PTSD Symptoms Among College Students: Linkages with Familial Risk, Borderline Personality, and Sexual Assault.

College students have high rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms as well as high rates of sexual assault. What is less clear, however, is whether different sexual assault types (e.g. coercive, physically forced, and incapacitation) are associated with greater PTSD symptoms. Moreover, understanding early familial and mental health histories of college students is important for explaining PTSD symptoms. As such, we use a social stress framework to examine the relationships between early familial risk (i.e. child abuse, perceived maternal rejection), borderline personality (BP) symptoms, and three sexual assault types with PTSD symptoms among college students. A total of 783 undergraduate students (65.4% female) completed paper and pencil surveys in fall 2019 and spring 2020 at a large public university. Results revealed that females were more likely to experience child sexual abuse and all three forms of sexual assault, while males experienced higher rates of child physical abuse. OLS regression results showed positive associations between child sexual abuse, perceived maternal rejection, BP symptoms and all three types of sexual assault with PTSD symptoms. Females also experienced more PTSD symptoms compared to males. Findings have implications for targeted interventions to improve mental health outcomes.

Comparison of Sorority and non-Sorority Women: Risks for Different Sexual Assault Types.

Though rates of sexual assault are high among college women, some studies find even greater prevalence rates among women who are sorority members. This study examined the association between familial risk factors (e.g., child physical abuse), PTSD symptoms, and proximal risk factors (e.g., sexual risk behavior) with three sexual assault types (i.e., coercive, incapacitated by alcohol or drugs, and physically forced) among sorority and non-sorority women at a large Midwestern university. Participants completed a paper-and-pencil survey that included measures of different sexual assault types, childhood maltreatment, parental rejection, PTSD symptoms, and sexual and substance use behaviors. A fully recursive path model was estimated to examine the pathways to three different sexual assault types. Results revealed that sorority women experienced coercive and incapacitated sexual assault more so than non-sorority women though there was no significant difference for physically forced sexual assault. Sorority women also reported engaging in more sexual risk behaviors, which was in turn, associated with all three sexual assault types. Sorority women also reported heavier alcohol use, which in turn, was positively associated with coercive and incapacitated sexual assault. These findings have implications for prevention among college undergraduate women.

The Relationship Between College Student Characteristics and Reporting Sexual Assault Experiences on Two Different Scales.

Though high rates of sexual assault are found on college campuses, prevalence rates between studies can vary considerable by gender, sexual orientation, and other student characteristics. Thus, it is unknown whether these are "true" differences for such characteristics or if there are methodological differences to consider. As such the current study examined whether student characteristics including gender, race, sexual orientation, sexual attraction, Greek affiliation, and relationship status are uniquely associated with reporting on two different sexual assault scales. Data were gathered from 783 college students in 2019-2020 at a large Midwestern university. Results revealed that the two different scales consistently provided different prevalence rates of sexual assault. Moreover, for each type of sexual assault (e.g., coercion, incapacitation, and physical force), there were also significant differences with students consistently reporting higher prevalence rates on one scale over the other. Finally, significant differences were found in prevalence rates across gender, sexual attraction, and Greek affiliated status.

Family Violence, Personality Traits, and Risk Behaviors: Links to Dating Violence Victimization and Perpetration Among College Students.

Though dating violence (DV) is prevalent on college campuses, few studies have examined a multitude of risk factors that may better explain this process. As such, we examined the role of family violence (i.e., childhood physical abuse, witnessing parental violence), personality traits (i.e., entitlement, antisocial personality [ASP] and borderline personality [BP]) and risk behaviors (i.e., risky sexual behaviors, heavy drinking, marijuana use, illicit drug use) on DV victimization and perpetration among 783 college students. Path analysis revealed that witnessing parental violence was linked to DV perpetration while experiencing more physical abuse was positively correlated with entitlement (females only), ASP traits, and BP traits. ASP traits (both males and females) and entitlement (females only) were directly associated with high-risk behaviors. Among females, entitlement was also indirectly associated with DV victimization and perpetration through sexual risk behaviors. Findings highlight the importance of histories of physical abuse and personality traits in understanding DV.

