The long and winding road: Pathways from basic research to implementation and evaluation.

In this article, we celebrate Dante Cicchetti's extensive contributions to the discipline of developmental psychopathology. In his seminal article, he articulated why developmental psychopathology was imperative to create research portfolios that could inform the causes, consequences, and trajectories for adults often initiated by early lived experiences (Cicchetti, 1984). In this three-part article, we share our transdisciplinary efforts to use developmental psychopathology as a foundational theory from which to develop, implement, and evaluate interventions for populations who experienced early adversity or who were at risk for child abuse and neglect. After describing interventions conducted at Mt. Hope Family Center that spanned over three decades, we highlight the criticality of disseminating results and address policy implications of this work. We conclude by discussing future directions to facilitate work in developmental psychopathology. Currently, one of three national National Institute of Child Health and Human Development-funded child abuse and neglect centers, we look forward to continuing to build upon Dante's efforts to disseminate this important work to improve society for our children, our nation's often most vulnerable and forgotten citizens.

Motivation and accessing care among drug treatment court involved women: A sequential, mixed-methods approach.

Drug treatment courts (DTC) address substance use disorders (SUD) but not cooccurrencing HIV or hepatitis C virus (HCV). This pilot explored feasibility and preliminary outcomes of the Women's Initiative Supporting Health (WISH) intervention and health-related motivation, both based in self-determination theory (SDT) regarding HIV/HCV and SUD treatment. WISH feasibility study: 79 DTC women completed a one-time survey regarding motivation and willingness to engage in future interventions. WISH intervention: 22 women from DTC with SUD and HIV or HCV received a 6-session, peer motivational enhancement health behavior-oriented interventions. Recruitment strategies were feasible. SDT-based measures demonstrated internal consistency in this under-studied population, with perceived competence/autonomy associationed with motivation to reduce HIV/HCV/SUD risk. Women DTC participants indicated acceptance and showed internally consistent results in SDT-based motivation measures These WISH feasibility and intervention pilot studies lay a foundation for future studies addressing motivation to access healthcare among women DTC participants.

Methodologic Approaches for Using Electronic Medical Records to Identify Experiences of Violence in Transgender and Cisgender People: Closing the Gap Between Diagnostic Coding and Lived Experiences.

BACKGROUND: Transgender people experience extreme rates of violence and the electronic medical record (EMR) remains a mostly untapped resource to study the medical sequelae of such experiences. OBJECTIVES: To develop and test a method for identifying experiences of violence using EMR data. RESEARCH DESIGN: Cross-sectional study utilizing EMR data. PEOPLE: Transgender and cisgender people seen at a regional referral center in Upstate New York. MEASURES: We tested the utility of keyword searches and structured data queries to identify specific types of violence at various ages and in various contexts among cohorts of transgender and cisgender people. We compared the effectiveness of keyword searches to diagnosis codes and a screening question, "Are you safe at home?" using McNemar's test. We compared the prevalence of various types of violence between transgender and cisgender cohorts using the χ 2 test of independence. RESULTS: Of the transgender cohort, 47% had experienced some type of violence versus 14% of the cisgender cohort (χ 2P value <0.001). Keywords were significantly more effective than structured data at identifying violence among both cohorts (McNemar P values all <0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Transgender people experience extreme amounts of violence throughout their lives, which is better identified and studied using keyword searches than structured EMR data. Policies are urgently needed to stop violence against transgender people. Interventions are also needed to ensure safe documentation of violence in EMRs to improve care across settings and aid research to develop and implement effective interventions.

