Sex Differences in Suicidal Ideation: Mediating Effects of Alcohol Abuse/Dependence on Suicidal Ideation through Psychological Distress and Hopelessness.

This article aims to investigate the impact of psychological distress and hopelessness as mediators in the relationship between alcohol use disorder (AUD) and suicidal ideation among young adults. The study employed data from the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, focusing on participants aged 18 to 25. The PROCESS macro was used to conduct a moderated mediation analysis. The findings revealed that AUD, psychological distress, and hopelessness were all significant risk factors for suicidal ideation among young adults. Furthermore, psychological distress and hopelessness served as significant mediators in the relationship between AUD and suicidal ideation. The study highlights the need for interventions and treatments that address co-occurring alcohol use and psychological distress/hopelessness in both sexes, for young adults at risk of suicide. In summary, the study underscores the importance of recognizing the underlying factors that contribute to suicidal ideation among young adults, especially those with AUD, psychological distress, and hopelessness.

Correlates of Expressed Emotion Among Family Members of Individuals Who Sought Treatment for Opioid Use.

Expressed emotion has been robustly associated with negative mental health outcomes. Understanding correlates of expressed emotion by family members of individuals with opioid use disorder is important, as this group faces high levels of stress and can play an important role in their loved ones' treatment. Thus, immediate family members of individuals who sought treatment for opioid problems (N = 195) completed a web-based survey that included measures of expressed emotion, self-stigma, social support, and demographic characteristics. Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to examine correlates of two types of expressed emotion-criticism and emotional overinvolvement. Results indicated that higher self-stigma and lower social support were significantly associated with higher emotional overinvolvement. Higher self-stigma and having experienced debt related to a family member's opioid use were associated with higher criticism. Thus, self-stigma and financial burden may exacerbate likelihood of expressed emotion, whereas social support may buffer against expressed emotion.

Correlates of Serosorting and Knowledge of Sexual Partner's HIV Status Among Men Who have Sex with Men in Ukraine.

Ukraine has among the highest rates of newly diagnosed HIV infections in the WHO European region. Men who have sex with men (MSM) is the least studied group in the context of the HIV epidemics in Ukraine. The present paper aims to estimate the prevalence and correlates of knowledge of sexual partner's HIV status and potentially discordant anal intercourse (failure to serosort) among MSM. Data of the cross-sectional study among 8100 MSM in Ukraine in 2013 were used for this analysis. Less than half of the participants (42.5%) reported that they knew the HIV serostatus of their most recent male sexual partner, and about 13% of participants reported failure to serosort during their most recent anal sexual intercourse with a male partner. Targeted interventions can be implemented to increase knowledge about sexual partner's HIV status, both among HIV-negative and HIV-positive MSM, to reduce the risk of HIV acquisition and transmission.

Predictors of Parental Use of Corporal Punishment in Ukraine.

Despite a great deal of evidence that corporal punishment is harmful, corporal punishment is still very prevalent worldwide. We examine predictors of different types of corporal punishment among Ukrainian mothers in 12 communities across Ukraine. Findings suggest that maternal spirituality, maternal coping styles, family communication, and some demographic characteristics are predictive of mothers' use of corporal punishment.

Correlates of HIV and Inconsistent Condom Use Among Female Sex Workers in Ukraine.

While female sex workers (FSWs) carry one of the highest risks of HIV transmission, little is known about predictors of HIV and risky behavior of FSWs in Ukraine. In this study of 4806 Ukrainian FSWs, the prevalence of HIV was 5.6 %. FSWs had higher odds to be HIV infected if they had lower income, were older, injected drugs, experienced violence, and solicited clients on highways. Inconsistent condom use with clients was reported by 34.5 % of FSWs. FSWs who solicited clients at railway stations, via media, through previous clients and other FSWs, and on highways reported lower consistency of condom use. Furthermore, inconsistent condom use was related to younger age, alcohol use, having fewer clients, not being covered with HIV prevention, and experiences of violence. The present study expands on the rather limited knowledge of correlates of the HIV and inconsistent condom use among FSWs in Ukraine.

Association between Current Substance Use, Healthy Behaviors, and Depression among Ukrainian College Students.

