An Analysis of Risk and Protective Factors Associated with Cyber-Dating Violence Victimization of Adolescent Girls: An Ecological Perspective.

Cyber-dating violence (cyber-DV) is a prevalent issue among adolescent girls that can have negative consequences including post-traumatic stress symptoms and suicidal ideations and attempts. In the aim to reduce its prevalence and impacts, researchers are increasingly relying on the identification of risk and protective factors associated with cyber-DV across multiple ecological contexts. The current study aimed to examine the influence of individual (e.g., dissociation), interpersonal (e.g., offline forms of dating violence) and community level (e.g., community support) factors associated with the cyber-DV victimization of adolescent girls. A sample of 456 adolescent girls (M = 16.17 years old, SD = 1.28) was recruited online to complete a survey. At the individual level, emotion dysregulation, dissociative symptoms, post-traumatic stress symptoms and resilience were measured. Offline forms of DV and a history of child sexual abuse were assessed at the interpersonal level. Finally, at the community level, community support, community resilience, neighborhood material and social disadvantage were evaluated. Results from a hierarchical logistic regression indicated that exposure to offline DV namely verbal-emotional DV, sexual DV, threats, as well as living in neighborhoods with lower levels of social disadvantage were significantly associated with an increased risk of cyber-DV victimization. Cyber-DV preventative intervention efforts should focus on incorporating cyber-DV specific modules and activities into offline DV prevention and intervention programs as to reduce the likelihood of adolescents suffering both forms of DV and their associated repercussions.

Disentangling the Associations Between Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Child Sexual Abuse: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: An association between child sexual abuse (CSA) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been documented. However, the temporal relationship between these problems and the roles of trauma-related symptoms or other forms of maltreatment remain unclear. This review aims to synthesize available research on CSA and ADHD, assess the methodological quality of the available research, and recommend future areas of inquiry. METHODS: Studies were searched in five databases including Medline and PsycINFO. Following a title and abstract screening, 151 full texts were reviewed and 28 were included. Inclusion criteria were sexual abuse occurred before 18 years old, published quantitative studies documenting at least a bivariate association between CSA and ADHD, and published in the past 5 years for dissertations/theses, in French or English. The methodological quality of studies was systematically assessed. RESULTS: Most studies identified a significant association between CSA and ADHD; most studies conceptualized CSA as a precursor of ADHD, but only one study had a longitudinal design. The quality of the studies varied greatly with main limitations being the lack of (i) longitudinal designs, (ii) rigorous multimethod/ multiinformant assessments of CSA and ADHD, and (iii) control for two major confounders: trauma-related symptoms and other forms of child maltreatment. DISCUSSION: Given the lack of longitudinal studies, the directionality of the association remains unclear. The confounding role of other maltreatment forms and trauma-related symptoms also remains mostly unaddressed. Rigorous studies are needed to untangle the association between CSA and ADHD.

Barriers and Facilitators to the Implementation of an Eating Disorders Knowledge Exchange Program for Non-specialist Professionals.

Despite availability of evidence-based treatments for eating disorders (EDs), individuals with EDs often do not receive informed treatment. Training of non-specialized clinicians by experienced professionals through knowledge exchange (KE) programs is an effective way to enhance accessibility to evidence-based treatments for EDs. The authors conducted a qualitative analysis of factors that facilitated or impeded the uptake of an ED-focused KE program. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with mental health professionals (n = 43) and managers (n = 11) at 13 community mental-health sites at which the KE program was offered. Data were analyzed using a qualitative content analysis. Key facilitators identified were management support for the program and building competence through ongoing supervision of clinicians. Main barriers were limited access to ED patients to treat and having insufficient time to apply ED interventions in front-line settings. The results provide insights into the practical imperatives involved in implementing a KE initiative for ED treatment.

The intersection of intimate partner violence and childhood sexual abuse in mother-child dyads.