Experiences of Transgender People Reviewing Their Electronic Health Records, a Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND: The 21st Century Cures Act and the OpenNotes movement have brought patients immediate access to their electronic health records (EHRs). The experiences of marginalized people, including transgender people, accessing and reviewing their EHRs could inform documentation guidelines to improve patient-clinician rapport and reduce harm. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the experiences of transgender people reviewing EHRs. DESIGN: Qualitative study using community-engaged research and an interpretive description methodology. Participants were recruited via social media, snowball sampling was employed, and purposive sampling was used to ensure diversity in terms of age, race/ethnicity, and other factors. In focus groups, participants were asked to discuss their experiences reviewing their EHRs and, for those participants who were clinicians, their experiences reviewing other clinicians' documentation. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty transgender adults aged 20 to 67 years, including 10 clinicians. APPROACH: Digital audio-recordings of focus groups were transcribed verbatim. Content was analyzed to identify emerging essential elements and analysis was continued until no new themes emerged (i.e., saturation). KEY RESULTS: Four themes were noted. (1) Using the wrong name, pronoun, or gender marker for patients is common in the EHR, erodes trust, and causes trauma. (2) Various aspects of clinicians' notes contradict, blame, or stigmatize patients, across multiple axes of oppression. (3) Limitations of EHR capabilities create barriers to quality care. (4) Certain medical customs set the stage for marginalizing, objectifying, and pathologizing transgender people. CONCLUSIONS: Transgender people experience harm via various aspects of EHR documentation, suggesting that changes must be made to improve patient-clinician relationships and reduce ill-effects for patients.

Child maltreatment and youth suicide risk: A developmental conceptual model and implications for suicide prevention.

Experiences of child abuse and neglect are risk factors for youth suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Accordingly, suicide risk may emerge as a developmental process that is heavily influenced by the rearing environment. We argue that a developmental, theoretical framework is needed to guide future research on child maltreatment and youth (i.e., adolescent and emerging adult) suicide, and to subsequently inform suicide prevention efforts. We propose a developmental model that integrates principles of developmental psychopathology and current theories of suicide to explain the association between child maltreatment and youth suicide risk. This model bears significant implications for future research on child maltreatment and youth suicide risk, and for suicide prevention efforts that target youth with child maltreatment experiences.

A Randomized Clinical Trial of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia to Augment Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Treatment in Survivors of Interpersonal Violence.

INTRODUCTION: Individuals exposed to interpersonal violence (IPV) commonly develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with co-occurring depression and insomnia. Standard PTSD interventions such as cognitive processing therapy (CPT) do not typically lead to remission or improved insomnia. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTi) improves insomnia in individuals with PTSD, but PTSD severity remains elevated. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether sequential treatment of insomnia and PTSD is superior to treatment of only PTSD. METHODS: In a 20-week trial, 110 participants exposed to IPV who had PTSD, depression and insomnia were randomized to CBTi followed by CPT or to attention control followed by CPT. Primary outcomes following CBTi (or control) were the 6-week change in score on the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS), and the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D). Primary outcomes following CPT were the 20-week change in scores. RESULTS: At 6 weeks, the CBTi condition had greater reductions in ISI, HAM-D, and CAPS scores than the attention control condition. At 20 weeks, participants in the CBTi+CPT condition had greater reductions in ISI, HAM-D, and CAPS scores compared to control+CPT. Effects were larger for insomnia and for depression than for PTSD. Similar patterns were observed with respect to clinical response and remission. A tipping point sensitivity analyses supported the plausibility of the findings. CONCLUSIONS: The sequential delivery of CBTi and CPT had plausible, significant effects on insomnia, depression, and PTSD compared to CPT alone. The effects for PTSD symptoms were moderate and clinically meaningful.

Women's Motivators to Engage in Opioid Use Disorder Treatment While Enrolled in an Opioid Intervention Court.

IntroductionTo address the rising presence of opioid use disorder in the United States, states have begun to implement specialized opioid intervention courts to provide immediate support for individuals at risk of opioid overdose. The present study sought to understand the motivations of women to engage in treatment while enrolled in an opioid intervention court. MethodsWe conducted 31 in-depth, qualitative interviews with women enrolled in an opioid intervention court in Buffalo, NY, to better understand their motivation regarding opioid use treatment. The data indicated a combined social-ecological and self-determination theory framework. ResultsThematic analysis revealed four themes across the Social-Ecological Model that aligned with motivation-related needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness, as defined by Self-Determination Theory. Themes at each level of the Social-Ecological Model described either support for or undermining of women's motivation for treatment: (1) individual level: personal motivation for change, (2) interpersonal level: support for OUD treatment-related autonomy, competence, and relatedness, (3) community level: court systems provide pathways to treatment, and (4) society level: insufficient social resources can undermine competence. ConclusionsThe findings provide new insights into various factors across all levels of the Social-Ecological Model that influence motivation for opioid use disorder treatment among women enrolled in opioid intervention court. Results support the possibility to integrate programs rooted in Self-Determination Theory to support opioid use disorder treatment among justice-involved persons.

