Sara Chiara Haden

Community Violence Victimization and Symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder The Moderating Effects of Coping and Social Support

This study tested the relationship of community violence (CV) victimization to severity of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and the roles of coping style and perceived social support in moderating that relationship. Three-hundred seventy-two men and women (age 18 to 22 years) self-reported on CV exposure, traumatic experiences, PTSD symptoms, perceived support from family and friends, and coping strategies. Results indicated that high CV victimization, high disengagement coping (i.e., avoidant styles), and low perceived social support from family and friends significantly predicted increased PTSD scores. Significant moderating effects indicated that the relationship between victimization and heightened PTSD severity was stronger at high levels of perceived friend support and disengagement. Thus, the protective function of friend support seemed to break down at increasing levels of victimization, whereas, as expected, avoidant styles of coping increased the risk for negative outcome. Findings are discussed in terms of event controllability, negative social reactions, and coping resources.

Being hot-tempered: Autonomic, emotional, and behavioral distinctions between childhood reactive and proactive aggression

Reactive aggression (RA) is an angry response to perceived provocation. Proactive aggression (PA) is a pre-meditated act used to achieve some goal. This study test hypotheses that (1) individuals high in RA and PA will differ in resting levels of autonomic arousal and (2) RA will be related to emotional and behavioral problems, while PA only to behavioral problems. Parents of 68 children (age 6-13) reported on child symptoms, reactive/proactive aggression, and behavior problems. Resting heart rate (HR), skin conductance (SC), and HR variability (HRV) were measured in 42 of the children. RA was significantly related to decreased HRV and a trend for decreased SC, while PA was significantly related to increased SC and HRV. RA was significantly related to increased internalizing behaviors and attention deficits, while PA was significantly related to increased hyperactivity/impulsivity and delinquent behavior problems. Findings support a distinction between child reactive (hot-tempered) and proactive (cold-tempered) aggression in autonomic, emotional (i.e., internalizing problems), and behavioral (i.e., attention deficits, hyperactivity/impulsivity, and delinquent behavior) functioning, and are discussed in relation to theories of antisocial behavior.

Lifetime Prevalence and Socioemotional Effects of Hearing About Community Violence

This study extends findings on community violence (CV) exposure in young adults by examining the prevalence, characteristics, and socioemotional effects related to hearing about violence. Surveys of lifetime CV exposure and socioemotional outcomes were completed by 518 male and female undergraduates completed and were divided into groups with high, moderate, or low scores on hearing. Of respondents, 97.8% reported hearing about violence at least once, with a substantial proportion hearing about different types of acts. Reportedly, the most frequent perpetrators were nonfamily members, the most frequent location was near home, and most incidents occurred within the past year. The high-scoring group reported significantly greater levels of depressed mood, posttraumatic stress symptoms, aggressive behavior, and interpersonal problems associated with personality disorders. Results extend previous findings on the unfortunate prevalence of violence exposure and its negative psychological effects in today’s young adults and suggest that chronic exposure to hearing about violence can have deleterious repercussions.

Validation of the Impulsive/Premeditated Aggression Scale in College Students

ABSTRACT Impulsive (IA) and premeditated (PM) aggression reflect functions of aggressive behavior that may have differential correlates and clinical utility. The purpose of this study was to extend the use of the Impulsive/Premeditated Aggression Scale (IPAS) for characterizing aggression in a college student sample. Three hundred forty students completed the IPAS, Buss and Perrys (1992) Aggression Questionnaire (AQ), and measures of childhood maltreatment and negative life events. Principal components analyses supported reliable IA and PM factors. The degree of IA was significantly higher than that of PM. Convergent validity for the IA scale was supported with significant relationships with certain AQ scales. Implications for studying aggressive functions in this age group may inform violence prevention and treatment on college campuses.

Trait impulsivity in a forensic inpatient sample: an evaluation of the Barratt impulsiveness scale.

Impulsivity is a fundamental component of psychopathology and an essential trait to consider when working with forensic populations. Nevertheless, impulsivity has not been widely studied in psychiatric forensic patients. The current study evaluated the use of a self-report measure of impulsivity, the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11), in a sample of 425 male forensic psychiatric inpatients with varying degrees of psychopathology and criminality. Patients also completed a measure of psychopathology, the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI). Descriptive information and psychometric properties of the BIS-11 are presented. The primary findings were elevated Nonplanning versus Motor and Attentional Impulsiveness, and strong associations between impulsiveness and various psychopathologies. Using principal component analysis, the factor structure of the BIS-11 was also evaluated. Results failed to support the previously identified factor structure of impulsivity. The meaning of the revised scales and utility of the BIS-11 in this population is discussed.

