Examination of the Multilevel Sexual Stigma Model of Intimate Partner Violence Risk Among LGBQ+ College Students: A Prospective Analysis Across Eighteen Institutions of Higher Education.

Sexual stigma operates at multiple levels (institutional, group, individual), which serves to disadvantage sexual minority (LGBQ+) individuals and increases risk for deleterious outcomes. The current study evaluated a novel multilevel sexual stigma model of intimate partner violence (MLSSM-IPV) that incorporates multiple levels of sexual stigma as related to IPV risk via several pathways (e.g. hazardous drinking, affective symptoms). We evaluated this model in a longitudinal study of LGBQ+ undergraduate college students (n = 2,415) attending 18 universities who completed surveys in the Fall and Spring semesters. Group-level sexual stigma on each campus was assessed via surveys with heterosexual students (n = 8,517) and faculty, staff, and administrators (n = 2,865), and institutional-level stigma was evaluated via a campus climate assessment. At the campus level, institutional stigma was related to LGBQ+ students' self-stigma and identity concealment. Moreover, self-stigma prospectively predicted IPV victimization, and hazardous drinking mediated the relations between self-stigma and IPV perpetration and victimization. Results suggest that interventions addressing stigma and hazardous drinking may be efficacious in reducing IPV among LGBQ+ students. Further, comprehensive efforts to improve campus climate for LGBQ+ students are likely to produce a plethora of benefits for these students.

Self-compassion reduces posttraumatic stress symptom severity in hurricane survivors via perceived social support.

OBJECTIVE: Following disasters such as hurricanes, self-compassion (e.g., being understanding and showing care toward oneself) can be a valuable personal resource that facilitates social support and reduces posttraumatic symptoms. As a result of their increased connection to other people and interpersonal competence, self-compassionate people may perceive more social support following a traumatic event, which in turn reduces posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). The present study is the first to utilize a longitudinal design and latent variable modeling to test this mediation hypothesis. METHOD: A three-wave longitudinal design was utilized to assess hurricane exposure, self-compassion, perceived social support, and PTSS in hurricane survivors at baseline (T1), 3-month (T2), and 6-month (T3) follow-up. Participants at T1 included 261 hurricane survivors (88.5% women) who were racially diverse and particularly vulnerable to loss of resources (53.2% with an income of less than $30,000). Participants were recruited using online, print, and face-to-face methods, and all survey responses were completed online. RESULTS: Participants reported high hurricane stressor exposure (M = 9.14 serious stressors out of a possible 24). Controlling for hurricane exposure, self-compassion at T1 predicted PTSS at T3, and this was mediated by perceived social support at T2. CONCLUSIONS: Following hurricane exposure, self-compassionate people experience less PTSS over time because they perceive their social support resources to be more robust. Implementation of self-compassion education and training following a disaster could improve perceived social support networks that provide an additional protective factor against PTSS. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The Role of Minority Stress in Psychological Distress and Hazardous Drinking Among Sexual Minority College Student Victims of Intimate Partner Violence.

Sexual minority, individuals who are not heterosexual, college students experience high rates of intimate partner violence (IPV), which is linked to a myriad of deleterious outcomes. However, little work has evaluated whether there are differences in IPV outcomes among sexual minority college students as compared to heterosexual college students. Further, the extent to which minority stress at the institutional and individual level relates to IPV outcomes among sexual minority students is understudied. As such, the purpose of the current study was to evaluate IPV outcomes in a large sample of undergraduate students attending 18 medium- to large-sized universities across the contiguous U.S. Results supported that sexual minority victims of IPV had more anxious and depressive symptoms than heterosexual victims of IPV but were not more likely to engage in hazardous drinking. Further, analyses supported that several campus-level (but not individual-level) indicators of minority stress moderated the relation between IPV victimization and negative outcomes among sexual minority students, such that the association between IPV and negative outcomes was stronger among students embedded in campuses with higher levels of minority stressors. Results support the critical importance of interventions addressing campus-level minority stressors to reduce deleterious IPV outcomes among sexual minority college student victims.