Transforming the paradigm of child welfare.

As a founder of the field of applied developmental psychology, Dr Edward Zigler promoted public policy that translated scientific knowledge into real-world programs to improve the outcomes of high-risk children and families. Many researchers, practitioners, and public policy proponents have sought to carry on his legacy through integration of empirical research, evidence-based prevention and intervention, and advocacy to address a range of challenges facing families with young children. To advance the field of child maltreatment, a multidisciplinary team of investigators from the Universities of Rochester and Minnesota partnered with the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to create the Translational Research that Adapts New Science FOR Maltreatment Prevention Center (Transform). Building on state-of-the-art research methodologies and clinical practices, Transform leverages theoretically grounded research and evidence-based interventions to optimize outcomes for individuals across the life span who have experienced, or may be at risk for, maltreatment. Inspired by the work of Dr Zigler, Transform is committed to bridging science and real-world practice. Therefore, in addition to creating new science, Transform's Community Engagement Core provides translational science to a broad audience of investigators, child-serving professionals, and parental and governmental stakeholders. This article describes Transform's purpose, theoretical framework, current activities, and future directions.

Demonstrated health care cost savings for women: findings from a community health worker intervention designed to address depression and unmet social needs.

To evaluate the impact of a community health worker intervention (CHW) (referred to as Personalized Support for Progress (PSP)) on all-cause health care utilization and cost of care compared with Enhanced Screening and Referral (ESR) among women with depression. A total of 223 patients (111 in PSP and 112 in ESR randomly assigned) from three women's health clinics with elevated depressive symptoms were enrolled in the study. Their electronic health records were queried to extract all-cause health care encounters along with the corresponding billing information 12 months before and after the intervention, as well as during the first 4-month intervention period. The health care encounters were then grouped into three mutually exclusive categories: high-cost (> US$1000 per encounter), medium-cost (US$201-$999), and low-cost (≤ US$200). A difference-in-difference analysis of mean total charge per patient between PSP and ESR was used to assess cost differences between treatment groups. The results suggest the PSP group was associated with a higher total cost of care at the baseline; taking this baseline difference into account, the PSP group was associated with lower mean total charge amounts (p = 0.008) as well as a reduction in the frequency of high-cost encounters (p < 0.001) relative to the ESR group during the post-intervention period. Patient-centered interventions that address unmet social needs in a high-cost population via CHW may be a cost-effective approach to improve quality of care and patient outcomes.

Quantitative Methods for Analyzing Intimate Partner Violence in Microblogs: Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: Social media is a rich, virtually untapped source of data on the dynamics of intimate partner violence, one that is both global in scale and intimate in detail. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to use machine learning and other computational methods to analyze social media data for the reasons victims give for staying in or leaving abusive relationships. METHODS: Human annotation, part-of-speech tagging, and machine learning predictive models, including support vector machines, were used on a Twitter data set of 8767 #WhyIStayed and #WhyILeft tweets each. RESULTS: Our methods explored whether we can analyze micronarratives that include details about victims, abusers, and other stakeholders, the actions that constitute abuse, and how the stakeholders respond. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings are consistent across various machine learning methods, which correspond to observations in the clinical literature, and affirm the relevance of natural language processing and machine learning for exploring issues of societal importance in social media.

Resilience in the midst of chaos: Socioecological model applied to women with depressive symptoms and socioeconomic disadvantage.

Socioeconomic disadvantage is extremely common among women with depressive symptoms presenting for women's health care. While social stressors related to socioeconomic disadvantage can contribute to depression, health care tends to focus on patients' symptoms in isolation of context. Health care providers may be more effective by addressing issues related to socioeconomic disadvantage. It is imperative to identify common challenges related to socioeconomic disadvantage, as well as sources of resilience. In this qualitative study, we interviewed 20 women's health patients experiencing depressive symptoms and socioeconomic disadvantage about their views of their mental health, the impact of social stressors, and their resources and skills. A Consensual Qualitative Research approach was used to identify domains consisting of challenges and resiliencies. We applied the socioecological model when coding the data and identified cross-cutting themes of chaos and distress, as well as resilience. These findings suggest the importance of incorporating context in the health care of women with depression and socioeconomic disadvantage.

