Adverse Childhood Experiences and Complex Post-traumatic Stress in Pregnant Teens: A Pilot Study.

INTRODUCTION: Pregnant teens are seen as a group at risk, yet one area that remains understudied is the impact of trauma on their mental health, maternal fetal attachment and pregnancy-related health behavior. METHODS: A pilot study of urban pregnant teens receiving home visiting services examined trauma exposure, complex traumatic stress, maternal fetal attachment, and health behaviors of pregnancy. The sample (n = 36) was recruited over a period of 20 months from Nurse-Family Partnership of New York City (NFP-NYC) service sites. The teens interviewed completed scales measuring adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), symptoms of complex posttraumatic stress (TSCC), prenatal attachment (MAAS), and pregnancy health behaviors (HPQ-II). FINDINGS: Over one third of participants reported 4 or more ACEs (36%), and scores on the Trauma Symptom Checklist subscales ranged from a low of 11% for anger to 25% for depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress. Maternal-fetal attachment was strong and pregnancy health behaviors were positive. The number of ACEs was related to traumatic stress symptoms but not to maternal fetal attachment or health behaviors in pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: Pregnant teens with trauma histories could benefit from access to trauma-informed mental health services integrated into the obstetrical or home-visiting services they receive.

The impact of acculturation and acculturative stress on alcohol use across Asian immigrant subgroups.

Acculturation and acculturative stress are examined as predictors of alcohol use among Asian immigrants, using the 2004 National Latino and Asian Americans Survey (NLAAS). Separate regression analyses were conducted for Chinese (n = 600), Filipino (n = 508), and Vietnamese (n = 520) immigrants. Alcohol use varied for the three groups. English proficiency was associated with drinking for all groups. Family conflict was associated with drinking for Chinese immigrants. General acculturative stress and discrimination were associated with drinking for Vietnamese immigrants. Results underscore acculturation and acculturative stress as being contributors to alcohol consumption, and the importance of considering the heterogeneity of Asian immigrants in research on their alcohol use. The study's limitations are noted.

Gender differences in learning and adjustment problems in school: results of a longitudinal study.

Results of a community study suggest that boys entering school had more problems with aggression and information processing than did girls. Later differences in learning and adjustment largely reflected the high proportion of boys among children receiving psychological services. Girls who received psychological services were less likely than boys to get special education help.

Doctoral education in social work: what we know and what we need to know.

Little is known about social work doctoral students and graduates: why they chose doctoral study, the kind of work they do, and the nature of their unique contributions to the profession. This article reviews past studies of doctoral education in social work in the context of general trends in doctoral education in the United States, underscoring the need for more social workers with doctoral degrees. Using data from the Survey of Earned Doctorates, social work doctoral graduates from two recent years are described, including their employment plans at graduation and their indebtedness. Implications of the findings for the profession are discussed.

Research methods with disabled populations.

Although social work and related fields need more research involving people with disabilities, such studies can pose special challenges due to lack of understanding of disability issues, the disempowerment and invisibility of many who are disabled, and communication barriers. This article discusses ways of eliminating bias and maintaining ethical safeguards when designing and conducting research on people with disabilities. Participatory action research, which engages those studied in the design and conduct of research, is discussed as a model, as is the use of qualitative methods. Recent methodological innovations in survey research with deaf populations are also described and illustrated.