Lifetime exposures to violence and related psychosocial stressors can increase the risk of suicidal ideation among immigrant women. This study examined the impact of cumulative childhood and adulthood victimization, along with key psychosocial stressors, on suicidal ideation among 1265 immigrant women who experienced intimate partner violence (IPV). It also explored the mediating role of coping resources, specifically resilience and social support, in the relationship between lifetime violence exposure and suicidal ideation. Secondary data drawn from an intervention study involving immigrant survivors of IPV were analyzed using descriptive statistics and regression analysis procedures. The findings revealed that women who experienced multiple forms of violence in childhood and adulthood were 157% more likely to report suicidal ideation, highlighting the profound, long-lasting psychological impact of such experiences. Additionally, those who faced financial stress were 74% more likely to experience suicidal ideation, underscoring the connection between financial hardship and suicidal ideation. Mediation analysis showed that resilience and social support partially mediated the relationship between violence and suicidal ideation. Higher levels of social support and resilience were associated with 3% and 40% lower likelihood of suicidal ideation, respectively. These results suggest that emotional and social resources and abilities to cope with adversity play a crucial role in mitigating the risks of suicidal ideation, even in the face of significant life stressors. These findings highlight the need for comprehensive, trauma-informed interventions that address psychosocial stressors, strengthen social support, and promote resilience to reduce the risk of suicidal ideation in immigrant women affected by lifetime violence exposures.

Previous research has demonstrated a relationship between victimization and perpetration of sexual violence. Social norms approaches have been developed to prevent sexual violence, which focus on changing perceived peer support for sexual violence and related behaviors; however, their efficacy is limited. Interpersonal difficulties are a well-established consequence of sexual victimization much like impulsivity is a well-established risk factor for sexual perpetration, however, these risk factors are often considered in relation to one form of violence rather than both. The goals of this study were to 1) describe and assess the relationship between knowledge of peers' sexual violence experiences and 2) examine the afore-mentioned risk factors while considering victim-offender overlaps to inform prevention and restorative justice efforts. College men ( = 485) completed an anonymous online survey. 46.4% reported sexual violence exposure, specifically 10.5% victimization only, 6% perpetration only, and 29.9% both exposures. Many participants reported knowing a victim (43.9%) or perpetrator (32.4%), mostly consisting of friends and acquaintances. Violence-exposed groups demonstrated significantly more knowledge of victimization (Victimization Only 52.9%, Perpetration Only 62.1%, Both 61.4% > Control 30.4%) and perpetration (Perpetration only 55.2%, Both 49% > Control 20.8%) amongst their peers than nonviolence-exposed controls. Those with victimization only reported greater interpersonal difficulties than nonviolence-exposed controls ( = 0.613). When accounting for childhood sexual abuse (CSA), those with all three experiences had greater interpersonal difficulties ( = 0.766). Those with perpetration experiences demonstrated greater levels of impulsivity than nonviolence-exposed controls ( = 0.440). When accounting for CSA, those with both exposures (excluding CSA) had greater impulsivity ( = 0.488).

Asian Americans experience high rates of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) but are significantly underrepresented in ACEs research. Despite evidence indicating that ACEs contribute to increased psychological distress and substance use among minoritized emerging adults and that a strong sense of ethnic identity can mitigate these impacts, no study has exclusively examined these relationships among Asian Americans. This study investigated how (1) ACEs relate to symptoms of posttraumatic stress, depression, anxiety, and binge drinking; and explored (2) the strength of ethnic identity as a moderator in this sample. Second-generation and one-and-a-half generation Asian Americans (=199, aged 18-29, 53% East Asian, 30% South Asian, 17% Southeast Asian) were recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk and a northeastern university in the U.S. to complete an online survey. Multivariate linear and binary logistic regressions revealed that ACEs significantly predicted higher symptoms of posttraumatic stress (B=3.00, <.001), depression (B= 2.36, < .001), and anxiety (B=1.33, =.002), and an increased odds of binge drinking (OR=1.30, 95% CI [1.07, 1.58]). The strength of ethnic identity did not significantly moderate outcomes; however, stronger ethnic identity was independently significantly associated with lower anxiety symptoms (B= -2.89, =.01). Among Asian American emerging adults, ACEs are associated with psychological distress and binge drinking. However, unlike in other minoritized groups, ethnic identity did not protect against these outcomes, suggesting the need to identify alternative culturally-relevant protective factors in Asian Americans.