Random intercept cross-lagged relations among trauma coping self-Efficacy, trauma coping, and PTSD symptoms among rural hurricane survivors.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The trajectories of recovery and non-recovery following a disaster are well-documented, but the mechanisms of post-disaster adaptation remain poorly understood. Rooted in social cognitive theory and the transactional model of stress and coping, this study longitudinally investigated the reciprocal relations among coping self-efficacy (CSE), coping behaviors (approach and avoidant), and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) among highly exposed hurricane survivors. DESIGN: 261 Hurricane Florence survivors completed measures of hurricane-related CSE, coping behaviors, and hurricane-related PTSS across three timepoints, beginning 5-8.5 months after Hurricane Florence. METHOD: Random-intercept cross-lagged panel models investigated the relations among study variables. RESULTS: Reciprocal, cross-lagged relations were identified between higher CSE and approach coping from T2 to T3. The lagged relations between approach coping at T1 and T2 were significant, as well as between avoidant coping at T2 and T3. Significant cross-sectional relations were also present for CSE, coping behaviors, and PTSS at T3. CONCLUSIONS: Results provide partial support for the positive feedback loop involving CSE and approach coping, but not for the negative feedback loop involving avoidant coping. CSE may be an important mechanism in longer-term disaster recovery, in part by increasing use of approach coping.

Past 6-Month Prevalence of IPV Victimization among Transgender and Gender-Diverse Undergraduate Students: A Brief Report.

Research has largely neglected the issue of intimate partner violence (IPV) among transgender and gender-diverse (TGD; e.g., nonbinary and genderqueer) individuals. However, existing research suggests that TGD individuals are disproportionately affected by IPV. The current study sought to explore if and how rates of IPV vary among subgroups of TGD undergraduate students and contextual factors of IPV among TGD individuals including the co-occurrence of multiple forms of IPV victimization, the type of relationship in which IPV occurred, and the gender identity of the IPV perpetrator. Participants were 280 TGD undergraduate students attending 20 medium- and large-sized residential public universities across the contiguous United States. Of the entire sample of TGD undergraduate students (N = 280), a total of 27.5% endorsed past 6-month IPV victimization (20.0% psychological, 6.1% physical, 8.9% sexual, 11.4% coercive control, and 5.7% LGBTQIA+-specific). Among only the participants who endorsed past 6-month IPV victimization (N = 77), 45.4% reported one form of IPV victimization, 26.0% two forms, 22.1% three forms, and 6.5% four forms. Further, 41.3% of TGD IPV victims were in a casual relationship, 56.0% were in a serious relationship, and 2.7% were in multiple relationship types. Finally, 55.8% of victims reported their perpetrator was a man, 22.1% a woman, and 22.1% a TGD individual. No significant differences in rates of IPV were found between TGD respondents. These data highlight the urgent need for programming efforts on college campuses that are specifically designed to prevent and address IPV among and against TGD students. Future research should evaluate universal- and population-specific risk and protective factors for IPV among TGD individuals to inform prevention and response efforts for this highly vulnerable population.

Gender-neutral bathrooms on campus: a multicampus study of cisgender and transgender and gender diverse college students.

Objective: This study examined cisgender and transgender and gender diverse (TGD) college students' perceptions of gender-neutral bathroom availability across eight U.S. campuses, TGD students' fear of harassment related to (lack of) availability of gender-neutral bathrooms, and the relation between fear of harassment and TGD students' psychological distress. Methods: Participants were 4,328 college students (4,195 cisgender, 30 binary transgender, 103 gender diverse) from eight U.S. institutions of higher education. Results: The majority (84.2%) of TGD students and 34.6% of cisgender students perceived there were too few gender-neutral bathrooms on their campus. Further, TGD students' fear of harassment related to a lack of availability of gender-neutral bathrooms on campus was positively associated with psychological distress (i.e., symptoms of depression and anxiety). Conclusion: This study highlights the significance of increasing accessibility of gender-neutral bathrooms on campuses to help mitigate TGD students' fear of harassment and psychological distress.

Examining the Second-Order Factor Structure of the Gender Minority Stress and Resilience Scale.

The gender minority stress and resilience (GMSR) theory and associated measure are widely utilized in research investigating the stress, resilience, and psychological health experiences of gender nonconforming (GNC) individuals. GMSR theory specifies that distal stress and proximal stress experiences adversely affect the psychological health of GNC individuals, while resilience factors help buffer against these deleterious impacts. Moreover, GMSR theory clearly specifies a second-order factor structure such that distal stress experiences are comprised of gender-based victimization, rejection, discrimination, and non-affirmation; proximal stress experiences are comprised of internalized transphobia, negative expectations for the future, and gender identity nondisclosure; and pride and community connectedness constitute resilience factors. However, despite widespread use of the GMSR measure, including validating its use among Italian, Spanish, and adolescent GNC individuals, all research to date has only queried the first-order factor structure of the measure. The present study therefore evaluated the second-order factor structure of the GMSR measure among a sample of 234 GNC college students. Results suggested that the second-order factor structure provided a reasonable fit to the data but did not fit the data exceptionally well. Moreover, results suggested that the first-order factor structure with correlated factors provided a better fit to the data than did the second-order model. Thus, while this study found support for the second-order factor structure, it appears that the first-order structure may be better suited for research use. Secondarily, the GMSR measure appears valid for use among GNC undergraduates. Additional research is needed to further validate the measure's second-order factor structure, and future research should consider trimming redundant items from the GMSR to address known fit issues.

