Worry differentially mediates posttraumatic cognition and posttraumatic stress symptom relationships among veterans seeking treatment associated with military sexual trauma.

Research has established negative posttraumatic cognitions (NPC) affect the development and course of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) following trauma exposure (L. A. Brown et al., 2019). Previous studies in civilian and combat veteran populations also suggest positive associations among worry, NPC (Beck et al., 2004; Bennett et al., 2009), and PTSS (Fergus & Bardeen, 2017). However, little research has investigated the prevalence of worry in veterans who have experienced military sexual trauma (MST), and no research has examined the role of worry in the relation between NPC and PTSS among veterans seeking treatment associated with MST. This project examined the prevalence of worry in a MST sample and whether worry mediated NPC-PTSS associations. Veterans (N = 91) seeking MST-related treatment presented to a Veterans Affairs Posttraumatic Stress Disorder specialty clinic for assessment and treatment recommendations. Veterans completed questionnaires assessing NPC, worry, and PTSS. Bootstrapped mediation analyses examined NPC-PTSS associations. Veterans reported similar levels of worry as nonveterans seeking treatment associated with generalized anxiety disorder. Mediation analyses showed worry significantly mediated NPC-PTSS relationships for beliefs about the world, self-blame, and coping competence but not for beliefs about the self or global NPC severity. Further, the degree of mediation differed by NPC type. Though a limitation of this study is the use of cross-sectional data, these results inform the use of clinical intervention strategies targeting worry in trauma-focused interventions and necessitate further research on whether trauma-focused interventions ameliorate co-occurring worry among veterans exposed to MST. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Trauma-focused therapy retention among military sexual trauma survivors: relationship with veterans' sexual or gender minority identification.

Military servicemembers identifying as sexual and gender minorities (SGM) are at increased risk for military sexual trauma (MST) exposure and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Although evidence-based treatments can reduce symptoms of PTSD, treatment attrition is concerning. Unfortunately, evaluations of such approaches with veterans identifying as SGM are currently restricted to case studies offering limited information regarding treatment completion. Both historic and current contextual factors related to military and mental health practices may uniquely influence minority veterans' treatment engagement in veteran healthcare settings. We explored associations between SGM identification and treatment of MST-focused therapy completion patterns (finishing the full protocol [FP] or receiving minimally adequate care [MAC; defined as attending eight or more sessions]). Veterans (N = 271, 12.5% SGM) enrolled in individual Prolonged Exposure or Cognitive Processing Therapies at a Midwestern veterans hospital system. Those identifying as SGM were more likely than non-identifying peers to complete FP treatment and, even when attrition occurred, they were retained longer. For MAC, the SGM group was as likely as non-SGM peers to be retained. This research suggests SGM veterans represent a notable minority of those seeking treatment in association with MST and do not appear at greater risk for discontinuation from trauma-focused treatment.

Patterns and predictors of perinatal posttraumatic stress symptoms: A latent transition analysis.

BACKGROUND: Pregnancy is a time of increased risk for intimate partner violence (IPV), yet there is a dearth of prospective research examining the relationship between IPV and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) in the perinatal period. Further, relationships among different types of IPV and perinatal PTSS remain understudied. METHODS: Latent class and transition analyses were used to examine classes of PTSS in pregnancy and postpartum, the longitudinal patterns of transitions across these classes, and the role of IPV types, childhood adversity, and depressive symptoms in PTSS presentation. Participants (N = 238) were drawn from two longitudinal studies of high-risk perinatal women. RESULTS: Four latent PTSS classes emerged: High, Avoidant, Hypervigilant, and Low. Childhood adversity (χ2(3) = 13.09, p = .004), prenatal depression (χ2(3) = 17.58, p = .001), and psychological IPV (χ2(3) = 10.51, p = .01) were associated with membership in High, Avoidant, and Hypervigilant classes. Women with low prenatal PTSS continued to have low levels at postpartum. Women in higher severity classes during pregnancy tended to transition into classes with adjacent, and often lower, levels of symptom severity postpartum. Women in the High PTSS class in pregnancy with elevated levels of depression were significantly more likely to remain in the High PTSS class or transition into the Avoidant class at postpartum, compared to the Low PTSS class, χ2(3) = 11.84, p = .008. LIMITATIONS: Relatively modest sample size precluded examination of a broader range of symptoms consistent with PTSD. CONCLUSIONS: Findings highlight the importance of individualized approaches to assessing, monitoring, and treating perinatal PTSS.