Depression is a pervasive issue among college students worldwide, yet there is a significant gap in the literature regarding its prevalence and coping strategies in the Ukrainian context. The present study aims to fill this gap by investigating how substance use and health-promoting behaviors relate to depressive symptoms among Ukrainian college students. Health-promoting behaviors are an important strategy to prevent depression, whereas substance use can contribute to depression or make it harder to manage. Given the substantial psychosocial problems and stressors related to the ongoing war in Ukraine and the limited availability of mental health services for college students, it is important to understand how we can encourage college students to keep themselves mentally healthy. A cross-sectional study was conducted among college students on 10 campuses in 2018. Almost 16% of participants met a cut-off for depression. Female students and those who were older reported significantly higher depressive symptoms. Participants were more likely to report depressive symptoms if they were more often involved with alcohol and cannabis use, were older, and engaged in fewer health-promoting behaviors. Tobacco use was not significantly associated with depressive symptoms. Our findings suggest a moderate prevalence of depressive symptoms in our study population. We recommend implementing balanced public health interventions that address risk factors (such as substance use) while also promoting protective behaviors and can be tailored to the specific cultural and environmental context of the region.

Bullying Victimization and Suicidal Thoughts: Emotional Distress and Neighborhood Conditions.

The study aims to examine (1) the association between bullying victimization and suicidal thoughts and (2) neighborhood conditions as a moderated mediated model of the association between bullying victimization, emotional distress, and suicidal thoughts. The sample consists of 414 African American youths (ages 12-17) in Chicago's Southside neighborhoods. Variables included suicidal thoughts, bullying victimization, emotional distress, neighborhood conditions, age, sex, and government assistance. Analyses included descriptive statistics, bivariate correlations, and multivariate regression analyses. The study found that bullying victimization was not directly associated with suicidal thoughts. However, bullying victimization was positively associated with emotional distress, which was related to suicidal thoughts. Moreover, emotional distress as a mediator of the association between bullying victimization and suicidal thoughts was observed when neighborhood conditions were a moderator. The findings suggest that bullying victimization and suicidal thoughts are major concerns for African American adolescents, and prevention and intervention need to be cost-effective.

Parenting practices, bullying perpetration, and conduct problems among Ukrainian children.

BACKGROUND: Positive and consistent parenting practices are associated with the positive mental health of children. However, little is understood about the implications of the Russian military invasion on family dynamics in Ukraine. OBJECTIVE: This research aims to estimate the prevalence of childhood conduct disorder (CD) and bullying perpetration and their association with parenting practices among Ukrainian children living in proximity to the war. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: The sample included 2763 Ukrainian children ranging in age from 10 to 17 years (M = 12.6, SD = 1.23), 56.23 % girls. Children attended public secondary schools in Eastern Ukraine, mostly in Kharkiv and Kharkiv oblasts (regions). METHODS: Children reported on sociodemographic characteristics, parenting practices, CD, and bullying perpetration using smartphones, computers, or tablets, at home or in school IT classrooms. Data were collected on a secure online platform. RESULTS: Children reported teasing (23.68 %), spreading rumors (24.51 %), helping to harass (17.31 %), threatening to hurt or hit (21.65 %) other students, breaking rules (28.13 %), getting in fights (17.13 %), cheating (43.16 %), and being spanked by parents (30 %). Also, 1.83 % of girls and 3.43 % of boys met a borderline cutoff for CD. Lack of parent involvement was associated with increased CD and bullying risks. Poor parent monitoring, inconsistent discipline, and corporal punishment were associated with increasaed CD but not with bullying. CD mediated the association of poor monitoring, inconsistent discipline, and corporal punishment with bullying. CONCLUSION: Parental involvement, monitoring, consistent discipline, and avoidance of physical punishments are important practices that can reduce disruptive behavior and aggressive tendencies among Ukrainian children affected by the Russian war.

From Exposure to Violence between Mother and Her Intimate Partner to Suicidality Experienced by Urban Adolescents in Chicago's Southside.

Although the relationship between exposure to intimate partner violence and youths' psychological and other wellbeing has been widely studied, there is limited research about how youths' exposure to violence between mother and her intimate partner may be related to youth psychological wellbeing. The study used a sample of urban adolescents in Chicago Southbound to examine whether youths' exposure to verbal conflict between mother and her intimate partner is related to their suicidality and whether youth depression and aggression may be in between such a linkage. Our findings indicated that one-third of the youth had suicidal thoughts or suicidal/self-hurting attempts. Youths' exposure to verbal conflict between mother and her intimate partner was associated with their depressive and aggressive symptoms, and depressive symptoms subsequently were linked to suicidality. The findings also showed that youth depressive symptoms and aggressive symptoms were positively correlated, which may influence their associations with suicidality. We concluded that youth exposure to parental intimate partner violence, even comparatively mild forms such as a verbal conflict between mother and her intimate partner, may increase their risk of suicidality by worsening psychological wellbeing. The findings highlight the importance of tackling youth suicidality risks while accounting for their exposure to intimate partner violence including verbal conflicts between parents.