A comparison of frequency of alcohol and marijuana use using short message service surveying and survey questionnaires among homeless youth.

BACKGROUND: There are several benefits to using short message service surveying (SMS) to gather data on substance use from homeless youth, including capturing data "in the moment" and verifying the timing of one behavior relative to another. Though SMS is a valuable data collection tool with highly mobile populations that otherwise are difficult to longitudinally sample, the reliability of SMS compared with surveys is largely unknown with homeless youth. Examining the reliability of SMS is important because these data can provide a more nuanced understanding of the relationships between various risk behaviors, which may lead to better intervention strategies with these youth. OBJECTIVES: We compared past 30-day survey and SMS data for youth's alcohol and marijuana use. METHODS: Interviewed 150 homeless youth (51% female) using surveys and SMS. RESULTS: Past 30-day survey and SMS data revealed moderately strong correlations for alcohol (rs  = .563) and marijuana (rs  = .564). Regression analysis revealed that independent variables were similarly associated with alcohol and marijuana use when comparing survey and SMS data with two exceptions: heterosexual youth reported less alcohol use in SMS data compared to survey data (ß = -.212; p < .05 vs. ß = -.006; p > .05, respectively) and youth whose parents had alcohol problems reported less marijuana use in survey data compared to SMS data (ß = -.277; p < .01 vs. ß = -.150; p > .05, respectively). CONCLUSION: Findings indicate SMS and surveys are both reliable methods of gathering data from homeless youth on substance use.

Childhood Disadvantage, Social and Psychological Stress, and Substance Use Among Homeless Youth: A Life Stress Framework.

We used a life stress framework to examine linkages between distal or primary stressors (e.g., child abuse) and proximal or secondary stressors (e.g., street victimization) and their association with substance use among 150 youth experiencing homelessness in the Midwestern United States. Results revealed that numerous primary stressors such as number of times youth ran from home and number of foster care placements were associated with secondary stressors, such as anxiety, total duration of homelessness, and street victimization. Only street physical victimization (e.g., been beaten up since leaving home) was associated with greater substance use. Our findings provide a more holistic picture of both distal and proximal life stressors that these young people experience and reveal the complexity of issues that service providers must acknowledge when working with this population.

Short Message Service Surveying With Homeless Youth: Findings From a 30-Day Study of Sleeping Arrangements and Well-Being.

Little is known about the location and consistency of sleeping arrangements among youth experiencing homelessness (YEH) and how this is linked to their well-being. This study addresses this gap using ecological momentary assessment (EMA) via short message service (SMS) surveying with 150 YEH over 30 days, to examine how various sleeping arrangements are associated with depression, marijuana use, support received, and service utilization. Results revealed that the average number of consecutive days youth stayed at any particular location varied considerably. Youth who stayed more frequently with a friend/partner or in a transitional living facility (TLF) reported fewer days of being depressed, whereas staying with a friend/ partner was associated with using marijuana more frequently. Finally, youth staying with a friend/partner, stranger, or TLF reported using services on fewer days. Because sleeping arrangements change almost daily, on average, this has important public health implications for agencies finding permanent housing for YEH.

Toward a Comprehensive Model of Physical Dating Violence Perpetration and Victimization.

Though physical dating violence is prevalent among college students, the literature remains disjointed due to the number of studies that are a theoretical. As such, we examine physical dating violence perpetration and victimization informed by three theories: the background-situational model of dating violence, social learning theory, and attachment theory. Results revealed that gender, child abuse, styles of attachment, and risky behaviors were associated with both perpetrating and being a victim of physical dating violence. Protective factors, including maternal relationship quality and religiosity, were associated with a lower risk of perpetrating dating violence. Analyses demonstrate that some elements of all three theoretical perspectives were associated with dating violence perpetration and victimization. Implications of the study findings on practice and future research are discussed.