Examining the efficacy of prenatal intervention in reducing IPV revictimization and improving maternal mental health: A quasirandomized controlled trial of the Pregnant Moms' Empowerment Program (PMEP).

OBJECTIVE: The present study was a quasirandomized trial of the Pregnant Moms' Empowerment Program (PMEP) that examined the effects of the program on women's intimate partner violence (IPV) revictimization, depression, posttraumatic stress, and resilience. It was hypothesized that treatment would be associated with improvements across all of the indicated dimensions and that those women completing the module on violence and mental health would have particularly strong improvements. METHOD: Women who were currently pregnant, IPV-exposed, and at least 16 years of age were recruited and assigned to either a treatment or control condition. Participants (N = 137) completed four assessments (pretest [T1], posttest [T2], 3-months postpartum [T3], and 12-months postpartum [T4]). The key outcomes assessed included IPV (Revised Conflict Tactics Scales), depressed mood (Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale), posttraumatic stress (PTSD Checklist for DSM-5), and resilience (Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale). RESULTS: Results of multilevel models examining IPV revictimization indicated that treatment was associated with significantly fewer experiences of physical assault and sexual coercion at all follow-up interviews (T2, T3, and T4) and fewer IPV-related injuries at T3 and T4. In addition, treatment exposure was associated with statistically and clinically significant improvement in depression at T2 and T4. The intervention had limited efficacy in increasing women's self-reported resilience or in reducing symptoms of posttraumatic stress. CONCLUSIONS: Together, these data suggest that PMEP is a promising evidence-based intervention for pregnant, IPV-exposed women, and that the effects-particularly for IPV and depression-are likely to be sustained over time. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Pregnancy complications and intimate partner violence: The moderating role of prenatal posttraumatic stress symptoms.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) and posttraumatic stress disorder increase the risk of poor pregnancy outcomes, but associations among IPV exposure, mental health, and pregnancy complications remain underexplored. This study assessed the interaction between three types of IPV exposure (i.e., physical, sexual, psychological) and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) on prenatal complications (e.g., preeclampsia, gestational diabetes) among pregnant women exposed to IPV. Participants included 137 IPV-exposed pregnant women (Mage = 27.29, SD = 6.00; 66.9% African American/Black). Three regression models were run to test the main effect of each type of IPV and PTSS on pregnancy complications, and the moderating effect of PTSS on the association between IPV and pregnancy complications, controlling for socioeconomic status, gestational age, and childhood trauma. Main effects were observed for sexual coercion, ß = .32, p = .010, R2 part = .050, and PTSS, ß = 0.19, p = .039, R2 part = .026, with more frequent sexual IPV and higher levels of PTSS associated with more pregnancy complications. Moderating effects were also evident, with the IPV x PTSS interaction significant for all three IPV domains: psychological aggression, f2 = .046; sexual coercion, f2 = .079; and physical assault, f2 = .048. PTSS strengthened the positive association between psychological and sexual IPV and pregnancy complications. Physical IPV and pregnancy complications were inversely related for participants with low-level PTSS. Results provide novel information on how IPV types and PTSS function together during pregnancy. Findings highlight the need for evidence-based prenatal interventions that successfully address both IPV exposure and PTSS severity.

Contrasting ecological contexts among treatment-seeking military sexual assault survivors: Consideration of relationships with sexual and gender minority identification.