Internalizing and Externalizing Behaviors among Ukrainian Children: The Role of Family Communication and Maternal Coping.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to explore the relationship of mother's ways of coping with stress and family communication with the child internalizing and externalizing behaviors in Ukraine. METHODS: In a cross-sectional sample of 294 mother-and-child (9-16 years of age) Ukrainian dyads, mothers answered questions from the revised Ways of Coping Checklist, FACES Family Communication scale, Child Behavior Checklist, and questions about their sociodemographic characteristics. RESULTS: Robust regression results suggest increased internalizing behaviors were statistically associated with poor family communication (b = -.19, 95% CI [-.30, -.08], p<.01), maternal coping by accepting responsibility (b = 2.14, 95% CI [.44, 3.84], p<0.05), escape-avoidance (b = 3.79, 95% CI [1.00, 6.58], p<0.01), planful problem solving (b=2.80, 95% CI [.61, 4.99], p<0.05), child female gender (b = -2.53, 95% CI [-4.22, -.83], p<.01) and lower family income (b = -.003, 95% CI [-.006, -.0001], p<.01). Increased child externalizing behaviors were statistically associated with maternal seeking social support (b = 3.25, 95% CI [1.06, 5.43], p<.01), decreased positive reappraisal (b = -1.52, 95% CI [-2.91, -.12], p <.05), maternal unemployment (b = -2.80, 95% CI [-5.30, -.30], p<.05), poor family communication (b = .46, 95% CI [-.59, -.34], p<.001), and child male gender (b = 3.48, 95%CI [1.53, 5.44], p<.01). Poor family communication was linked with significantly higher increase in internalizing behaviors for girls compared to boys (b = .17, 95% CI [.03, .32], p<.05). CONCLUSIONS: When examining child internalizing and externalizing behaviors it is important to consider the role of family communication and maternal coping.

Gender Differences in Suicidal Behaviors: Mediation Role of Psychological Distress Between Alcohol Abuse/Dependence and Suicidal Behaviors.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among emerging adults ages 18 to 25. AIMS: To examine gender differences on the mediation effect of psychological distress between alcohol abuse or dependence (AAD) and suicidal behaviors (ideation, plan, and attempt). METHOD: The current study used the 2014 NSDUH public use data. Young adults aged 18 to 25 years (M = 21.02) old were selected as study participants. The three outcome variables were suicide ideation, plan, and attempt. AAD was an independent variable. As a mediation variable, psychological distress was used to test the research questions. The mediation effect was tested by using bootstrapping methods with the SPSS version of the macro (PROCESS version 2.16) developed by Preacher and Hayes. RESULTS: Six separate mediation analyses (three for a male and three for a female group) were conducted for different types of suicidal behaviors including ideation, plan, and attempt. Overall, psychological distress mediated the association between AAD and suicidal behaviors, except the relationship between AAD and suicide attempts among the male young adults group. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the current study provide specific directions for practitioners to reduce suicide rates among young adults who are at risk for suicidal behavior.

Relationship Between Alcohol Use, Spirituality, and Coping.

Authors investigated a relationship between the frequency of alcohol consumption, spirituality, and coping with everyday life events in a cross-sectional, community-based sample of 320 adults in Ukraine, the country with one of the highest alcohol consumption levels in the world. Face-to-face interviews with participants took place in rural and urban locations across Eastern, Southern, and Central Ukraine. Results of the ordinary least-squares regression suggest that a higher frequency of alcohol consumption was related with the lower use of positive reappraisal (ß = -.27, p < .001), higher use of escape-avoidance (ß = .23, p < .01) and confrontive (ß = .15, p < .05) coping strategies, lower spirituality (ß = -.20, p < .001), and younger age (ß = -.11, p < .05). On the whole, current findings suggest that specific coping behaviors, younger age, and lower spirituality are involved in higher frequency of alcohol consumption among Ukrainian adults.

Family factors and parenting in Ukraine.

The present study aimed to estimate the use of positive and negative parenting practices in Ukraine and explore relationships between parenting practices, intimate partner violence (IPV), alcohol use, and sociodemographics. Parents of children (N=320) ages 9-16 from three Ukrainian regions answered questions from the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire (APQ), the Revised Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS-R), Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale (FACES), and the Alcohol Use Section of the Drinking and Drug History and Current Use Patterns questionnaire. Ukrainian parents who reported lower use of alcohol, balanced family functioning and lower intimate partner violence were more likely to use positive parenting and less likely to use negative parenting practices. Parents with lower education were more likely to use negative parenting practices. Furthermore, alcohol use, IPV, parent education and higher family income were significantly and indirectly related with positive and negative parenting scores. The model explained 61% of variance in the positive parenting, 67% in the negative parenting.

