Vignettes varied by the gender and sexual orientation of the person being sexually victimised. Participants were asked to choose a label to describe the behaviour in the vignette. Participants also completed questionnaires to assess their own history of sexual perpetration, history of dating violence, knowledge of sexual perpetration in peers, impulsivity, and beliefs about responsibility for violence. Preliminary Results 90.4% of participants were accurate in labelling the vignette as either rape or sexual assault. Less than 5% of participants labelled their own behaviour as rape; yet, approximately 25% of the sample reporting engaging in rape. Future analyses will examine the correlates of labelling. Conclusions These results suggest a large number of college men who engage in rape do understand what rape is; yet do not label their own behaviour accurately. This suggests the inaccurate labelling of their own behaviour is the result of motivated cognition; in other words, they rationalise and minimise the consequences of their behaviour.