Survivors of military sexual trauma (MST) seeking mental health services may present with concerns extending beyond symptom relief. Attention to social, economic, and coping resource contexts is salient for care consideration. Although those identifying as sexual and gender minorities (SGM) are overrepresented among service members exposed to assaultive MST, research contrasting ecological resource variability among treatment seekers is limited. The present study delineates modifiable risk and protective factors that might be used to inform MST-related health care for Veterans, broadly, and SGM-identifying Veterans, specifically. Veterans (N = 493, 12.8% identifying as SGM) presenting for treatment secondary to military sexual assault completed a semistructured clinical interview and intake survey including demographic characteristics, diversity-related factors, and access to psychosocial resources. SGM/non-SGM-identifying groups were contrasted on individual-, interpersonal-, and community-level ecological characteristics. SGM-identifying Veterans were less likely to report access to sufficient financial resources and had double the prevalence rate of housing instability in contrast to non-SGM-identifying Veterans. No significant differences emerged in terms of past-year interpersonal violence exposure, endorsement of helpful spiritual beliefs, or availability of social support based on SGM identification. Findings underscore the importance of attending to the intersection of SGM identity and ecological factors that can influence Veterans' clinical presentation and treatment engagement. Recommendations for provision of MST services are made. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Intimate Partner Violence and Perinatal Post-Traumatic Stress and Depression Symptoms: A Systematic Review of Findings in Longitudinal Studies.

The link between maternal violence exposure and adverse obstetric outcomes is well-documented, but less is understood about the relationship between intimate partner violence (IPV) exposure and perinatal post-traumatic stress symptoms(PTSS) and depression in women around the world. A systematic review was conducted to synthesize empirical literature on the associations between IPV (e.g., before pregnancy, during pregnancy, postpartum) and post-traumatic stress and depression symptoms in the perinatal period. This review acknowledged the effects of IPV exposure timing, timing of assessment, and IPV subtypes. Forty-seven longitudinal studies met inclusion criteria and were reviewed to determine the effects of IPV exposure on perinatal mental health. Findings suggested a strong relationship between IPV exposure and perinatal mental health. Results were more consistent between perinatal mental health and IPV sustained close to or during the perinatal period than for lifetime IPV exposure. In general, physical, sexual, and psychological IPV were independently associated with perinatal depression and PTSS. Findings underscore the importance of theoretically driven research and the development of treatment protocols for women worldwide.

I'll catch you when you fall: Social safety nets and housing instability in IPV-exposed pregnant women.

BACKGROUND: Intimate partner violence (IPV) has significant consequences for women's mental health, and it also compromises women's economic security and livelihood, including housing stability. There is a dearth of research, however, on protective factors in the link between housing instability and psychopathology in IPV-exposed women. METHODS: The current study examines the protective role of social support in the association between housing instability and mental health (depression, posttraumatic stress) in a sample of pregnant, IPV-exposed women (N = 137). RESULTS: Overall models for both depression and posttraumatic stress were significant (F = 6.42, p<.001; R2=16.3%; F = 15.09, p<.001; R2=31.0%, respectively). Housing instability was significantly associated with higher levels of depressed mood (ß=0.20, p<.016), but not posttraumatic stress symptoms. Social support was significantly associated with lower levels of depressed mood (ß=-0.17, p<.036) and posttraumatic stress (ß=-0.38, p =0.001). The addition of the interaction term (housing instability*social support) resulted in a significant improvement in variance explained from the main effects model for depression (F = 4.90, p<.028, ∆R2=3.0%) and the interaction term was significant (ß=-0.60, p=.029). An interaction effect of housing instability and social support on posttraumatic stress was not identified. LIMITATIONS: Although the current study is the first to examine protective factors in the relationship between housing instability and psychopathology in IPV-exposed pregnant women, data were cross-sectional and therefore directionality and temporality cannot be inferred. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that housing instability may play a greater role in women's depressed mood than in their experience of posttraumatic stress symptoms, and the presence of social support may substantially ameliorate the effect of this adversity.