An ecological approach to understanding the impact of sexual violence: a systematic meta-review.

Aim: A systematic meta-review was conducted to examine (1) the broad range of negative and positive individual and interpersonal changes following adult sexual violence, as well as (2) the risk/protective factors at multiple levels of the social ecology (e.g., individual, assault, and micro/meso/exo/macro/chronosystem factors)-influencing the impact of sexual violence. Methods: Searches of Web of Science, Pubmed, and ProQuest resulted in inclusion of 46 systematic reviews or meta-analyses. Review findings were extracted for summary and a deductive thematic analysis was conducted. Results: Experiencing sexual violence is associated with many negative individual and sexual difficulties as well as revictimization risk. Only a limited number of reviews reported on interpersonal and positive changes. Factors at multiple levels of the social ecology play a role in the intensity of these changes. Reviews including macrolevel factors were non-existent, however. Conclusion: Reviews on sexual violence are fragmented in nature. Although the use of an ecological approach is often lacking, adopting such a perspective in research is necessary for a fuller understanding of the multiple influences on survivor outcomes. Future research should evaluate the occurrence of social and positive changes following sexual violence, as well as the role of macrolevel factors in influencing post-assault outcomes.

Recovery and adjustment trajectories among Hurricane Florence survivors: Analysis utilizing nonlinear dynamic system modeling.

Self-regulation shift theory (SRST) argues that most individuals are able to successfully recover from trauma via engagement in self-regulation processes as well as the effective utilization of internal and environmental resources. However, a minority of individuals may instead experience a self-determination violation as a result of their self-regulatory capacity being overwhelmed. This self-determination violation is marked by chaotic and shifting adjustment, maladaptive regulation attempts, and, ultimately, a shift to an impaired self-state and the development of persistent psychopathology, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The current study utilized nonlinear dynamic system (NDS) analysis to identify adjustment trajectory dynamics among rural hurricane survivors in North Carolina (N = 131) who completed daily ecological momentary assessments (EMAs) regarding their distress (i.e., negative mood and PTSD symptoms), regulation efforts (e.g., coping), and appraisals (e.g., coping self-efficacy) over a 6-week period. Four adjustment trajectories were identified, including two largely adaptive trajectories (69.0% and 5.7%), a less stable adjustment trajectory (6.9%), and a fourth trajectory (18.4%) marked by shifting adjustment states and more frequent maladaptive regulation and negative appraisals, suggesting possible self-determination violation. Consistent with this possibility, this final trajectory was also associated with more severe PTSD symptoms relative to the other three trajectories at enrollment and 6-month follow-up. Future work should utilize NDS to model posttrauma adjustment dynamics from within a SRST framework to identify patterns of positive and negative adjustment dynamics at different time points in the trauma recovery process.

Rates and Correlates of Intimate Partner Violence Among Indigenous College Students: A Multi-Campus Study.

Research suggests that Indigenous girls, women, and LGBTQ+ Two-Spirit people experience disproportionately high rates of intimate partner violence (IPV), but there is a dearth of research on IPV among Indigenous college students. Therefore, the current study sought to explore rates of IPV victimization and perpetration among Indigenous college students, as well as correlates including depressive and anxious symptoms, emotion dysregulation, on-campus social support, and hazardous drinking. Participants were 230 undergraduate students who identified as American Indian/Alaska Native attending 20 medium- and large-sized universities across the contiguous U.S. Results indicated that 28.9% of Indigenous students reported any type of IPV victimization in the past 6 months (psychological: 24.5%; physical: 9.1%; sexual: 9.8%; coercive control: 12.4%). Further, 18.3% of Indigenous students reported any type of IPV perpetration in the past 6 months (psychological: 16.9%; physical: 4.5%; sexual: 2.6%; coercive control: 7.1%). Anxious and depressive symptoms were related to many forms of IPV victimization; emotion dysregulation was related to all forms of IPV victimization and sexual IPV perpetration; and hazardous drinking was related to most forms of IPV victimization and perpetration. These findings underscore the alarmingly high rates of IPV among Indigenous college students as well as the potential deleterious effects of IPV victimization on psychological functioning, as well as the need to concurrently address hazardous alcohol use in IPV prevention and response efforts.