Authors examine prevalence of sexual violence and stalking victimization by the same perpetrator, reporting perpetrator types, intimate partner context and impacts for this combination of victimization. Data are from the 2010-2012 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, a nationally representative adult telephone survey. Analyses examined the characteristics of the victimization, presence of other intimate partner violence by the same perpetrator, and victim impacts (e.g., injury). An estimated 8.1% (9.8 million) of women and 1.6% (1.9 million) of men in the United States were stalked and sexually victimized by the same perpetrator, most often an intimate partner. Over 90% of female and male victims experienced sexual violence, stalking, psychological aggression, and physical violence by the same intimate partner perpetrator. Impacts of both intimate partner and non-intimate partner perpetrated victimization were most commonly fearfulness, concern for safety, and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. Sexual violence combined with stalking is common in the context of intimate partner violence. Early prevention efforts (i.e., in youth) addressing the context of intimate partner violence may be helpful in reducing these forms of violence and their impacts.

In this response to Sarah Ullman's 2020 Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment, and Trauma article, Rape Resistance: A Critical Piece of all Women's Empowerment and Holistic Rape Prevention, the author highlights the importance of a holistic and comprehensive strategy for sexual violence prevention that involves many approaches across the social ecological model, as outlined in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's STOP SV technical package, including effective empowerment-based training approaches. She describes that more work is needed to evaluate and identify evidence-based approaches, including those that address prevention within marginalized groups and those grassroots approaches that are already being implemented but have not been evaluated. She ends by stressing that the field has much to gain from this kind of collective, multi-sector effort.

Thousands of women Veterans experience intimate partner violence (IPV) each year. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has encouraged IPV screening in Veterans Affairs medical centers (VAMCs) since 2014. Through retrospective analysis of VHA administrative data from fiscal year (FY) 2014 into FY2020, we examined IPV screening implementation outcomes of reach and adoption, as well as screen-positive rates using descriptive and multivariate linear regression analyses. We examined reach and screen-positive rates overall and as a function of childbearing age (18-44 vs. 45+ years). In FY2014 only one VAMC was screening women for IPV; by FY2020, over half of VAMCs had adopted IPV screening. This rollout of IPV screening was associated with a large increase in the number of women primary care patients screened (from fewer than 500 in FY2014, to nearly 35,000 in early FY2020). Overall, among women screened, 6.7% screened positive for IPV; this rate was higher among women of childbearing age (8.1% vs. 5.6%). Despite the spread of IPV screening practices during the early years of implementation in VHA, additional work is needed. This study is the first comprehensive analysis of implementation outcomes associated with VHA's IPV screening efforts, and lays the groundwork for ongoing evaluation and quality improvement.

Although military sexual assault (MSA) has been well-established as a risk factor for psychopathology (e.g., PTSD, depression), little research has examined the association between MSA and self- and other-directed violence. Furthermore, there has been a growing empirical focus on potential gender differences in the effects of MSA, but few of these studies have examined gender differences in self- and other-directed violence. In a sample of 1571 Iraq/Afghanistan-era veterans (21.0% women), we examined the effect of MSA on difficulty controlling violent behavior and attempting suicide among veteran men and women, above and beyond the influence of childhood sexual abuse, combat trauma, PTSD, and major depressive disorder. Results of a logistic regression revealed that MSA increased risk of attempting suicide and difficulty controlling violence among women but not men. Thus, the results suggest that MSA may be a risk factor for both types of violence in women. Furthermore, because PTSD was associated with both types of violence in both men and women, MSA may also confer risk of violence PTSD.