Feelings and feedings: Psychopathology and breastfeeding attitudes in women with a history of intimate partner violence.

Objective: Breastfeeding has myriad benefits for mother-child dyads, but women exposed to intimate partner violence (IPV) are less likely to sustain breastfeeding. Prior studies, however, have not analyzed mothers' breastfeeding attitudes in relation to breastfeeding behavior, IPV, and psychopathology. Further, little research has examined distinctive effects of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and depression on breastfeeding behaviors and attitudes in IPV-exposed women. This study examines breastfeeding attitudes, psychopathology, and IPV as predictors of breastfeeding continuation, the prospective role of IPV for psychopathology and breastfeeding attitudes, and reciprocal relations among psychopathology and breastfeeding attitudes. Method: The current study includes a longitudinal sample of women (N = 83) recruited from a low-income clinic. Eligibility criteria included: pregnant and over age 18 at baseline. Data were collected during pregnancy and at 6 weeks and 4 months postpartum. Participants reported on psychopathology, IPV exposure, and breastfeeding behaviors and attitudes through prenatal interviews and postpartum surveys. Hypotheses were tested using cross-lagged models. Results: IPV, psychopathology, and breastfeeding attitudes were not related to breastfeeding continuation at 4 months postpartum. PTSS (ß = .76, p < .001) and breastfeeding attitudes (ß = -.19, p < .05) at 6 weeks postpartum predicted PTSS at 4 months, but not subsequent breastfeeding attitudes. Depression at 6 weeks postpartum predicted depression (ß = .63, p < .001) and breastfeeding attitudes (ß = -.48, p < .001) at 4 months postpartum. IPV was not significant in any model. Conclusions: Although depression severity was not associated with breastfeeding cessation, it was associated with less positive attitudes about breastfeeding, suggesting lactation supports may benefit from content addressing mothers' mental health needs and emotional experiences nursing newborns. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Pathways of Internalizing and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms Across Childhood and Adolescence.

Research in adult populations has suggested a number of possible explanations for the high co-morbidity between posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and internalizing symptoms, including shared risk factors and reciprocal causation. Little research has examined these hypotheses in children or has considered the separation of between- and within-person effects. The objective of this study was to examine pathways between PTSS and internalizing symptoms using two samples drawn from the Longitudinal Studies on Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN, n = 1221) and the first National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW-I, n = 309). Each sample included three waves of data (LONGSCAN: ages 8, 12, and 16; NSCAW: ages 8, 11, 15). It was hypothesized: (1) PTSS would predict future internalizing symptoms; (2) the strength of the relationship between internalizing symptoms and PTSS would increase over time; and (3) childhood trauma would be associated with higher levels of internalizing symptoms and PTSS. The hypotheses were examined using traditional cross-lagged panel models (CLPMs) as well as a CLPM with random intercepts (RI-CLPM), which has the advantage of separating within-person effects from between-person stability in symptoms. Results from both CLPMs and RI-CLPM support rising symptom comorbidity from late childhood to mid-adolescence. Results between the models, however, suggest that the reciprocal influence between symptom complexes over time may not hold after separating between- and within-persons effects, lending stronger support to the shared risk factors hypothesis and highlighting the need for future research to explore other possible explanatory mechanisms for the rising comorbidity of these symptom complexes over development.

Prenatal sleep quality and mental health symptoms across the perinatal period: A longitudinal study of high-risk women.