Material Hardship and Mental Health Symptoms Among a Predominantly Low Income Sample of Pregnant Women Seeking Prenatal Care.

Introduction Although poverty is an established correlate of poorer mental health for pregnant women, limited research has examined the mental health effects of material hardship (i.e., difficulties meeting basic needs such as for food, transportation, or stable housing) during pregnancy. Methods The current research examined rates of material hardship among pregnant women seeking prenatal care and the relationships of both income and material hardship with depression and anxiety during pregnancy. Pregnant women (N = 892) responded to self-report measures of mental health symptoms, annual household income, and current material hardship in the waiting areas of community-based obstetrics/gynecology practices serving primarily financially disadvantaged patients. Results About 56% of the sample reported some form of material hardship. About 19% of the sample reported elevated depression, and 17% reported elevated anxiety. Both depression and anxiety were uniquely associated with lower income and greater material hardship, even after controlling for age, race/ethnicity, relationship status, and number of children in the home. Furthermore, material hardship partially mediated the effect of income on mental health symptoms. Discussion The physical, emotional, and social effects of deprivation of basic daily needs may contribute to pregnant women's experiences of mental health symptoms. These results converge with the broader literature focused on the social determinants of physical and mental health. When symptoms of depression and anxiety reflect distress related to material hardship, addressing unmet social needs may be more effective than mental health treatment.

Examining Associations Between Strangulation and Depressive Symptoms in Women With Intimate Partner Violence Histories.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is associated with poor mental health outcomes among women. Studies on IPV and mental health show that experiencing more than one type of IPV often enhances women's depression or depressive symptoms. However, most of these studies conceptualize IPV as physical, psychological, or sexual violence. Little is known about specific experiences of severe IPV, such as strangulation, that put victims at greater risk of lethality and serious injury and their association with women's depression. This study examined associations between IPV, strangulation, and depression among women using secondary data collected for a randomized clinical trial testing an integrated HIV-IPV prevention intervention for abused women. Women were recruited from healthcare service delivery organizations, Department of Health and Human Services, and family court. Women (n = 175) completed assessments on IPV, strangulation, mental health, social support, and self-esteem. The majority reported strangulation (n = 103) and depressive symptoms (n = 101). Women who experienced strangulation also reported more severe physical (p < .001), sexual (p < .001), and psychological (p < .001) abuse. However, in multivariate logistic regression with sociodemographics, violence variables, and strangulation, none of these variables were associated with a higher risk for depressive symptoms. Social support had a protective effect on depressive symptoms. Findings suggest strangulation is prevalent among abused women seeking services, warranting screening, assessment, and referral in these settings.

IDENTIFYING PREDICTORS OF SUBSTANCE USE AND RECIDIVISM OUTCOME TRAJECTORIES AMONG DRUG TREATMENT COURT CLIENTS.

Drug treatment court (DTC) is a diversion program for individuals with drug-related crimes. However, the DTC literature is conflicting with regard to substance use and recidivism outcomes. This study examines factors associated with improved client outcome trajectories among a multisite, national DTC sample. We conducted a secondary analysis of 2,295 participants using the Global Appraisal of Individual Needs assessment tool. Participants in community-based treatment comprised a nonequivalent comparison group. Zero-inflated Poisson (ZIP) regression examined client sociodemographics in relation to substance use and rearrest at 6-month follow-up. Employed DTC clients were more likely to abstain from substances, but among all study participants, higher baseline use, male gender, and employment predicted substance use. Similarly, among DTC clients, older age and employment predicted no rearrests, but among all study participants, older and employed individuals had worse arrest outcome trajectories. Future work is needed to better understand how client characteristics may inform individualized treatment approaches.

Narrative Exposure Therapy: A Proposed Model to Address Intimate Partner Violence-Related PTSD in Parenting and Pregnant Adolescents.

Pregnant and parenting adolescents experience high rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) and its sequelae posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. Narrative exposure therapy (NET) is an innovative intervention that has demonstrated strong preliminary evidence in improving mental health. The specific aims of this article are 3-fold: (1) provide a brief background about IPV-related PTSD and depression among pregnant and parenting adolescents; (2) describe NET's theoretical principles, its therapeutic process, and provide a review of existing evidence; and (3) discuss NET as a potential treatment to address the mental health burden among adolescents experiencing IPV-related PTSD and depression.