Campus sexual violence (CSV) is linked with poor mental health and alcohol use, with cisgender women and some people of Color at increased risk for victimization. Though undergraduates' experiences of CSV are typically studied, graduate/professional students may additionally be impacted by CSV. Campus climate surveys recruit random samples of the entire student population, thus increasing generalizability. The purpose of the study is to pilot the ARC3 campus climate survey to examine CSV, mental health, and alcohol use by gender and minority status in diverse undergraduates and graduate/professional students. Random samples of undergraduates ( = 775) and graduate/professional students ( = 525) completed a 30-min online survey. Compared to graduate/professional students and men, undergraduates and women experience more CSV. CSV was associated with alcohol use in undergraduates and poorer mental health in undergraduates and graduate/professional students. Universities' prevention and intervention strategies should include undergraduate and graduate/professional students, targeting sexism.

Following a traumatic event, coping strategies may affect the natural course of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). In particular, cognitive coping strategies (how one thinks about stressors) may reduce PTSS by increasing individuals' perceived control over events, appraising them as less threatening, particularly for individuals who experience self-blame after trauma. Individuals who experience a traumatic event (n =344) completed assessments at baseline (T1), one month (T2), and two months (T3). We tested whether T1 cognitive coping strategies (positive reinterpretation, acceptance, religious coping) predicted reduced T3 PTSS and whether this reduction was mediated by increased perceived control at T2. We tested whether this effect was particularly strong for individuals experiencing self-blame. Positive reinterpretation predicted decreases in, religious coping predicted increases in, and acceptance had no direct effect on PTSS. Overall, acceptance showed the greatest potential for reducing PTSS through increased perceived control over one's life. In a fully moderated mediation model, positive reinterpretation significantly interacted and acceptance marginally interacted with self-blame to predict increased perceived control and, subsequently, decreased T3 PTSS. Specifically, acceptance and positive reinterpretation were most helpful for those with higher levels of self-blame. Religious coping interacted with self-blame to predict perceived control and subsequent PTSS. For trauma survivors experiencing self-blame, cognitive coping strategies that utilize compassionate self-talk, such as positive reinterpretation and acceptance, may be particularly helpful at increasing perceived control after trauma, while religious coping may have deleterious effects.

The present cross-sectional study was aimed at investigating the mediating role of self-esteem on the relation between daily hassles and depressive symptoms among traumatized women. The sample, which was drawn from a large public, inner city healthcare system, consisted of 154 low-income African American women with a mean age of 36.66 (SD = 11.43) with a recent history of both one or more suicide attempt(s) and exposure to interpersonal violence in the form of intimate partner violence (IPV). A series of scales were administered to the women including the Survey of Recent Life Events (SRLE), Beck Self-Esteem Scales (BSES), and Beck Depression Inventory - II (BDI-II). Mplus v8.8 was used to estimate the total, direct, and indirect effects simultaneously for other type of self-esteem (views of self [self-esteem: self], perceptions of others' views of them [self-esteem: other]). As predicted, daily hassles were associated positively and significantly with depressive symptoms and negatively and significantly with both forms of self-esteem. In addition, lower levels of self-esteem: self, but not self-esteem: other, was associated positively and significantly with depressive symptoms. Partial support was obtained for the mediational hypothesis; self-esteem according to one's self-evaluation (self-esteem: self), but not projected evaluations of others (self-esteem: other), mediated the daily hassles-depressive symptoms link. Thus, depressive symptoms in African American female suicide attempters exposed to IPV appear to vary based on how these women appraise their own self-worth in the context of managing daily stressors and hassles.

Condom use resistance (CUR) remains a significant problem, and many men employ coercive CUR strategies to avoid using condoms with partners who do not consent to unprotected sex. To assess the decision-making process underlying men's coercive CUR, the present study administered alcohol to assess the effects of alcohol intoxication, condom request style, and emotion regulation (ER) strategies (i.e., cognitive reappraisal, expressive suppression) on intentions to use coercive CUR to have unprotected sex during a hypothetical sexual scenario. Sexually active, male social drinkers ( = 297) were randomly assigned to either consume alcohol or remain sober, and to project themselves into a hypothetical sexual scenario during which they received either indirect, direct, or insistent condom requests. Results showed that, although cognitive reappraisal had no relationship with coercive CUR or unprotected sex intentions, expressive suppression's relationship with intentions to have unprotected sex was mediated by coercive CUR and moderated by alcohol intoxication and condom request. Specifically, suppression was positively associated with coercive CUR among sober individuals who received an indirect condom request only. Such results suggest that sober men with suppressive tendencies may use coercive CUR to regulate negative emotions, such as frustration at not being able to have unprotected sex.