Understanding Daily Depression, Drinking, and Marijuana Use among Homeless Youth using Short Message Service Surveying.

We used short message service surveying (SMS) with 150 homeless youth to examine the time ordering of feeling depressed with drinking alcohol, using marijuana, and using substances with friends. Multilevel binary logistic regression results revealed that youth who were depressed earlier in the day were more likely to drink alcohol later that day. Among depressed youth, heterosexual youth were less likely to drink alcohol than lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) youth. Depressed youth had increased odds of using marijuana by a factor of 1.6, while heterosexual youth, compared to LGB youth, were 80% less likely to use marijuana. Females were 82% less likely and heterosexual youth 75% less likely to use substances with friends compared to males and LGB youth, respectively. These findings improve upon prior retrospective studies by using SMS to understand time ordering between feeling depressed and substance use in the same day.

Risk and Protective Factors for Substance Use Among Youth Experiencing Homelessness.

BACKGROUND: Though research finds that youth experiencing homelessness (YEH) have high rates of substance use, which can lead to numerous long-term negative health effects, less is known about both risk and protective factors for substance use. Moreover, even less is known about whether these factors differ for lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) youth compared to non-LGB youth. In the current study, we compared risk and protective factors for binge drinking, marijuana use, and illicit drug use (i.e. substance use) among heterosexual and sexual minority YEH. METHODS: The sample included 322 young people experiencing homelessness in the Midwestern United States and who were between 16 and 26 years of age. Almost one-half of our sample were female (N = 146; 45%) and 68 youth (21%) identified as LGB. RESULTS: Youth who experienced more child physical abuse, ran away from home more frequently, and those who had a parent(s) with drug problems were more likely to have reported binge drinking in the past 30 days. Additionally, having parents with drug problems was associated with the use of marijuana and illicit drugs. Conversely, having higher parental monitoring while growing up reduced the likelihood of using marijuana and illicit drugs. Tests for interactions revealed that while self-efficacy had no relationship with the probability of binge drinking for heterosexual youth, as self-efficacy increased, the probability of binge drinking declined drastically for sexual minority youth suggesting this protective mechanism operates differently for these two groups of youth. Additionally, tests of interactions showed that the probability of binge drinking among heterosexual and sexual minority youth also varied by child sexual abuse and street sexual victimization. CONCLUSION: Study results have implications for service providers who serve YEH.

The Complexity of Family Reactions to Identity among Homeless and College Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Young Adults.

Familial responses to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) young people's identities range on a spectrum from rejection to acceptance and these reactions strongly impact family relationships and young adult well-being. Less is known, however, about how family members' reactions may differ based on young people's contexts of socioeconomic status. Through a qualitative, life course analysis of in-depth interview data from 46 LGBTQ college students and LGBTQ homeless young adults, our study highlights the diverse, contextual nuances of young people's "linked lives" within their families. We find that the context of socioeconomic status influenced how a young person managed family rejection. Conversely, processes of familial acceptance were also connected to life course transitions that worked in some cases to enhance LGBTQ young adults' family relationships. Finally, the intricacy of familial reactions to a young person's LGBTQ identity transcended socioeconomic contexts as many respondents shared similar experiences of rejection and acceptance. These findings have implications for understanding how young people manage family relationships across different contexts of socioeconomic status and how these experiences can shape their life course trajectories. Results from this study can inform LGBTQ youth service providers by tailoring intervention programs that account for contextual social diversity.

Role of Social Environmental Protective Factors on Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms Among Midwestern Homeless Youth.

We employ a social stress framework, which examines the influence of multiple stressors (e.g., physical abuse, foster care placement) on an individual's ability to function (e.g., mental well-being), to longitudinally examine the effects of stressful life events on mental health and the role of the social environment in this process among 150 homeless youth. Results revealed that numerous stressors, such as physical abuse and running away from home more frequently, were associated with greater depressive symptoms and elevated anxiety. Having mentors and family and friends from home that youth can rely on resulted in more positive social support, which subsequently lowered the risk for depressive symptoms and anxiety at wave 2.