The Relationship Between Family, Parent, and Child Characteristics and Intimate-Partner Violence (IPV) Among Ukrainian Mothers.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) in a sample of Ukrainian mothers of schoolchildren, and to examine the relationship between IPV and family, parent, and child characteristics utilizing multilevel models. METHOD: Mothers of children aged 9-16 (n = 278, 93.5% Ukrainians) answered the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS2) assessing IPV. We also examined the relationship between IPV and maternal age, education, employment and marital status, family income, and rural or urban residence. RESULTS: Eighty-one percent of women reported psychological violence and 58% reported physical assault. On average, women reported 66 instances of IPV during the last year. Multilevel modeling revealed that lower maternal education, unemployment, not living with the husband or partner, and urban residency were associated with higher IPV victimization. Younger age and family income were not significantly related to IPV. CONCLUSIONS: IPV was a significant social problem in the present sample of Ukrainian mothers of school age children. Future policy and violence prevention programming should focus on supporting academic and employment opportunities for women, particularly for those living in urban areas.

Predictors of Internalizing Behaviors in Ukrainian Children.

OBJECTIVE: To (a) estimate the level of child internalizing problems in a sample of Ukrainian school-age children and (b) examine the relationships between child internalizing psychopathology and parenting practices, depression, alcohol use, and sociodemographics. BACKGROUND: Most research on child internalizing behaviors has used samples from high-income countries, but there is a lack of information about children's behaviors and associated risk and protective factors from low- and middle-income countries such as Ukraine. An ecological-transactional model framework was used in this study to examine maternal and family-level factors associated with child internalizing behavior problems. METHOD: Data were gathered from a community-based sample of Ukrainian mothers and children between 9 and 16 years of age (n = 251) using face-to-face interviews. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to examine the relationship among the independent variables (e.g., alcohol use, depression, and parenting behaviors) and children's internalizing behaviors. RESULTS: Older children, especially boys, reported fewer internalizing problems. Increased internalizing symptomatology was associated with mothers' older age, higher level of depression, lower use of positive parenting, and poor child monitoring and supervision. CONCLUSION: These results raise awareness about the importance of child familial backgrounds while trying to address child mental health problems in Ukraine. IMPLICATIONS: Family practitioners may want to help mothers learn and apply positive parenting and effective supervision and monitoring skills to help reduce their children's depression and anxiety symptoms. Additionally, helping to decrease maternal depression may have a positive trickle-down effect on their children's internalizing behaviors.

Externalizing behaviors of Ukrainian children: The role of parenting.

The purpose of this study was to assess the association of positive and negative parenting with child externalizing problems. Quantitative data were collected during face-to-face interviews with 320 parents of children 9-16 years of age (50% males) in 11 communities in Eastern, Southern, and Central Ukraine. The study estimated the relationship between parenting practices and child externalizing behaviors such as aggression, delinquency, and attention problems. Results revealed that positive parenting, child monitoring, and avoidance of corporal punishment were associated with fewer child externalizing symptoms. Results also indicated that child male gender and single parenting had significant and positive association with child externalizing behaviors. This study extends international psychosocial knowledge on children and families. These findings can be used to design programs and foster dialogs about the role of family and social environments in the development of externalizing disorder among researchers, representatives of governmental and nongovernmental organizations, and mass media that work with child abuse prevention in Ukraine.

Strengthening positive parenting through intervention: evaluating the Moms' Empowerment Program for women experiencing intimate partner violence.

This study examined the effectiveness of an evidence-based intervention in changing the positive and negative parenting practices of 120 mothers who experienced intimate partner violence (IPV) in the last 2 years. Mothers assigned to the treatment group participated in a 10-session evidence-based intervention, known as the Moms' Empowerment Program, which targets the mental health problems of women and works to increase access to resources and improve parenting abilities of women exposed to IPV. Participants were interviewed at baseline and immediately following the intervention or waitlist period, representing an elapsed time of approximately 5 weeks. After controlling for relevant demographic variables, violence severity, and mental health, women showed significantly more change in their positive parenting scores if they were in the treatment condition. No significant differences were found between the treatment and comparison groups in their negative parenting practices change scores. These findings suggest that even short-term intervention can improve positive parenting skills and parenting knowledge for women who have experienced partner abuse.