Depression, social support and associated factors among women living in rural China: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have focused on depression and social support in Eastern populations, especially women in rural China. Our research investigated depression among women in rural China, and studied the relationships between social support and depression. METHODS: We recruited women ages 16 years and older from north Sichuan. Participants completed socio-demographic measures, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, and the Duke Social Support Index. The analysis method included descriptive statistics and logistic regression. RESULTS: The final sample included 1,898 participants with a mean age of 48.6 years, and the prevalence of significant depressive symptoms was 12.4%. Results suggest being unemployed, having poorer perceived health/economic status, and lower social support were positively associated with depression. Younger age and greater social support were negatively associated with depression. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides insights on the psychological health of women in rural China and potential directions for future research. These issues are especially pertinent during this time of rapid economic transformation and outmigration in rural China.

Improving Systematic Response in the Face of Homicide: Family and Friends of Homicide Victims Service Needs.

Homicide is a pressing issue in America. This study used qualitative data obtained from focus groups of family and friends of homicide victims (FFHV) to assess and better meet the needs of victims post homicide. The study results posit myriad changes to the systematic response to homicide. The article concludes with recommendations for training and resources, with specific attention to legal, law enforcement, medical, and behavioral health providers.

Help-seeking patterns among women experiencing intimate partner violence: do they forgo the criminal justice system if their adjudication wishes are not met?

Following a criminal case disposition, an intimate partner violence (IPV) victim's willingness to seek future police and prosecutorial assistance may depend on her prior experiences within the system. This longitudinal study examines the relationship between IPV victims' future help-seeking based on past experiences. We hypothesized women would return to the criminal justice system if their adjudication wishes corresponded with prosecutors' actions. Contrary to the hypothesis, results suggest women return to the criminal system and other venues even if prosecutors' actions do not correspond to their earlier stated wishes. This has important policy implications given pro-prosecution protocols that encourage adjudication regardless of a woman's participation.

Barriers to accessing care among rural women veterans: A qualitative study with veterans, peer specialists, and primary care professionals.

Rural women veterans are less likely than men and nonrural veterans to access Veterans Health Administration (VHA) care. This qualitative study describes rural women veterans' barriers to accessing care and explores whether participants viewed a peer specialist intervention as having the potential to facilitate access to care. We recruited rural veterans who identified as women with psychological distress and social needs, women peer specialists, and VHA primary care professionals working with rural veterans. We conducted two veteran focus groups, two peer specialist focus groups, and 11 individual Patient Aligned Care Team professional interviews using semistructured interview questions. One of the veteran focus groups was exclusive to veterans of color. We used a rapid qualitative data analysis approach to analyze the results. Data analysis revealed barriers affecting perceived access to services for rural women veterans, especially veterans of color, including transportation, finances, childcare, long travel distance to clinics, lack of access to gender-specific services, ineligibility for services, and lacking information about available resources. Participants also reported challenges accessing community services outside of the VHA. The rural women veterans reported a strong preference for gender-specific services. Leveraging existing VHA resources with rural women veterans may mitigate some of the identified barriers. In particular, participants agreed that increasing availability of peer specialists who are both women and veterans could bridge some perceived barriers to accessing care among rural women veterans. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Building stronger bonds: The impact of family support and communication on suicidal behaviors among Black men who have sex with men.

INTRODUCTION: It has been well documented that men who identify with a sexual orientation other than heterosexual are at a greater risk for suicide-related outcomes. What is less known are the protective factors that can reduce such negative outcomes and contribute to their resilience. METHODS: This study used data collected between December 1, 2021, and January 2022 to understand how family factors contribute to or prevent depression symptoms and suicide outcomes among young Black men who have sex with men (BMSM) ages 18 to 29 (N = 400). A path analysis was conducted to explore the direct and indirect effects of suicide attempts. RESULTS: Surprisingly, there were nuanced findings that showed having a family member or friend die by suicide was indirectly associated with suicide planning and suicide attempts. It was also unexpectedly noted that there was a positive relationship between higher rates of depressive symptoms and higher levels of support from family members. CONCLUSIONS: The population focused on in this study is understudied and has unique needs. Identifying familial support may not automatically reduce the thoughts and plans of young BMSM, which is an example of why their intersecting marginalized identities must be considered when conducting further research, creating interventions, and providing therapeutic services.