The Role of Protective Behavioral Strategies, Social Environment, and Housing Type on Heavy Drinking among College Students.

BACKGROUND: Though research has examined heavy drinking by housing type, the link between type of college student housing and protective behavioral strategies (PBS) has rarely been examined comparing different college campuses. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to examine the role of housing type, perceptions of peer drinking, and PBS with respondent heavy drinking among undergraduate college students from one Southeastern and one Midwestern university in the United States. METHODS: 1,448 college students enrolled in undergraduate courses at two public universities completed a paper and pencil survey of attitudes and experiences about dating, sexuality, and substance use. Data were analyzed using multiple group path analysis. RESULTS: Students living in Greek housing perceived their close friends as engaging in more risky drinking, and had higher rates of heavy drinking compared to those living in other housing types. The effect of perceptions of peer drinking on PBS was significantly different between campuses as were several other indirect pathways to heavy drinking. Conclusion/Importance: Understanding more about the differing roles of college residential environments can help inform effective drinking interventions, and reduce heavy drinking among college students.

A comparison of risk factors for various forms of trauma in the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and heterosexual homeless youth.

Numerous homeless youth experience trauma prior to leaving home and while on the street. Bullying and trading sex (i.e. exchanging sexual favors for survival items such as food) are additional forms of trauma experienced by many homeless youth. Although lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) homeless youth experience higher rates of child abuse compared to their heterosexual counterparts, there is a paucity of research comparing these two groups. As such, we compare whether difficulties finding items of necessity (e.g. food) and different forms of trauma including child sexual abuse, being bullied, trading sex, and street sexual victimization significantly differ for LGB and heterosexual homeless youth. Bivariate results reveal that LGB youth have more trouble finding shelter and are more likely to trade sex compared to heterosexual youth. Logistic regression results show that trading sex is correlated with street sexual victimization. In the second model, we find that being female, experiencing more child sexual abuse, and ever having traded sex are all positively linked with street sexual victimization. LGB youth are over-represented among homeless youth populations and are also more likely to trade sex; therefore, these young people need services that are widely accessible and specific to their needs.

Child Abuse, Mental Health and Sleeping Arrangements among Homeless Youth: Links to Physical and Sexual Street Victimization.

Physical safety is a primary concern among homeless youth because they struggle to secure basic necessities and a permanent place to live. Despite this, studies have not fully examined the numerous linkages that might explain risk for victimization within the context of material insecurity. In this study, we examine multiple levels of both proximal and distal risk factors at the individual (e.g. mental health), family (e.g. child abuse), and environmental levels (e.g. finding necessities) and their associations with physical and sexual street victimization among 150 Midwestern homeless youth. Results from path analyses show that child physical abuse is positively associated with anxiety, depressive symptoms, locating necessities, and street physical victimization. Having difficulties finding basic necessities is positively correlated with street physical victimization. Experiencing child sexual abuse is positively associated with street sexual victimization. Additionally, sleeping at certain locations (e.g. violence shelter, in a car) is associated with less sexual street victimization compared to temporarily staying with a family member. These findings have implications for service providers working to improve the safety and well-being of homeless youth.

Simplified AIP-II Peptidomimetics Are Potent Inhibitors of Staphylococcus aureus AgrC Quorum Sensing Receptors.

The bacterial pathogen Staphylococcus aureus controls many aspects of virulence by using the accessory gene regulator (agr) quorum sensing (QS) system. The agr system is activated by a macrocyclic peptide signal known as an autoinducing peptide (AIP). We sought to develop structurally simplified mimetics of AIPs for use as chemical tools to study QS in S. aureus. Herein, we report new peptidomimetic AgrC receptor inhibitors based on a tail-truncated AIP-II peptide that have almost analogous inhibitory activities to the parent peptide. Structural comparison of one of these peptidomimetics to the parent peptide and a highly potent, all-peptide-derived, S. aureus agr inhibitor (AIP-III D4A) revealed a conserved hydrophobic motif and overall amphipathic nature. Our results suggest that the AIP scaffold is amenable to structural mimicry and minimization for the development of synthetic agr inhibitors.

