As Much As I Can - Utilizing Immersive Theatre to Reduce HIV-Related Stigma and Discrimination Toward Black Sexual Minority Men.

BACKGROUND: Despite advances in biomedical HIV prevention modalities such as pre-exposure prophylaxis to prevent the transmission of HIV, racial/ethnic and sexual/gender minority populations are disproportionately impacted by HIV epidemic. Alarming rates of HIV have persisted among Black gay and bisexual men, particularly in Southern states. METHODS: Utilizing data from the ViiV ACCELERATE! initiative, we explored the impact of As Much As I Can, an immersive theatre production, on HIV-related stigma behaviors. A self-administered post-performance survey was conducted with a cohort (n = 322) of randomly selected audience members. RESULTS: Overall, the results showed participants had a highly favorable experience, rating the performance with a mean score of 9.77/10. Respondents indicated they intended to change behaviors to promote HIV prevention education and to reduce stigma and discrimination including: (1) Say something if I hear stigmatizing language against people living with HIV (75.4%), (2) Say something if I hear anti-gay language (69.7%) and (3) Tell others about HIV prevention options (e.g., PrEP, PEP, condoms (64.1%). The findings show there is an association between HIV-related behavior intention and linkage to HIV care. Respondents who reported they were more likely to say something about HIV stigma were almost three times (O.R. 2.77; 95% C.I. 0.98-7.8) more likely to indicate they would follow up with a healthcare professional. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that immersive theatre is an effective method for communicating HIV prevention education and reducing HIV-related structural stigma and discrimination that increases HIV vulnerability for Black sexual minority men.

Processo transexualizador no sus: questões para a psicologia a partir de itinerários terapêuticos e despatologização / Proceso transexualizador en el sus: cuestiones para la psicología desde itinerarios terapêuticos y despatologización / Transexualizing process in the sus: questions for psychology from therapeutic itinetaries and depathologization

RESUMO. Trata-se de uma pesquisa qualitativa, des critiva e exploratória, realizada no Tratamento Fora de Domicílio, na cidade de Cuiabá-MT, Brasil, que objetivou levantar reflexões sobre os itinerários terapêuticos de pessoas trans, na busca pelo Processo Transexualizador. Participaram três homens trans, duas mulheres trans e uma mulher travesti, com faixa etária de 21 a 32 anos. Os da dos foram coletados por entrevistas semiestruturadas e analisados mediante análise de conteúdo. Os resultados mostram que essas pessoas trans seguem trajetórias diver sas, procurando serviços institucionalizados ou informais (redes de socialidade trans), para a afirmação de suas identidades de gênero. Destacam-se entraves atinentes à patologização, ao acolhimento, à continuidade do cuidado, à resolutividade e à referência na rede de atenção do processo transexualizador. Observaram-se importantes pontos críticos na assistência social, endocrinológica e para a psicologia, sendo a peregrinação pelos serviços de saúde demarcada por constantes discriminações institucionais, permitindo a compreensão de como o sistema de saúde se organiza em relação ao atendimento dessas pessoas, elencando questões para o trabalho da psicologia, nesse campo, a partir de uma perspectiva da experiência e materialidade do gênero.

RESUMEN. Esta es una investigación cualitativa, descriptiva y exploratoria realizada en el tratamiento fuera del domicilio en la ciudad de Cuiabá, Brasil, que tuvo como objetivo plantear reflexiones sobre los itinerarios terapéuticos de las personas trans en la búsqueda del proceso transexual. Participaron tres hombres trans, 2 mujeres trans y 1 mujer travesti de 21 a 32 años. Los datos fueron recogidos a través de entrevistas semiestructuradas y fueron analizados mediante el Análisis de Contenido. Los resultados muestran que estas personas trans siguen caminos divergentes en busca de servicios institucionalizados o informales (redes sociales trans) para afirmar sus identidades de género. Se destacan los obstáculos relacionados con la patologización, acogida, la continuidad de la atención, la resolución y la referencia en la red de atención del Proceso Transexualizador. Se observaron puntos críticos importantes en la asistencia social, la endocrinología y la psicología, em que la peregrinación por los servicios de salud es delimitada por la constante discriminación institucional que permite comprender cómo se organiza el sistema de salud en relación con la atención de estas personas que señalan los problemas para el trabajo de la Psicología en este campo desde una perspectiva de experiencia y materialidad de género