Gynecological Health Complaints Among College Women With Sexual Victimization Histories: Examination of Depression and Anxiety as Potential Mediators.

PURPOSE: The study's purpose was to examine the relation between sexual victimization history and gynecological health complaints among college women. A further aim was to explore whether anxiety and depression are mediators of this relation, as well as to examine the size of these indirect relations among individuals with different types of victimization histories (childhood sexual abuse, adolescent/adult sexual assault, combined childhood sexual abuse/adolescent/adult sexual assault). METHODS: A sample of 1,759 undergraduate cisgender women attending a large Southeastern U.S. university completed online measures of lifetime sexual victimization history, current anxiety and depression, and current gynecological health complaints (dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, vaginal discharge, pain during urination, and pelvic pain). Mediation analyses with bootstrapping were conducted to explore the relations among study variables. RESULTS: College women with a history of sexual victimization were significantly more likely to report experiencing the gynecological health complaints in the past month than women with no sexual victimization history (all ps < .05). There was a significant indirect path from sexual victimization to gynecological health complaints through both anxiety and depression for all three victimization types (ßs = 0.12-0.26). The indirect paths were stronger for women with combined childhood sexual abuse/adolescent/adult sexual assault histories as compared with the other two types of victimization history. CONCLUSIONS: Health care providers working with college women should implement a trauma-informed approach to addressing gynecological health complaints that recognizes that sexual victimization survivors are at an increased risk for these issues. Further, anxiety and depression represent possible mechanisms of risk for gynecological health complaints among survivors.

COVID-Specific Coercive Control among Emerging Adults Attending College: A Brief Note.

The COVID-19 pandemic represents a "perfect storm" with regards to risk for intimate partner violence (IPV). Abusive partners may engage in novel forms of coercive control, such as pressuring their partner to engage in activities associated with COVID-19 infection risk (e.g., attend a large gathering). However, no empirical research has focused on COVID-specific coercive control. The current study sought to evaluate the prevalence of COVID-specific coercive control in a large sample of U.S. college students, as well as its association with other forms of IPV and depression and anxiety. A total of 2,289 undergraduate students attending eight U.S. universities who were currently in a sexual/dating/romantic relationship completed an online survey in Fall 2020 about COVID-specific coercive control, other forms of IPV (psychological, physical, sexual, coercive control) and depression and anxiety symptoms. Overall, 15.5% (n = 355) of students reported experiencing COVID-specific coercive control. Individuals who experienced COVID-specific coercive control were more likely to have experienced all other forms of IPV than those who did not experience COVID-specific coercive control. Further, individuals who experienced COVID-specific coercive control had significantly greater anxiety than individuals who did not experience any form of IPV. Individuals who experienced both COVID-specific coercive control and other forms of IPV had the highest levels of depression and anxiety. COVID-specific coercive control may serve to increase depression and anxiety, particularly if it co-occurs with other forms of IPV. Future work should evaluate the prevalence and long-term impact of coercive control during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Institutional Betrayal: A Mixed Methods Study of College Women's Experiences With On-Campus Help-Seeking Following Rape.

In a given year, between 3 and 10% of women attending college will experience a completed rape. Unfortunately, when college survivors seek help following rape, representatives from their university may respond inadequately or harmfully, such as by blaming them, failing to provide adequate support and accommodations, or by minimizing the assault. The failures of an institution to protect its members from harm has been termed institutional betrayal (IB). The present study sought to examine college women rape survivors' (n = 28) experiences with disclosing to three types of campus resources: confidential sources (e.g., counselor), mandated reporters (e.g., faculty member), and Title IX and/or police via examination of their quantitative ratings of IB and institutional support, as well as via thematic analysis of their written help seeking narratives (n = 19). Results support that those who disclosed to Title IX and/or police reported the greatest amount of IB, and there was a trend for those who disclosed to a confidential source to report more support. Thematic analysis revealed four IB themes and two institutional support themes. Implications of findings for university sexual assault prevention and response efforts are discussed.

Fear of COVID-19, anxiety, and social support among college students.

OBJECTIVE: The present study prospectively examined the association between fear of COVID-19 and anxiety and whether social support moderated this association among college students. PARTICIPANTS: 1,539 students from 11 universities in the United States completed two online surveys, one prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and one during the pandemic. METHODS: Hierarchical linear regressions assessed the impact of COVID-19 fears and social support on anxiety, after accounting for pre-pandemic anxiety and demographics. RESULTS: Results supported that adding fear of COVID-19 to the regression model resulted in a significant increase in variance explained over demographics and pre-pandemic anxiety. Social support did not moderate the association between fear of COVID-19 and anxiety. CONCLUSION: These data underscore the mental health impact of COVID-19 on students and the urgency with which campus-wide initiatives are needed to support students during this unprecedented time.

