The Intersection of Human Trafficking and Natural Disasters: A Scoping Review.

Natural disasters have increased in frequency and severity in recent years. Emerging research also suggests that natural disasters increase the risk of human trafficking. This confluence of phenomena makes it critically important to better prepare communities for preventing and responding to human trafficking during and after a natural disaster. Yet, there is no available synthesis of the extant research to inform these preparations. The present scoping review aims to fill this gap by outlining the existing literature on the nexus of disasters and human trafficking. The review follows the Preferred Reporting Items of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis-Scoping Review guidelines. Sources were identified through manual reference checking and in four databases: PubMed, Web of Science, APA PsychINFO, and EBSCO Discovery Service. In total, 46 sources met the inclusion criteria, that is, they focused on the nexus between human trafficking and natural disasters, demonstrated scientific rigor, and were published after 2000 and in English. Overall, the reviewed literature provided initial evidence on the association between natural disasters occurrences and increases in national and transnational human trafficking activity, understanding of the compounding vulnerabilities conducive to trafficking following disasters, and recommendations for the prevention and response to human trafficking in the wake of disasters. Future studies should evaluate prevention initiatives, including awareness campaigns and interventions that mitigate trafficking vulnerabilities. In practice, it is crucial to integrate anti-trafficking efforts into disaster relief protocols, empower vulnerable populations, and advocate for enhanced legal protections for displaced and migrant individuals.

Detainee and layperson's expectations and preferences regarding police interview rooms.

Emerging research on how suspects perceive the physical environment during investigative interviews yields contrasting findings. While previous studies have suggested that a room made to be physically comfortable may be optimal for interviewing suspects, another study found it can instead lead to higher suspicion of the investigator's intentions. The current study examined current detainees' and general population participants' beliefs about a room that resembled a "typical" interview room, and one decorated to be warm, inviting, and comfortable. Participants also provided descriptive information about their perceptions of police interview environments (e.g., preferences, expectations). We hypothesized that the decorated room would elicit higher ratings of suspicion and wariness compared to the "typical" room. Our findings showed that, overall, participants expected to be interviewed in the "typical" room but preferred the decorated one. Contrary to our expectations, they rated the "typical" room higher on feelings of suspicion than the decorated room. The decorated room also corresponded with what participants reported to be an environment that promotes disclosure. These results bode well for conducting investigative interviews in comfortable environments.

Development and Open Trial of a Depression Preventive Intervention for Adolescents With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

Adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at elevated risk for experiencing unipolar depressive symptoms and disorders. The current study describes the development of a behaviorally oriented depression preventive intervention tailored for adolescents with ADHD targeting variables empirically shown to mediate ADHD and depression (i.e., reward responsivity, emotion regulation, and family support). Eight adolescents with a history of ADHD and currently elevated depressive symptoms and their parents participated in an open trial of the Behaviorally Enhancing Adolescents' Mood (BEAM) program. Adolescents and their parents reported high satisfaction with BEAM. Staff reported BEAM was easy to implement with high adherence. Following BEAM, there were significant reductions in parent-report of adolescents' depressive symptoms and emotion regulation at posttreatment and the 6-week follow-up and adolescent-report of reward responsivity at posttreatment. Case vignettes are also provided to illustrate implementation of the BEAM program. In spite of the small sample, lack of a control group, and some discrepancies across informants, results overall support the feasibility and acceptability of the BEAM program, and suggest it has promise in reducing depressive symptoms in adolescents with ADHD.