The Role of Entitlement, Self-Control, and Risk Behaviors on Dating Violence Perpetration.

Dating violence continues to be pervasive among college students (Stappenbeck & Fromme, 2010). Given the paucity of research investigating the various pathways through which risk factors are linked to dating violence among different college campuses, we use multiple group path analysis to examine the role of child abuse, self-control, entitlement, and risky behaviors on dating violence perpetration among college students from one Southeastern and one Midwestern university. There were 1,482 college students (51% female) enrolled in undergraduate courses at 2 large public universities who completed paper and pencil surveys. Dating violence perpetration was directly associated with gender, child physical abuse, and sexual and drug risk behaviors and indirectly associated with college Greek letter fraternity affiliation, self-control, and entitlement. Moreover, significant differences in the pathways to dating violence were found between the Southeast and Midwest campuses.

Using Cell Phones for Data Collection: Benefits, Outcomes, and Intervention Possibilities with Homeless Youth.

While many homeless youth use cell phones to stay socially connected, and maintaining positive social ties can contribute to pathways out of homelessness, little is known about how using cell phones for data collection can improve these young people's lives. We conducted baseline and follow-up interviews with 150 homeless youth as well as provided them with a cell phone for 30 days to gather daily data using short message service (SMS) surveying. This paper examines youths' opinions about study participation and how they used the cell phone. Results revealed that youth liked participating in the study because the SMS texting portion, for example, made them feel that someone still cared about them, prompted them to self-reflect on their life, and allowed them to make a difference (e.g. educating the public about homelessness). Despite numerous benefits of study participation, improvements that youth discussed for future studies included changing the format of our text questions to allow for explanations and the use of higher quality phones. In terms of study phone usage, youth reported using the phone to schedule appointments, contact employers, and to keep in touch with family and friends. Finally, we highlight ways in which cell phones via SMS could be used with homeless youth to provide informational resources along with educational and employment opportunities, all of which are important intervention strategies in improving life situations for this population.

Multi-Level Risk and Protective Factors for Substance Use Among Zambian Street Youth.

BACKGROUND: High rates of substance use have been reported among youth in Zambia. This is particularly concerning given that substance use is one of the biggest risk factors placing young people at risk for HIV infection. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the current study is to examine how multi-level risk and protective factors (i.e., community, family, peers, individual) influence alcohol and marijuana use. METHODS: A total of 250 street youth in Lusaka, Zambia were interviewed in the summer of 2014 about their alcohol and marijuana use and reasons for usage. Data were analyzed using descriptive and multivariate methods. RESULTS: Youth reported high rates of alcohol use. At the multivariate level, peer and individual level variables (e.g., using alcohol or drugs for coping or for fun) explained the most variance, followed by family level factors. Community level variables explained the least variance in all models. Conclusion/Importance: A better understanding of multi-level risk and protective factors for young people's alcohol and marijuana use could lead to the development of better intervention strategies to reduce this behavior among Zambian street youth.

An Inside Look at Homeless Youths' Social Networks: Perceptions of Substance Use Norms.

Substance use among homeless young people is a pervasive problem, and there have been many efforts to understand more about the dynamics of this health compromising behavior. The current study examined perceived substance use norms within homeless youths' social networks utilizing in-depth interviews. The sample included 19 homeless individuals aged 16 to 21. Four elements of substance use within networks emerged: substance use choices, drug use safety issues, encouragement and/or discouragement, and appropriate situations in which substance use is condoned. These findings provide unique insight into the norms associated with drug and alcohol use within homeless youths' social networks.