Development and Validation of a BMI-Based Figure Rating Scale for Chinese Adolescents.

Figure rating scales (FRS) have been widely used to measure body dissatisfaction. In the current study, an FRS based on body mass index (BMI) and body shape of Chinese adolescents (C-BMI-FRS) was developed and validated. The perceived actual figure chosen from C-BMI-FRS by 2,237 Chinese adolescents aged 15-18 years old correlated strongly with BMI (r = .83 in girls and r = .80 in boys). Additionally, there was a strong relation between actual and ideal figure discrepancy (AID) scores and measures of body satisfaction (r = -.54 in girls, r = -.28 in boys) and eating disorder symptoms (r = .54 in girls, and r = .52 in boys). There also were moderate associations of AID scores with self-esteem (r = -.16) and negative affect (r = .18) in girls. Test-retest reliability over an 8- to 10 -week interval exceeded .57 for actual figure, ideal figure, and AID scores. Overall, findings support the utility of C-BMI-FRS as a measure of body dissatisfaction among Chinese adolescents.

Validation of the Chinese Version of the Body Image Concern Inventory.

The Body Image Concern Inventory (BICI) was developed to assess dysmorphic appearance concern and has been found to be a reliable and valid instrument in Western societies. To examine the psychometric properties of a new Chinese BICI, the BICI was administered to 1,231 Chinese young adults (Study 1) and 47 female patients with eating disorders and 56 matched controls (ED; Study 2). In study 1, Cronbach's alpha of .92 and test-retest reliability of .73 over a 6-month interval was observed for the total scale. Confirmatory factor analysis supported a 3-factor model for the BICI: avoidant behaviors (AB), safety behaviors against perceived flaws (SB), and negative appearance evaluation (NE). In study 2, ED patients scored significantly higher on the BICI total and three subscale scores than controls. In addition, AB best differentiated ED patients and matched controls (Cohen's d = 1.52); SB best differentiated between the non-clinical female and male groups (Cohen's d = 0.75); NE was most closely associated with level of negative affect and subjective well-being (inverse relationship) in both clinical and non-clinical groups. In conclusion, the Chinese BICI is a reliable and valid tool for evaluating dysmorphic appearance concern among Chinese speakers.

Received support in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence: reciprocal relations among perceived support, community solidarity, and PTSD.

Background and Objectives: The social support deterioration model (SSDM) posits that individuals who do not receive adequate support following a disaster are vulnerable to losses in community solidarity and perceived support, as well as the development of persistent distress. However, limited longitudinal research has evaluated the relations among support and these outcomes among disaster-affected individuals. Design: The current study utilized random intercept cross-lagged panel modeling (RI-CLPM) to examine reciprocal relations among received support, community solidarity, perceived support, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms among rural Hurricane Florence survivors (n = 261) assessed 5-8 months post-hurricane (T1), and then at two more timepoints at three-month intervals (T2 and T3). Results: Results of the RI-CLPM supported that lower received support at T2 was associated with decreases in community solidarity at T3, and higher perceived support at T1 was associated with increases in received support at T2. In supplemental analyses, higher received support at T2 was associated with lower PTSD symptoms at T3. Conclusions: Consistent with the SSDM, individuals who receive less support post-disaster are vulnerable to losses in community solidarity and potentially persistent PTSD symptoms. Conversely, those with stronger support networks may be better able to access needed support in the longer-term.

Resilience, Self-compassion, and Mental Health Outcomes: Rebuilding Eastern North Carolina After Natural Disasters.

Natural disasters have occurred more frequently in Eastern North Carolina in recent years. Evidence supports that repeated exposure to natural disasters may have lasting mental health impacts among vulnerable populations. Greater access to mental health services may aid in ensuring equitable access to needed care and promote resilience.

Patterns of Sexual Risk Behaviors among College Women: A Latent Profile Analysis.

Sexual risk behavior is common among college women, but little work has identified risk patterns or correlates. The current study utilized latent profile analysis to identify sexual risk patterns among 1,534 college women. Results supported four classes: low sexual risk (68.2%), moderate sexual risk: party hookups (11.0%), moderate sexual risk: risky partners (17.6%), and high sexual risk (3.1%). Membership in the moderate and high-risk classes were associated with coping motives, drinking, and risky peer norms, while membership in the low risk class was associated with sexual satisfaction and low peer approval of risky sex. Implications of the findings are discussed.