BACKGROUND: Trauma-exposed women may be at magnified risk for posttraumatic stress (PTSS) and depression symptoms in the perinatal period, but few studies have examined symptomatology across the perinatal period in high-risk samples. Further, the role of sleep in perinatal symptomatology has been largely neglected in the violence literature, despite its well-established associations to mental health in other samples. This study aimed to examine the trajectory of PTSS and depression symptoms across the perinatal period and the effects of childhood adversity, intimate partner violence and prenatal sleep impairment on PTSS and depression symptoms across the perinatal period. METHOD: In a longitudinal, prospective study, 101 low-income pregnant women were interviewed during pregnancy, at 6-weeks postpartum, and 4 months postpartum. N = 83 women completed at least 2 interviews and were included in the analyses. Prenatal sleep, childhood adversity, and IPV exposure were assessed at the prenatal interview; PTSS and depression were assessed at all interviews. RESULTS: Past year IPV was associated with elevated prenatal mental health symptoms and prenatal sleep difficulties were associated with a worsening trajectory in perinatal PTSS. CONCLUSIONS: Screening for IPV and prenatal sleep difficulties may be paramount in identifying those at risk for the development or exacerbation of mental health symptoms in the perinatal period.

Intimate Partner Violence and Breastfeeding Outcomes in a Sample of Low-Income Women.

BACKGROUND: Intimate partner violence has been related to breastfeeding difficulties. Few studies, however, have also accounted for other biopsychosocial risk factors associated with women's breastfeeding. Research aim: This study aimed to examine how prenatal intimate partner violence affects women's breastfeeding initiation, early cessation, and exclusivity at 6 weeks postpartum, controlling for perinatal health problems, prenatal depression, childhood adverse experiences, and prenatal breastfeeding education. METHODS: A longitudinal, prospective one-group study was conducted. Data were collected via interview and survey from a sample of low-income pregnant women ( N = 101) during pregnancy and at 6 weeks postpartum. The Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System was used to assess breastfeeding behaviors, prenatal breastfeeding education, and perinatal health problems. Intimate partner violence was assessed using the Conflict Tactics Scales-Revised; adverse childhood experiences and depression were assessed using the Adverse Childhood Experiences and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, respectively. RESULTS: Women's breastfeeding initiation was predicted by prenatal breastfeeding education (adjusted odds ratio [ OR] = 3.21, p < .05). Early breastfeeding cessation was predicted by prenatal exposure to intimate partner violence (adjusted OR = 0.22, p < .05), preterm labor (adjusted OR = 0.33, p < .05), and prenatal breastfeeding education (adjusted OR = 1.80, p < .05). CONCLUSION: These findings highlight the importance of addressing biopsychosocial risk factors, particularly adversity and perinatal health, in efforts to promote women's breastfeeding success. Future research should evaluate mechanisms that may explain the link between intimate partner violence and breastfeeding cessation.

Emotion-related impulsivity and rumination predict the perimenstrual severity and trajectory of symptoms in women with a menstrually related mood disorder.

OBJECTIVE: Women with menstrually related mood disorders (MRMDs) demonstrate clinically significant distress during the premenstrual week that remits with the onset of menses. Relatively little is known about psychosocial mechanisms of MRMDs. Given the core affective and behavioral symptoms of MRMDs, dysfunctional responses to emotion (e.g., difficulties with awareness and regulation of emotion; rumination and impulsive or maladaptive behavior in response to emotion) may be important factors to explore as cognitive and behavioral mechanisms in MRMDs. The purpose of the present study was to examine the associations of various dysfunctional responses to emotion (as measured using the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale [DERS] and brooding on the Ruminative Responses Scale [RRS]) with premenstrual symptom severity and trajectory. METHOD: A total of 54 women (mean age = 38.11; 65% Caucasian) with prospectively confirmed MRMDs completed the DERS and RRS, and provided 2-4 menstrual cycles of daily symptom reports. RESULTS: Only the emotion-related impulsivity subscale of the DERS was robustly associated with premenstrual symptom severity. Brooding rumination predicted a more rapid premenstrual increase and slower postmenstrual remission of some symptoms. CONCLUSION: Both rumination and emotion-related impulsivity may be important treatment targets in cognitive behavioral interventions aimed at reducing symptom severity and cyclicity in MRMDs.