Process adaptations to community-engaged research for preventing victimization against trans women: Failure as a blueprint toward nonexploitative implementation science.

Effective violence prevention interventions are largely inaccessible to trans women and trans femmes, despite clear evidence that disproportionate exposure to experiences of victimization is a social determinant of health disparity. Community-engaged implementation science paradigms hold promise for guiding research psychologists in the delivery of evidence-based programming to address drivers of health disparities impacting trans women and trans femmes. Unfortunately, guidance on how to engage in a process of real-time self-reflection to note where implementation is failing in its goals to establish reciprocal and sustainable (i.e., nonexploitative) community partnerships are lacking. We describe our application of a modified failure modes and effects analysis to guide data-informed adaptations to our community-engaged implementation research project, tailoring and delivering an evidence-based intervention to prevent victimization of trans women and trans femmes. By mapping our failure modes, we offer a blueprint for other research psychologists invested in advancing nonexploitative research in partnership with community. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Cancer-Peer Connection in the Context of Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer: A Qualitative Exploration.

Purpose: This qualitative study examined experiences and attitudes related to cancer-peer interactions among adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors. Methods: Twenty-six survivors, aged 16-24 years who were diagnosed with cancer between the ages of 14 and 18, completed one-on-one semistructured interviews as part of a larger study. Interviews were coded and analyzed using an iterative consensus and data-driven approach. Results: The data for this study revealed three main themes related to cancer peers, including the unique aspects of shared illness experience (i.e., personalizing of support from lived experience, inspiration from upward comparisons, space to be scared and to joke about cancer), benefits of providing support to other patients/survivors (i.e., giving back, healing after cancer, and incorporating cancer into life as a survivor), and considerations and concerns when connecting with cancer peers (i.e., exposure to adverse outcomes, "ignorance is bliss": blocking cancer out, guilt and cancer imposter syndrome). Conclusion: Study findings demonstrate the importance of cancer-peer connection and support in AYA cancer care, both during treatment and in survivorship. Future research should explore the ways in which peer-to-peer support programs could be tailored to best serve the AYA population in the context of cancer care.

A qualitative analysis of the context and characteristics of trauma exposure among sexual minority survivors: Implications for posttraumatic stress disorder assessment and clinical practice.

OBJECTIVE: Sexual minority individuals are exposed to traumatic harms unique to the shared cultural experience of living under conditions of identity-based stigma, discrimination, and marginalization. However, the context and characteristics by which this culture shapes traumatic experiences among sexual minority people are poorly specified in the research literature, leaving even well-intentioned mental health professionals inadequately prepared to treat sexual minority trauma survivors in a culturally affirming, tailored, and evidence-based manner. METHOD: To begin to address this gap, we conducted a thematic analysis of descriptions of 52 Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM-5) Criterion A (traumatic) events described by sexual minority participants during administration of the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5. RESULTS: Probing for identity relatedness of Criterion A trauma produced a rich and reliable (κ = .83-.86) coding scheme reflecting the cultural context and characteristics of these experiences. CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians working with sexual minority and other marginalized trauma survivors should specifically assess for the role of culture in traumatic experiences to inform case conceptualization and treatment plans supporting recovery of the whole survivor. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Implementation of empowerment self-defense programming in a university counseling center: An effective sexual violence prevention delivery model.

Objective: Empowerment Self-Defense (ESD) is a sexual violence prevention approach backed by rigorous empirical research, yet its availability on college campuses is limited. This manuscript evaluates the feasibility and efficacy of an ESD program embedded within a university counseling center. Methods: Participants completed an 8-session ESD intervention and group counseling program. Results: Feasibility and acceptability of this program were demonstrated by excellent participant retention and supported by institutional buy-in and counselor involvement. Pre-post assessments demonstrated that participants reported significant reductions in posttraumatic stress symptoms, F (1, 56) = 22.46, p < .001 and improvements in both interpersonal self-efficacy, F (1, 56) = 88.81, p < .001, and self-defense self-efficacy, F (1, 56) = 100.20, p < .001. Conclusion: The findings support the use of ESD programming as part of college campus sexual violence efforts and provide a blueprint for administrators and college mental-health centers who wish to offer this effective program to the college students they serve.