Partner violence is a major public health concern. Theory and research connect exposure to abuse in childhood to partner violence in adulthood. The present study examined internalizing and externalizing trauma sequelae as mediators in the association between child abuse exposure and adult partner violence perpetration. Young U.S. adult men ( = 423) completed background measures assessing exposure to psychological, physical, and sexual child abuse, internalizing (symptoms of anxiety and depression) and externalizing (problems with anger and alcohol use) sequelae, psychological and physical partner violence perpetration, and follow-up assessments regarding sexual violence perpetration over the course of 3 months. Negative binomial regression showed that problems with anger mediated the associations between child psychological abuse exposure and adult psychological violence perpetration and between child physical abuse exposure and adult psychological violence perpetration. Problems from alcohol use mediated the associations between child psychological abuse exposure and adult psychological, physical, and sexual violence perpetration. Although child abuse exposure was associated with internalizing sequelae, none of the indirect effects from child abuse exposure to adult violence perpetration via internalizing sequelae were statistically significant. These findings add to the extant literature supporting an intergenerational transmission of violence and underscore that men who experience trauma early in life may attempt to cope with such experiences via maladaptive acting out behaviors. Partner violence interventions may benefit from incorporating strategies that address trauma and provide healthy alternatives for coping with distress.

A history of childhood trauma has been found to have a robust influence on juvenile delinquency, and evidence suggests that childhood sexual abuse is particularly common among female youth involved in the juvenile justice system. The current study sought to investigate impulsivity as a potential mediator of the relationship between childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and juvenile incarceration amongst a community sample of low-income, urban, African American adult women. Although impulsivity has been studied among justice-involved youth, few studies have examined the influence of impulsivity within the relationship between CSA and juvenile incarceration and no known studies have explored their relationship in community populations of African American women with histories of juvenile incarceration. Results revealed that impulsivity mediated the relationship between CSA and previous juvenile incarceration. As an exploratory analysis, overall emotion dysregulation as well as other facets of emotion dysregulation did not serve as significant mediators in this relationship. These findings suggest that difficulties in impulse control may be one mechanism through which childhood sexual abuse increases risk for juvenile justice system involvement among African American women.

Teen dating violence (TDV) is a public health problem in the United States (U.S.) with little investigation among Asian American adolescents. Using the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System biennial national school-based survey of U.S. high school students, we designed a four-stage cluster sample study, using data from 2015-2021 to secure a weighted nationally representative restricted sample of =891 Asian American adolescents. Bivariate analyses were conducted to assess the association of sexual or physical dating violence (representing TDV) with age, sex, school violence, substance use, depressive symptoms, and sexual behavior. We conducted logistic regression analysis to predict odds ratios (OR) of physical and sexual dating violence among Asian American adolescents. Around one in 10 Asian American adolescents in the sample experienced TDV in the past 12 months. Asian American adolescent females were at greater risk of experiencing sexual dating violence than Asian American adolescent males. School violence, substance use, bullying victimization, depressive symptoms, and sexual behavior were associated with experiencing TDV; school violence and bullying victimization were associated with increased odds of TDV among Asian American adolescents. Asian American adolescents need to be screened for dating violence and provided culturally sensitive information on relationships and sexual health.

The current study analyzes individual and social network correlates of adolescent engagement in physical intimate partner violence (IPV) utilizing socio-centric data from a high-school population of 242 adolescents from rural Colombia. We studied self-reported victimization and perpetration for boys and girls. First, we used logistic regression to explore the relationship between adolescents' IPV engagement and school peers' IPV engagement, school violence victimization, and social network position, controlling for gender and age (N=111). Second, we used social network statistical methods to investigate if there were more friendships of similar IPV status to the adolescent than expected by chance in their social networks. Our results show that the proportion of friends perpetrating physical IPV increased the probability of adolescents' IPV perpetration. Contrarywise, the proportion of friends experiencing IPV victimization decreased with the adolescent's own victimization. Being a victim (a status significantly more common among boys) was also associated with reporting perpetration for both genders. Furthermore, our results contradicted the social network literature, as we found no preferential ties among perpetrators/victims (e.g., adolescents do not seem to befriend each other by IPV engagement). Our study is unique to the global adolescent IPV literature given the scarcity of research examining physical IPV among adolescents in the context of both girls and boys in the context of their school networks. We also add to the understanding of IPV in the case of the global majority of adolescents with the highest rates of IPV victimization (living in Low and Middle-Income Countries).