Community Violence Victimization and Depressed Mood: The Moderating Effects of Coping and Social Support

The objectives of the current study were to (a) determine how lifetime community violence (CV) victimization, coping behavior, social support (SS), and depressed mood are related in young adults, and (b) assess whether the relationship between CV victimization and depressive reactions is moderated by perceived SS and coping style. Five hundred fifty college students (160 men, 355 women) completed questionnaires measuring lifetime experiences with violence, current depressed mood, perceptions of SS from family and friends, and general coping styles. Results of a series of hierarchical regressions indicated a positive relationship between frequency of CV victimization and depressed mood. Low levels of perceived SS and problem-focused coping and high levels of disengagement coping were associated with increased depression scores overall, but there was an interaction effect such that high disengagement coping strengthened the relationship between CV and depressed mood. Moreover, when controlling for the effect of posttraumatic stress, high-perceived friend support and low disengagement coping served as protective factors for depressed mood. These results were particularly strong in individuals whose last CV experience occurred within the previous 2 years. Findings suggest that perceptions of support and ability to actively cope with stressors are very important in the adjustment to CV victimization.

A Randomized Controlled Trial on the Effects of Yoga on Stress Reactivity in 6th Grade Students

There is an increasing interest in developing school programs that improve the ability of children to cope with psychosocial stress. Yoga may be an appropriate intervention as it has demonstrated improvements in the ability of children to manage psychosocial stress. Yoga is thought to improve the control of reactivity to stress via the regulation of the autonomic nervous system. The current study examined the effects of yoga compared to a physical education class on physiological response (blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR)) to behavioral stressor tasks (mental arithmetic and mirror tracing tasks). Data analysis of BP and HR was performed using a 2 × 2 × 4 repeated measures ANOVA (time × group × stressor time points). 30 (17 male) 6th graders participated in the study. Yoga did not provide significant differences in stress reactivity compared to a physical education class (group × time: systolic (F(1,28) = .538, P = .470); diastolic (F(1,28) = .1.061, P = .312); HR (F(1,28) = .401, P = .532)). The lack of significant differences may be due to the yoga intervention failing to focus on stress management and/or the stressor tasks not adequately capturing attenuation of stressor response.

Relational and Overt Victimization in Middle and High Schools: Associations With Self-Reported Suicidality

Overt and relational victimization are associated with psychosocial adjustment problems, though there is a dearth of research to establish the relation between types of victimization and suicidality among middle and high school students. To further understand this association, the current study sought to differentially establish relations between overt and relational victimization and suicidality. The moderating effect of gender on these relations was also investigated. Participants were middle and high school students (N = 1,352) who completed a survey assessing overt and relational victimization and suicidal ideation and attempts as part of a district evaluation of a prevention and intervention program. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that among middle and high school students, overt, but not relational victimization, was associated with increased suicidal ideation and attempts. Gender did not moderate this association. Possible mechanisms to explain this association should be the target of further research.

Psychiatric civil and forensic inpatient satisfaction with care: the impact of provider and recipient characteristics

IntroductionThe goal of the study was to understand what characteristics of the provider and recipient of psychiatric care on inpatient civil and forensic units impact satisfaction ratings. Specifically, we explored how demographic variables (age, race), psychiatric diagnosis (psychotic, affective, substance-related), and patients’ interactions with staff influence satisfaction ratings.Materials and MethodsAfter matching inpatient samples on demographic characteristics, 384 psychiatric inpatients (188 civil, 196 forensic) who completed surveys assessing their satisfaction with care were included in the present study. Demographic variables and psychiatric diagnosis information was gathered from chart reviews and in collaboration with the patients’ treatment team. A series of univariate analyses of variance (ANOVAs) were conducted to test main and interaction effects influencing mean satisfaction ratings.ResultsWhile ratings did not differ for recipients’ unit type, age, diagnosis, or perceiving a connection with staff, significant differences were found for race and perceiving a problem with staff. Interaction effects emerged for unit type by psychotic diagnosis and race by perceiving a problem with staff. Supplemental analyses also examined how provider and recipient characteristics influenced components of satisfaction. ConclusionIncreasing patient satisfaction by targeting more “vulnerable” patients and addressing relations with staff may impact treatment compliance.

The Impact of Peer Aggression and Victimization on Substance Use in Rural Adolescents

Prior research has shown relations between peer victimization, aggression, and adolescent substance use. However, there is a need for further research in this area, especially among rural populations, as rural youth have high rates of substance use but less access to mental health resources in their communities. The present study examined relations between peer victimization, aggression, and substance use in a rural sample of 6th–12th graders. Older, nonminority students who endorsed aggression were more likely to have used alcohol only and alcohol plus marijuana, and also had the highest rates of alcohol use. Results highlight the need for multifaceted intervention and prevention programs and further research into the causal relations between peer aggression and substance use.