The Indirect Effects of Proximal Stressors Associated with Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms Severity among Sexually Victimized Sexual Minority Women: A Cross-Sectional Path Analysis.

Sexual minority women (SMW) are at risk for sexual victimization and stressors specifically related to their minority identity (e.g., discrimination). However, SMW experience posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at rates beyond what may be explained by elevated risk for sexual victimization alone. This study aimed to examine the impact of stigma on PTSD symptoms among SMW survivors of sexual victimization. Results indicate that in relation to minority-specific distal stressors (i.e., heterosexist experiences), both minority-specific and general proximal stressors (i.e., internalized heterosexism, negative posttraumatic cognitions) indirectly affected PTSD symptom severity among this cross-sectional sample of sexually victimized SMW.

Sexual Victimization and Suicide Ideation: An Atemporal Indirect Effects Model.

INTRODUCTION: Suicide is a major public health concern among young adults. Moreover, college students are at elevated risk for sexual victimization, which is associated with elevated suicide risk. Nonetheless, not all college student survivors of sexual victimization think about suicide. Previous research has used the interpersonal psychological theory of suicide (IPTS) as a framework for understanding the association between interpersonal violence victimization and suicide ideation The current study aimed to replicate and extend the results of Poindexter et al. AQ1] by testing the serial indirect effects of IPTS constructs in the relationship between sexual victimization and suicide ideation among a sexually-victimized sample of college students. It was expected that depressive symptoms, thwarted belongingness, and perceived burdensomeness, in that order, would indirectly affect the association between cumulative sexual victimization history and suicide ideation in the past month. METHOD: Data were collected from 796 college students via online survey. After exclusion criteria, 236 college students who reported at least one lifetime experience of sexual victimization were included in analysis. RESULTS: Results indicated that the relationship between cumulative sexual victimization and past-month suicide ideation frequency was indirectly affected by depressive symptoms, thwarted belongingness, and perceived burdensomeness, in serial. DISCUSSION: Results indicated that the indirect effects model proposed by Poindexter et al. was significant in that more frequent lifetime sexual victimization related to more frequent past-month suicide ideation, and this relationship was strengthened indirectly by depressive symptoms, TB, and PB, in that order. Results underscore the importance of screening survivors of sexual victimization for suicide ideation and associated risk factors, specifically depressive symptoms, TB, and PB.

Exploring the indirect effects of acute dissociation on capability and suicide risk: A multi-method investigation with augmented reality.

INTRODUCTION: The current study aimed to explicate the role of dissociation in the capability and suicide relationship by examining how lifetime and state-based acute dissociation contributes to capability for suicide using a multi-method approach of self-report and augmented reality (AR) laboratory tasks. METHOD: Participants (N = 145) were students recruited for course credit at a southern university. Participants completed self-report and laboratory AR dissociative induction tasks. Correlations and mediation analyses were conducted to test hypotheses using SPSS v. 26 and PROCESS Macro. RESULTS: There was a significant indirect effect on capability and suicidal ideation via acute dissociation (ß = 0.035, SE = 0.02, 95% CI = 0.001, 0.095). Additionally, there was a significant indirect effect on capability and suicide attempt(s) via dissociation (ß = 0.19, SE = 0.10, 95% CI = 0.044, 0.449). CONCLUSIONS: As prior theories suggest, dissociation may augment feeling disconnected from the body and may temporarily impact capability to render a suicidal act as more probable. The presence of dissociation after a painful and provocative attempt may increase capability and pain tolerance. Implications of these findings include the consideration of dissociation as a pertinent factor in the assessment and treatment of suicide and the role of AR in aiding the exploration of suicide correlates.

Altering preferences for suicide crisis resources using the decoy nudge: Evidence of context-dependent effects in suicide prevention decision making.

OBJECTIVE: Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. There are several important decisions that could confer later risk to a suicide attempt (e.g., how to store lethal means). Therefore, understanding how people make decisions that are relevant for suicide risk is an important area of study for suicidology. Human behavior diverges from perfectly rational economic decision making according to observable patterns based on predictable cognitive processes. Nudges attempt to diminish, leverage, or circumvent these deviations to increase the probability of a desired choice being selected or behavior being performed. One deviation from rationality is that human choice is context dependent. This deviation can be observed by introducing an objectively inferior alternative option (a decoy) into a choice array that alters an individual's preference. Using decoys could be one way to nudge people toward best practices in suicide prevention work. METHOD: This study examined if decoys could reliably alter participant preferences for suicide prevention resources using a hypothetical scenario in three separate online samples (i.e., general population, participants with recent suicidal thoughts, gun owners). RESULTS: Our results found that introducing a slightly (but objectively) worse version of an existing suicide prevention resource increased the preference toward the slightly better option. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that using decoys could be an effective nudge for influencing people's preference toward best practices. Most important, these findings highlight the importance of context effects on choice preference in suicide research and prevention efforts, as well as suggest irrational decision-making processes in suicide-relevant decision making. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Does variability among surgical skills diminish throughout surgical internship? Analysis of a 5-task surgical simulation assessment program starting Day 1.

BACKGROUND: Simulation assessments are not yet standardized among surgical programs. We instituted a 5-task simulation program to assess surgical technical skills longitudinally during internship. METHODS: First-year residents completed 5 simulation tasks: suturing, knot-tying, vascular anastomosis, and the peg-transfer and the intracorporeal suturing of the Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Skills. Assessments occurred just before residency, mid-year, and at the completion of the intern year. RESULTS: This study involved 19 residents: 8 categorical, 4 urology, 3 interventional radiology, 2 plastics, and 2 non-designated preliminary interns. Mean completion times improved in both the Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Skills peg-transfer (145 ± 50, 111 ± 47, and 95 ± 28 seconds) and suturing (526 ± 92, 392 ± 131, and 351 ± 158 seconds; each P < .001) tasks, and decreased variability was noted in the former. Total scores trended to improve (P = .013). Interns underwent similar training; 95% completed at least 1 core rotation by mid-year. Surgical specialty was associated with total scores during the first knot-tying session, with plastics residents scoring highest; however, all scores progressed toward the group median over time. CONCLUSION: Technical skills of beginning surgery residents were assessed longitudinally with the institution of a 5-task curriculum. Periodic assessments showed improvement in each task. Furthermore, as residents were exposed to equal surgical training, the variability in resident scores showed the greatest decrease in simpler motor tasks.