Firearms are the leading cause of intimate partner violence-related murders of women in the US. This study aimed to understand differing consequences of partners' firearm possession on abused women and barriers women face in reporting threats to safety due to the partners' possession of a firearm.. Additionally, the study explored participants' perceptions of effective approaches to risk assessments and safety planning with women who are at-risk for being harmed by their partners' possession of a firearm. Qualitative semi-structured interviews with seventeen service providers and 45 immigrant women survivors of intimate partner violence were conducted. Data were analyzed using content analysis procedure. Participants shared that the partners' possession of a firearm can increase risk for firearm-related injury or fatality in situations of escalation of violence. Abused women living with a partner with firearm possession live in constant fear or threat. The presence of a firearm can also be a trigger of unwanted memories of the past and can have legal and other consequences for survivors. Impediments to reporting threats to safety were barriers such as lack of knowledge of firearm-related risks and gender and social norms. The findings can be informative for safety planning with survivors of IPV whose partners own or have access to a firearm. Comprehensive assessment of risks and barriers can be used to develop individualized and tailored safety plans for survivors with a partner who possesses a firearm.

Adult Basic Education (ABE) in the United States is an important tool for underrepresented and underserved communities to achieve the goal of high school graduation following noncompletion of K-12 education. Largely in urban settings, ABE centers serve millions of students annually, especially historically and contemporarily marginalized groups. ABE provides critical resources and skills to meet the educational needs of diverse peoples seeking to advance their station in life. ABE centers may serve students with potentially traumatic events (PTE), diagnosable trauma, and related poorer outcomes. Alarmingly, a paucity of research exists that examines the presence of PTEs for ABE students, particularly people and women of color. In the present research, the Patient Health Questionnaire 9-item and Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item measures were used to weigh depression and anxiety scores across the Life Events Checklist for the DSM-5 (LEC-5) trauma types in a sample (N=170) of predominantly women of color. We examined three respondent groups based on proximity and frequency of PTEs: (1) denied; (2) witnessed/learned about; and (3) experienced. Results indicate that those experiencing higher levels of PTEs (namely, sexual assault, unwanted/uncomfortable sexual experience, and sudden accidental death) also experienced higher ratings of depression and anxiety. More research is indicated, as women of color within ABE settings could benefit from tailored resources for prevention, intervention, and treatment.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) confer considerable risk for negative outcomes across the lifespan, but there is limited research examining whether the measurement of ACEs can be interpreted the same way across diverse groups of individuals. In particular, the measurement of ACEs among early child education teachers has received little attention. Given that millions of children receive care from early child education teachers, and evidence that ACEs can severely disrupt teacher's abilities to support young children, it is critical to accurately assess for and respond to teacher ACEs. The present study examined the factor structure and measurement invariance of the 11-item Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS) version of the ACEs measure across a diverse group of teachers. Data were collected from 605 teachers in a southeastern state between 2018 and 2021. Teachers ranged in age from 18 to 81 years (35% young; 56% middle; and 9% older adults) and were diverse across race (46% White; 53% Black). Teachers completed the BRFSS version of the ACEs measure and a demographics questionnaire. Factor analyses replicated the theorized three-factor solution, with household dysfunction, emotional/psychological abuse, and sexual abuse emerging as distinct factors. Multigroup confirmatory factor analyses demonstrated measurement invariance across teacher age and race. Comparisons of scores indicated ACEs levels varied across teacher age and race. Overall, findings suggest the BRFSS version of the ACEs measure can be used to assess adverse childhood experiences across diverse groups of early child education teachers.

