ABSTRACT
Dating violence is a serious public health issue among adolescents due to the detrimental short- and long-term consequences. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between adolescent dating violence (ADV) and adverse health behavioral outcomes related to substance abuse, mental health, and select risky health behaviors such as feeling unsafe, school performance, and inadequate sleep within the state of Florida. This study used data from the 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). The high school students represented a weighted total of 542,818 (n = 4301). Logistic regression analyses, stratified by gender, examined the relationship between ADV and health risk behaviors after adjusting for race and grade. Proportions of ADV were as follows: 3.1% of students reported being abused both physically and sexually; 3.4% reported being abused only physically; 3.9% reported being abused only sexually; and 89.6% were uninvolved. ADV was associated with almost all the health risk behavior outcomes studied, with a few exceptions. Experiencing both kinds of abuse held the highest odds ratio among the four mutually exclusive categories of ADV. The findings from this study could be helpful in identifying youths who demonstrate warning signs of ADV abuse and thus could provide opportunities for targeted preventive interventions.
ABSTRACT
A growing body of evidence demonstrates potential adverse mental health outcomes associated with exposure to occupational trauma among first responders. In response, policymakers nationwide are eager to work on these issues as evidenced by the number of states covering or considering laws for mental health conditions for first responders. Yet, little information exists to facilitate understanding of the impact of mental health-related policies in the United States on this important population. This study aims to identify and synthesize relevant state-level policies and related research on first responder mental health in the United States. Using a scoping review framework, authors searched the empirical and policy literature. State level policies were identified and grouped into two categories: (1) Workers' Compensation-related policies and (2) non-Workers' Compensation (WC) related policies. While benefits levels and other specifics vary greatly by state, 28 states cover certain first responder mental health claims under WC statutes. In addition, at the time of this study, 28 states have policies governing first responder mental health outside of WC. Policies include requiring mental health assessments, provisions for counseling and critical incident management, requiring education and training, providing funding to localities for program development, bolstering peer support initiatives and confidentiality measures, and establishing statewide offices of responder wellness, among others. Authors found a dearth of outcomes research on the impact of state level policies on first responder mental health. Consequently, more research is needed to learn about the direct impact of legislation and establish best practice guidelines for implementing state policy on first responder mental health. By conducting systematic evaluations, researchers can lay the foundation for an evidence-based approach to develop more integrated systems that effectively deliver and finance mental health care for first responders who experience work-related trauma. Such evaluations are crucial for building an understanding of the impact of policies and facilitating improvements in the support provided to first responders in managing mental health challenges arising from their work.