Borderline Personality Disorder Symptoms in a Community Sample of Sexually and Gender Diverse Adults.

The current study aimed to identify borderline personality disorder (BPD) symptom disparities in sexually and/or gender diverse adults, determine if BPD symptoms vary across sexual orientation and gender identity, and identify factors related to BPD symptoms in this population. A sample of 218 sexually and gender diverse adults completed measures for BPD symptoms and trauma/stressors. Results suggest that sexually and/or gender diverse adults scored higher on six of the nine diagnostic criteria for BPD and were likely to have a probable BPD diagnosis, although these disparities were not observed across groups. Factors such as age, abuse and neglect and stigmatizing events were associated with more BPD symptoms, although the relationship between stigma and BPD symptoms did not remain when controlling for other factors. Results suggest that sexual orientation and gender identity are important factors when investigating BPD, and stigma may in part account for this disparity, although future research is needed.

Safe Dating in the Digital Era: Protective Behavioral Strategies in Dating Behaviors Facilitated by Dating Applications.

Focus groups were conducted to examine college women's perceptions of the risks of dating app dating, how risks are mitigated, and if risk identification and mitigation strategies differ by sexual victimization status. Over 60% of the sample reported a history of sexual victimization. The risk associated with dating app use fell into three themes: unsafe sexual situations, deception, and non-sexual interpersonal violence. Participants' self-reported risk mitigation strategies included logistical strategies, investigative strategies, social strategies, instinctual strategies, and safety planning strategies. Sexually victimized women reported greater or comparable risk identification and risk mitigation strategies as non-victimized women, suggesting difficulties in risk responding.

¡No me duele cuando me deprimo!: An Examination of Ethnic Differences in Depression Symptoms Among Latinx and Non-Latinx Primary Care Patients.

The research on ethnic differences in prevalence rates of depression is mixed. Additionally, culture has been hypothesized to impact symptom manifestation. The purpose of this study was to examine prevalence rates of depression among Spanish-speaking Latinx and non-Latinx White (NLW) primary care patients and explore ethnic differences in how depression symptoms manifest. Participants were 240 primary care patients who completed a demographic questionnaire and the Beck Depression-Inventory-2 (BDI-II). Latinx primary care patients had lower prevalence rates of depressive symptoms and less severe depressive symptoms than NLW primary care patients. Holding total BDI-II score constant, Latinxs also endorse pessimism, past failures, feelings of being punished, agitation, and problems with sleeping less than their NLW counterparts. This study adds support to research that indicates that Latinxs have lower rates of depression than NLWs and suggests that Latinxs are not more likely to endorse somatic complaints.

Enhancing Mental Health Services for Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence: A Stage One Pilot.

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) has shown success in treating survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV). However, individuals may need additional exposure to the skills; yet community mental health and victim resources centers often operate with limited funding. Video intervention adjuncts (VIAs) were developed to serve as treatment adjuncts and the preliminary efficacy, feasibility, and participant acceptability of the DBT for IPV skills group paired with the VIAs were examined. Twenty-four women were randomly assigned to the experimental VIA or control condition and completed a one-month follow-up. Statistically significant improvements were found on all six of the outcome measures for both groups. The VIAs were viewed as acceptable and feasible to implement. Further those in the VIA condition reported greater skill use and superior outcomes on clinical measures. The results provide preliminary evidence that the VIAs are a useful addition to the DBT for IPV skills group and warrant further research.

Culturally sensitive clinical practices: A mixed methods study.

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to discover if and how clinicians integrate cultural factors into treatment, what specific 'culturally sensitive' practices clinicians utilize, and who clinicians use these practices with. In Study 1(N = 9) qualitative interviews were conducted with psychologists who shared information about the culturally sensitive clinical practices that they utilize. Based on the results from Study 1, a survey was created for Study 2 and completed by 142 psychologists. There were three overriding conceptual themes that were generated from the analysis of the data regarding how clinicians provide culturally sensitive psychological services and what specific culturally sensitive clinical practices clinicians use when working with clients. It was evident from the data that the delivery of culturally sensitive services was best conceptualized as a process. The process began with being aware that cultural factors existed. This awareness led to the development of hypotheses, which guided the assessment process. Based on the results of the assessment process clinicians then tailored the services they provided to the unique characteristics of their clients. The quantitative results from Study 2 indicate that that the qualitative results from Study 1 are generalizable to a larger sample of psychologists. Results from Study 2 also indicated that the vast majority of participants indicated that they engaged in culturally sensitive clinical practices regardless of client minority-status. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

The Behavioral Model of Health: Education, Behavioral Health Factors, and Stigma as Predictors of Help-Seeking Attitudes.

Per the behavioral model of health, help-seeking attitudes (and even behavioral health service use) are a function of predisposing and enabling individual characteristics (e.g. demographic characteristics, health beliefs), as well as contextual characteristics (resources, social structures such as education etc.). While researchers have examined how demographic (gender and ethnicity) and socioeconomic (education and income) characteristics, psychological factors, and internal barriers relate to help-seeking attitudes, the majority of these works have investigated how different variables independently act on help-seeking attitudes in lieu of more comprehensively investigating how they operate in tandem. The purpose of the current study was to examine how demographic (gender and ethnicity) and socioeconomic (education and income) characteristics, behavioral health factors, and internal barriers relate to help-seeking attitudes in a diverse sample of primary care patients. We also sought to examine differences in demographic and socioeconomic characteristics in mental health literacy, stigma, and help-seeking attitudes. Participants were 286 primary care patients. Results from this study indicate that a combination of socioeconomic characteristics (i.e. education), behavioral health factors (level of distress and history of behavioral health service utilization), and internal barriers (personal stigma) predicted help-seeking attitudes among primary care patients. There was an inverse relationship between education and personal stigma and help-seeking attitudes such that higher levels of education and higher levels of personal stigma were associated with more negative help-seeking attitudes.

Supporting Those Who Provide Support: Work-Related Resources and Secondary Traumatic Stress Among Victim Advocates.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Victim advocates are at risk of developing secondary traumatic stress (STS), which can result from witnessing or listening to accounts of traumatic events. This study investigated the relationship between victim status, years of experience, hours of direct contact with victims, and availability of workplace supports in the development of STS. RESULTS: Of the 142 victim advocates, 134 were women. Regression analyses revealed that the only significant predictor of STS was the number of direct hours of victim services provided. CONCLUSION: The findings from this study found that women have high rates of STS and that more workplace support needs to be implemented.

Secondary traumatic stress among victim advocates: prevalence and correlates.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to establish the prevalence of Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS) among victim advocates and to determine if risk factors (for the development of STS) that have been cited in the literature (with other populations) are applicable to victim advocates. METHODS: Data was collected from 135 victim advocates using an online survey. RESULTS: The prevalence rate of STS among victim advocates is approximately 50% and risk factors include number of hours worked per week, direct service hours, and working with adult survivors of child sexual abuse. DISCUSSION: Our results suggest that cumulative trauma exposure acts as risk factors to the development of STS among victim advocates. CONCLUSION: Intervention efforts for this population are sorely needed and the information gained from this study can be used to guide these intervention efforts.