The study explored the interplay between PTG and PTSS in older South African adults exposed to trauma. A quantitative cross-sectional design was employed. 195 participants from a low-resourced setting in South Africa were interviewed using the UCLA Life Adversities Screener, the PTSD Checklist (DSM-5), and the PTG-Inventory. Hayes Model SPSS Macro PROCESS for moderation was used. Overall, the relationship between cumulative trauma exposure and PTSS was moderated by the PTG level ( = -0.09, SE = 0.04, = .0113). The findings suggest that cumulative trauma exposure is a significant predictor of PTSS, and the relationship is moderated by the threshold level of PTG. Higher levels of PTG mitigated the effect of cumulative trauma exposure on PTSS.

Alcohol consumption has been associated with increased risk for sexual violence victimization and perpetration. Pregaming, a popular activity among college students that involves heavy and quick drinking prior to going out for the night and often results in high blood alcohol levels (BALs), may convey increased risk for sexual violence-potentially due to greater likelihood of contact with intoxicated perpetrators and significantly impaired victim ability to consent or resist. Yet no published work has evaluated whether there is increased risk for victimization on drinking days that involve pregaming. Using a sample of 390 college student drinkers who completed a past 30-day Timeline Followback, we examined heavy drinking behavior, estimated BALs, and experience of sexual violence victimization during 1,899 drinking days, of which 30% involved pregaming. After controlling for demographics, we found that participants drank approximately two more drinks and reached significantly higher BALs on drinking days where they pregamed as compared to drinking days where they did not pregame. Nearly 6% of drinking days that included pregaming involved sexual violence victimization, compared to about 2% of drinking days where pregaming did not occur. Participants were at 2.71 times the odds of experiencing sexual violence, primarily unwelcomed comments and nonconsensual sexual touching, during drinking days with pregaming. This study represents a first step toward greater understanding of the sexual violence and pregaming link, but future research assessing perpetrator behavior and context-specific factors (e.g., amount consumed by victims and perpetrators, location of sexual violent events and peers present) are needed.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, persons with co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders tended to be particularly poorly equipped to cope with social distancing and stay-at-home orders and were less likely to have the resources to manage interpersonal difficulties. Therefore, in the present investigation, the link between social contact frequency and intimate partner violence (IPV) among patients with comorbid substance use and mental health disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic was examined. A total of 89 patients (61 women and 28 men) receiving outpatient care for comorbid substance use and mental health disorders completed questionnaires assessing their contact frequency with friends and family prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as physical and psychological aggression perpetration and victimization during the enactment of COVID-19 public health orders. Results indicated that a decrease in contact with friends and family during versus prior to the pandemic was negatively associated with both physical aggression perpetration and victimization, and not related to psychological aggression perpetration or victimization. Overall, the present results suggest that patients with co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders are particularly vulnerable to experiencing bi-directional physical IPV during public health emergencies or national disasters. These findings underscore the importance of providers routinely assessing for violence in their patients' relationships, even in individual therapy, and provide resources and support to patients to help improve their social skills, reconnect with loved ones, or expand their social support networks to mitigate these risks.

This study examined the influence of trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress (PTS) severity on accuracy of recall of autobiographical memory of traumatic events and pleasant events in very young children. Two hundred sixteen 3-6 year-old children with trauma exposure were interviewed with standardized interviews. Forty-one non-trauma-exposed controls were interviewed about stressful events for comparison. Accuracy of recall for both traumatic and pleasant events was not associated with severity of PTS. Trauma-exposed children showed significantly less accurate recall of trauma events compared to pleasant events. This difference was limited to children who experienced repeated trauma or Hurricane Katrina-related trauma experiences as opposed to single-blow types of trauma experiences. There was no difference in accuracy of recall of trauma events in the trauma-exposed group versus stressful events in the control group. There was also no difference in accuracy of recall of pleasant events between the trauma-exposed and the control groups. These findings do not support traditional theories that autobiographical recall is impaired in those with posttraumatic stress disorder or with trauma exposure. These findings demonstrate that very young children have access to and can verbalize accurate autobiographical recall of trauma events, which is important for clinical assessment and treatment.

Trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms among firefighters are prevalent and well-documented. Insecure adult attachment style (AAS) and distress tolerance (DT) present two factors with demonstrated relevance to the etiology and maintenance of PTSD. Few studies have examined these constructs in relation to PTSD symptomatology among firefighter populations. The present investigation examined the indirect effect of insecure romantic AAS (i.e., anxious AAS, avoidant AAS) on PTSD symptom severity through DT among firefighters. Exploratory analyses examined this model with each of the PTSD symptom clusters as outcomes. The sample was comprised of 105 firefighters (age=40.43, =9.15, 95.2% male) recruited from various departments in the southern U.S. An indirect effect was calculated using 10,000 bootstrapped samples. Indirect effects models in the primary analyses were significant when both anxious AAS (.20, =.10, =.06-.43) and avoidant AAS (=.28, =.12, =.08-.54) were evaluated as predictors. Effects were evident after accounting for gender, relationship status, years of fire service, and trauma load (i.e., number of potentially traumatic event types experienced). Exploratory analyses revealed that anxious and avoidant AAS are both indirectly related to the PTSD intrusion, negative alterations in cognitions and mood, and alterations in arousal and reactivity symptom clusters through DT. Anxious AAS also demonstrated an indirect association with PTSD avoidance symptoms through DT. Attachment styles may influence PTSD symptoms among firefighters through a firefighter's perceived ability to withstand emotional distress. This line of inquiry has potential to inform specialized intervention programs for firefighters. Clinical and empirical implications are discussed.

Firefighters are exposed to potentially traumatic events throughout their careers, placing them at heightened risk for the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Individuals experiencing PTSD symptoms often experience interpersonal problems and relationship stress, and this may be due to emotion regulation difficulties. The current study examined the association between PTSD symptoms, couple relationship satisfaction, and emotion regulation difficulties among firefighters. Participants were comprised of 188 firefighters ( = 41.32, = 9.25, 97.3% male) who completed an online questionnaire. Results indicated that PTSD symptom severity was negatively associated with relationship satisfaction and positively associated with emotion regulation difficulties. Additionally, there was a significant negative indirect effect of PTSD symptom severity on relationship satisfaction through heightened emotion regulation difficulties. Negative alterations in cognition and mood were especially relevant to emotion regulation difficulties and relationship satisfaction. Findings highlight the importance of understanding associations between PTSD and interpersonal functioning among firefighters. Emotion regulation difficulties may offer a clinically relevant transdiagnostic factor for targeting PTSD symptoms and relationship functioning among firefighters.

History of childhood maltreatment is common among military veterans, particularly those with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD). Childhood maltreatment is associated with negative psychosocial outcomes, including use of aggression during adulthood. Prior research has identified maladaptive cognitions as a key mediating variable in the association between early life trauma and aggression. Given the high rates of comorbid PTSD and AUD among veterans and the increased risk of aggression when these conditions co-occur, it is critical to examine malleable intervention targets, such as maladaptive cognitions, for this population. The current secondary analyses examined the mediating role of hostile cognitions on the associations between childhood maltreatment and adulthood aggression in a sample of dually diagnosed veterans. Participants were veterans with co-occurring PTSD and AUD ( = 73) who were enrolled in a larger randomized controlled laboratory trial. Participants completed self-report measures of childhood maltreatment, hostile cognitions, and aggressive behavior. Three models were tested to examine the mediating effect of hostility on the associations between childhood maltreatment, abuse, and neglect on aggression. Results indicated that hostility fully mediated the effect of maltreatment on aggression and partially mediated the effect of childhood abuse on aggression. The effect of childhood neglect on aggression was nonsignificant. Hostile cognitions may be a critical intervention target for veterans with co-occurring PTSD and AUD and history of childhood maltreatment, particularly for those who have experienced higher levels of childhood abuse.

Immigrant and refugee women may experience considerable multifaceted and interrelated barriers that place them at heightened risk for intimate partner violence (IPV). The objective of this analysis was to increase our understanding of immigrant and refugee women's responses to abuse. We conducted in-depth interviews with 84 women who immigrated from Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Engendering Resilience to Survive emerged as the core category explaining women's strength to stay safe and survive IPV experiences. In the face of the violence they experienced, women in this sample demonstrated remarkable resilience and the ability to harness their strength to survive. Resilience as a process and outcome could facilitate empowerment, and self-directedness to access health services and resources to stay safe. The developed Engendering Resilience to Survive Model can be utilized as a framework to inform research, policy, and practice to support abused women.