BACKGROUND: Child sexual abuse (CSA) and intimate partner violence (IPV) have been associated with negative consequences for adult victims and their children including a risk of revictimization and intergenerational continuity. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to document correlates of intergenerational cumulative trauma profiles in mother-child dyads. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: A sample of 997 sexually abused children (mean age = 7.61 years; 79.1% girls) and their mothers was recruited. METHODS: Latent Class Analysis (LCA) was used to identify classes of cumulative trauma among dyads. Classes were compared on validated measures of psychological functioning for both members of the dyads. RESULTS: Four distinct classes emerged: CSA Only (43.3%), Intergenerational CSA with Psychological IPV (14.2%), Physical and Psychological IPV with Low Child Exposure (24.0%) and Intergenerational Polyvictimization (18.5%). Comparisons generally revealed lower distress in CSA Only dyads, and higher levels of psychological difficulties in the two most victimized groups. However, the dose-response pattern was not as clear as expected, as the two most victimized groups did not differ in terms of psychological functioning. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that higher levels of intergenerational cumulative trauma are associated with increased psychological symptoms in mothers and more dissociation in their sexually abused children. Interventions should be adapted to the specific needs of families to prevent lasting intergenerational difficulties in trauma exposed individuals.

Evaluating the Use of Mindfulness and Yoga Training on Forensic Inpatients: A Pilot Study.

Forensic inpatients (i. e., individuals found not responsible for a criminal offense on account of mental illness) represent an often marginalized and difficult-to-treat population. This has led to the need for research exploring the effectiveness of novel interventions. A Canadian forensic hospital has developed an 8-weeks mindfulness and yoga training program (MTP). This pilot study examined the potential effects of this program on patients' mindfulness, stress, and use of cognitive and emotion regulation strategies. A sample of 13 forensic inpatients (male = 92%) participating in the MTP program completed self-report measures assessing dispositional mindfulness, perceived stress, and use of cognitive emotion regulation strategies at baseline, post-intervention, and a 3-months follow-up. Repeated measure ANOVAs found a significant increase in the describe facet of mindfulness (p = 0.03) with a large effect size (ηp 2 = 0.26) and a significant decrease in stress (p = 0.003) with a large effect size (ηp 2 = 0.39). Pairwise comparisons revealed medium to large significant changes between baseline and post-intervention for both the describe facet (p = 0.03, Hedge's g = 0.55) and stress (p = 0.003, Hedge's g = 0.70). However, comparisons were insignificant between baseline and follow-up. No significant main effects were found on the use of cognitive emotion regulation strategies. This pilot study offers preliminary support for the use of the MTP as an adjunctive therapy in forensic inpatient treatment. Further investigation is needed into the long-term impacts of this training.

Comparison of two psycho-educational family group interventions for improving psycho-social outcomes in persons with spinal cord injury and their caregivers: a randomized-controlled trial of multi-family group intervention versus an active education control condition.

BACKGROUND: Over 12,000 individuals suffer a spinal cord injury (SCI) annually in the United States, necessitating long-term, complex adjustments and responsibilities for patients and their caregivers. Despite growing evidence that family education and support improves the management of chronic conditions for care recipients as well as caregiver outcomes, few systematic efforts have been made to involve caregivers in psycho-educational interventions for SCI. As a result, a serious gap exists in accumulated knowledge regarding effective, family-based treatment strategies for improving outcomes for individuals with SCI and their caregivers. The proposed research aims to fill this gap by evaluating the efficacy of a structured adaptation of an evidence-based psychosocial group treatment called Multi-Family Group (MFG) intervention. The objective of this study is to test, in a randomized-controlled design, an MFG intervention for the treatment of individuals with SCI and their primary caregivers. Our central hypothesis is that by providing support in an MFG format, we will improve coping skills of persons with SCI and their caregivers as well as supportive strategies employed by caregivers. METHODS: We will recruit 32 individuals with SCI who have been discharged from inpatient rehabilitation within the previous 3 years and their primary caregivers. Patient/caregiver pairs will be randomized to the MFG intervention or an active SCI education control (SCIEC) condition in a two-armed randomized trial design. Participants will be assessed pre- and post-program and 6 months post-program. Intent to treat analyses will test two a priori hypotheses: (1) MFG-SCI will be superior to SCIEC for SCI patient activation, health status, and emotion regulation, caregiver burden and health status, and relationship functioning, and (2) MFG will be more effective for individuals with SCI and their caregivers when the person with SCI is within 18 months of discharge from inpatient rehabilitation compared to when the person is between 19 and 36 months post discharge. DISCUSSION: Support for our hypotheses will indicate that MFG-SCI is superior to specific education for assisting patients and their caregivers in the management of difficult, long-term, life adjustments in the months and years after SCI, with increased efficacy closer in time to the injury. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02161913 . Registered 10 June 2014.