ABSTRACT. This qualitative, descriptive and exploratory research conducted in the Away from Home Treatment (Tratamento Fora de Domicílio [TFD]), in Cuiabá, Brazil, aimed to raise reflections on the therapeutic process itineraries of trans people in the search for the Transsexualizer Process (Processo Transexual [PT]). Three transgender men, two transgender women and one transvestite woman participated. They were aged between 21 and 32 years. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using Content Analysis. The results show that trans people follow different itineraries, looking for institutionalized or informal services (trans sociality networks) to affirm their gender identities. Obstacles related to pathologization, reception, continuity of care, resolution and reference in the care network of the Transsexualizer Process stand out. Important critical points were observed in social, endocrinological and psychological care. The pilgrimage by health services was marked by constant institutional discrimination, allowing for the understanding of how the health system is organized concerning the care of these people, listing issues for the work of Psychology, in this field, from a perspective of the experience and materiality of gender.

Exposure to Adverse Events and Associations with Stress Levels and the Practice of Yoga: Survey Findings from a Population-Based Study of Diverse Emerging Young Adults.

Objectives: This study examines the prevalence of exposure to adverse events and associations with stress levels among a diverse population-based sample of young people. The study further explores whether these vulnerable populations, who have the potential to benefit from the mind-body practice of yoga, engage in a regular yoga practice. Design: EAT 2018 (Eating and Activity over Time) is a population-based study in which survey data were collected from 1568 ethnically/racially diverse (81.2% nonwhite) emerging young adults (mean age: 22.0 ± 2.0 years). Results: Exposure to adverse events was highly prevalent. For example, 43.9% reported at least one adverse childhood experience (ACE) (e.g., physical, emotional, or sexual abuse before age 18), whereas 40.1% reported experiencing discrimination. Exposure to adverse events was associated with higher stress levels. Practicing yoga at least 30 min/week was reported by 12.7% of the population, with variation across sociodemographic characteristics. Young adults exposed to adverse events were either more or similarly likely to practice yoga than young adults not reporting adverse events. Conclusions: The high prevalence of exposure to adverse events and associations with higher levels of stress points to a need for public health interventions. Thus, it was promising to find that young people exposed to adverse events, who may have greater emotional burdens, practice yoga at equal or greater proportions to those without these exposures. Given the potential benefits of yoga for populations living with high stress, it is important to develop further outreach efforts and provide accessible, acceptable, and affordable opportunities for practicing yoga.

Folk theories of gender and anti-transgender attitudes: Gender differences and policy preferences.

Transgender rights and discrimination against transgender people are growing public policy issues. Theorizing from social, cognitive, and evolutionary psychology suggests that beyond attitudes, discrimination against transgender people may derive from folk theories about what gender is and where it comes from. Transgender identity is met with hostility, in part, because it poses a challenge to the lay view that gender is determined at birth, and based on observable physical and behavioral characteristics. Here, in two pre-registered studies (N = 1323), we asked American adults to indicate the gender of a transgender target who either altered their biology through surgical interventions or altered their outward appearance: to what extent is it their birth-assigned gender or their self-identified gender? Responses correlate strongly with affect toward transgender people, measured by feeling thermometers, yet predict views on transgender people's right to use their preferred bathrooms above and beyond feelings. Compared to male participants, female participants judge the person's gender more in line with the self-identified gender than the birth-assigned gender. This is consistent with social and psychological theories that posit high status (e.g., men) and low status (e.g., women) members of social classification systems view group hierarchies in more and less essentialist ways respectively. Gender differences in gender category beliefs decrease with religiosity and conservatism, and are smaller in higher age groups. These results suggest that folk theories of gender, or beliefs about what gender is and how it is determined have a unique role in how transgender people are viewed and treated. Moreover, as evident by the demographic variability of gender category beliefs, folk theories are shaped by social and cultural forces and are amenable to interventions. They offer an alternative pathway to measure policy support and possibly change attitude toward transgender people.

School and Family Factors Predicting Adolescent Cognition Regarding Bystander Intervention in Response to Bullying and Victim Retaliation.