Aggression and victimization increase negative outcomes for legal system involved girls. While aggression is often enacted against multiple targets (e.g., peers, dating partners), most interventions only target one violence type (e.g., teen dating violence [TDV]). However, TDV shares risk factors with other violence forms; therefore, TDV-specific interventions may reduce other types of violence (e.g., general aggression). The current study explored the effects of a TDV intervention, Date SMART, on general physical and verbal aggression (i.e., aggression not tied to dating) in legal system involved girls ( = 239, age = 15.57) and how victimization history (including sexual abuse) moderated treatment effects compared to a Knowledge Only (KO) group. Hierarchical restricted maximum likelihood linear mixed effect models evaluated differences in aggression from baseline to post-intervention and 3-, 6-, and 9-month follow-ups. Findings indicated that from baseline to post-intervention, verbal and physical aggression initially increased in Date SMART relative to KO, but then decreased at a greater rate in the Date SMART group than the KO group throughout follow-ups. Exploratory analyses indicated that victimization history moderated response to Date SMART and KO. Findings suggest that rates of multiple forms of violence can be reduced by Date SMART but may benefit from tailoring for peer relationships and victimization histories.

Globally, there is a high prevalence of adversity exposure, and there is evidence indicating a linear association between adversity exposure, particularly childhood adversity, and adults' psychological distress. To better understand this association, researchers have examined the role of emotion regulation abilities, which are thought to impact and underlie one's psychological well-being. The present study examined the association between childhood versus adulthood adversity exposure and self-reported difficulties with emotion regulation and physiological indicators of emotion regulation (e.g., resting respiratory sinus arrythmia [RSA], RSA reactivity, and RSA recovery). Further, the study assessed appraisal styles (i.e., patterns of subjective interpretations) across adverse life events as a possible moderator to help explain why some, but not all, exposed to adversity may display emotion regulation difficulties. Participants were 161 adults participating in a larger federally funded project. Results found no direct association between childhood or adulthood adversity exposure and self-reported or physiological indicators of difficulties with emotion regulation. However, adulthood adversity exposure was associated with stronger trauma appraisal styles, and stronger trauma appraisal styles were associated with greater self-reported difficulties with emotion regulation and greater RSA reactivity. Results also showed interactions between greater childhood adversity and stronger trauma appraisal styles for lower resting RSA and greater RSA recovery. The present study demonstrates that emotion regulation is complex, dynamic, and has multiple dimensions and that childhood adversity may impact internal regulatory processes, but only in conjunction with trauma appraisal styles, which are associated with adulthood adversity.

Individuals in the perinatal period (pregnancy and first 12-24 months postpartum) are particularly vulnerable to experience new traumatic events or exacerbation of pre-existing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. PTSD during the perinatal period is associated with the poorest mental and physical health outcomes for both the birthing person and their child. Treatment options for PTSD during the perinatal period remain underexplored, yet Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) may be particularly well-suited to reduce perinatal PTSD. The current study evaluates the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of a brief NET protocol for pregnant and postpartum participants. Participants ( = 16, mean age = 28.9, 75% White, 75% multiparous, 62.5% postpartum) completed a six-session virtual protocol. Participants completed self-report measures assessing acceptance and credibility of program, as well as depressive and PTSD symptoms at baseline, 1 week-, 1 month-, and 3 months-post-intervention. Participants endorsed that the program was acceptable and feasible; most eligible participants consented to participate (74%) and completed treatment (81%). There were statistically significantly lower levels of PTSD symptoms ( = 37.70; = 23.50, = <.001, = 1.74) and depressive symptoms ( = 14.17; = 9.42, = .002, = 1.14;) at 1-week post-intervention with gains maintained. Mean dissociation symptoms and dysfunctional posttraumatic cognitions also decreased. This study provides preliminary data that brief NET is a feasible, acceptable, and effective PTSD treatment for pregnant postpartum individuals. Future research should utilize large clinical trials with more diverse samples to determine efficacy and generalizability across perinatal populations.