Youth aggression occurs at high rates. Aggressive acts can be curbed through bystander intervention; yet, little is known about school and family factors that predict bystander intervention in response to both aggression and victim retaliation. This research examines school and family factors related to standing up to aggression and intervening before possible retaliation occurs. Participants included 6th and 9th graders (N = 896, 52.8% female), who evaluated how likely they would be to intervene if they observed aggression and if they heard the victim was planning to retaliate. Family and school factors are important predictors of bystander intervention, with higher family management, and more positive school climate associated with greater likelihood of intervention and higher feelings of social exclusion and teacher and peer discrimination associated with inactive responses to aggression and retaliation. Thus, a complex constellation of factors relate to the likelihood of intervening if someone is being victimized or considering retaliation in response to victimization. The results provide guidance and new directions for possible school- and family-based interventions to encourage bystander intervention in instances of aggression.

Gendered Safety and Health Risks in the Construction Trades.

Objectives: Despite women's increased representation in the overall workforce, construction remains a male-dominated industry. Prior studies have noted that the hazardous workplace environment combined with a culture that can be discriminatory and openly hostile can threaten women workers' health and safety. However, little information exists about the current physical and psychosocial hazards at work affecting tradeswomen. Methods: We examined differences in workplace exposure between women and men, and the association of these exposures with self-reported stress and work injury, in order to highlight how gendered conditions of work negatively affect tradeswomen's health. A holistic view of health that included the influence of both home and work spheres as well as hazards related to women's social experience was considered. Almost 300 workers (198 tradeswomen and 93 tradesmen) throughout Washington State completed surveys. We used descriptive statistics to compare exposures between genders, and logistic regression to model the association between psychosocial exposures and injury and stress outcomes. Results: We found that women were significantly more likely than men to report high perceived stress (31 and 18%, respectively) and being injured at work in the past year (31 and 12%, respectively). Ten of the 12 work-related psychosocial exposures were found to be associated with either stress (job strain, gender and age discrimination, bullying, work/life balance, isolation, sexual harassment, safety climate, and social support) or injury (gender discrimination, bullying, overcompensation, and sexual harassment) for women. Conclusions: The industry continues to lag in supporting tradeswomen's health and safety needs. This study suggests that multiple exposures (including discrimination, overcompensation, and work/life balance) have an important impact on worker well-being. The findings underscore the complex interaction of gender, psychosocial exposures, and occupational risks, and indicate areas for intervention.

Preliminary psychometric evaluation of the micro-condescension scale for individuals in substance use treatment.

Background: Stigma and discrimination are often experienced by individuals going through substance use treatment, and can influence treatment seeking, retention, and outcomes including long-term recovery. Aims: The aim of the current study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Micro-Condescension Scale (MCS), a newly developed tool to measure individuals' perceptions of microlevel stigma and discrimination for seeking substance use treatment or being in recovery. Methods: The MCS was administered to individuals (n = 90) at the beginning and end of a mindfulness treatment program implemented in a substance use treatment facility in Southern California. Principal components analysis was used to evaluate the factor solution and psychometric analyses were applied to investigate reliability and validity of the MCS. Results: The principal component analysis yielded a single factor solution for the 12-item scale. Cronbach's alpha was 0.93 at treatment entry (pretest) and 0.91 at treatment exit (posttest). The scale showed acceptable test-retest reliability and correlated with measures of impulsivity, perceived devaluation-discrimination scores, and self-awareness in cross-sectional and prospective analyses. Discussion: Following additional validation research, future studies on discriminatory experiences and substance use treatment outcomes should consider using the MCS due to its brevity and acceptable psychometric properties.

Trends in cultural psychiatry in the United kingdom.

Cultural psychiatry in the United Kingdom exhibits unique characteristics closely related to its history as a colonial power, its relationship with Commonwealth countries and the changing socio-demographic characteristics of its diverse population throughout the centuries. It is not surprising, therefore, that the emergence of this discipline was centred around issues of race and religion. After a brief historical review of the development of cultural psychiatry and the mention of pioneering intellectual and academic figures, as well as the evolvement of the field in organizations such as the Royal College of Psychiatrists, this chapter examines the need of a critical cultural psychiatry, more than a narrative social science distanced from the realities of clinical practice. In such context, issues such as policies and experience with efforts to delivering race equality, and address inequities in a renewed public health approach seem to confer British cultural psychiatry with a defined socially active role aimed at the pragmatic management, understanding and improvement of diverse and alternative systems of care and care practices.