ABSTRACT
The menopause is a stage in the life cycle that affects all women. Managing perimenopausal and postmenopausal health is therefore a key issue for all healthcare professionals, not just gynecologists. The curriculum should include terminology and definitions, assessment, diagnosis and evidence-based management strategies. Healthcare professionals should be aware that women have different perceptions and experiences of the menopause which may be determined by: age and type of menopause, pre-existing health conditions, disability, employment and adverse childhood events. Specialist services may be required for some. These include women with chronic disease, premature ovarian insufficiency or early menopause or pre-existing health conditions and disability, as well as transgender and gender-nonconforming people. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the mode of delivering healthcare from face-to-face only to include virtual consultations. Teaching now needs to include both types of consultations. A holistic approach is required and teaching should be provided by an accredited expert. Rees M, Abernethy K, Bachmann G, et al. The essential menopause curriculum for healthcare professionals: A European Menopause and Andropause Society (EMAS) position statement. Maturitas. 2022;158:70-77. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.maturitas.2021.12.001Copyright © 2023
ABSTRACT
Aim: Conspiracy endorsement has gained much attention in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, as it constitutes a major public health challenge that is associated with reduced adherence to preventative measures. However, little is known about the developmental backdrops and personality characteristics that render an individual prone to conspiracy endorsement. There is a growing body of evidence implying a detrimental role of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) - a highly prevalent burden - in the development of epistemic trust and personality functioning. This study aimed to investigate the association between ACEs and conspiracy endorsement as well as the mediating role of epistemic trust and personality functioning. Method(s): Analyses are based on cross-sectional representative data of the German population collected during the COVID-19 pandemic (N = 2501). Structural equation modelling (SEM) with personality functioning (OPD-SQS) and epistemic trust (ETMCQ) as mediators of the association between ACEs and conspiracy endorsement were conducted. Result(s): In total, 20.4% (n = 508) of all participants endorsed conspiracies. There was a significant association between ACEs and conspiracy endorsement (beta = 0.25, p < 0.001;explained variance 6%). The variance of conspiracy endorsement increased to 19% after adding epistemic trust and personality functioning as mediators (beta = 0.12, p < 0.001), indicating a partial mediation and direct prediction from these mediators. Fit indices demonstrated a good model fit. Conclusion(s): Evidence on the far-reaching and detrimental effects of early childhood adversities are further increased by demonstrating an association between ACEs and conspiracy endorsement. Our findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the underlying mechanisms by including epistemic trust and personality functioning.Copyright © 2023
ABSTRACT
Childhood adversity (CA) and resilience may impact on paranoia, but mechanisms underlying these associations are largely unknown. In this study, we investigated two potential candidates: irrational beliefs and affective disturbance. Moreover, we investigated the potential moderating role of COVID-19 perceived stress in these associations. A community sample (N = 419, m age = 27.32 years, SD = 8.98; 88.10% females) completed self-report measures. Results indicated that paranoia was significantly associated with CA and resilience (p < .05), and both irrational beliefs and affective disturbance (i.e., depressive and anxiety symptoms) mediated the associations between CA and paranoia. Moreover, depressive and anxiety symptoms partially explained the mediating role of irrational beliefs. These predictive models explained up to 23.52% of variance in paranoia (F(3,415) = 42.536, p < .001). Findings on resilience and paranoia replicated these results, and COVID-19 perceived stress moderated the association between resilience and ideas of persecution. Overall, these findings underscore the importance of irrational beliefs, depressive and anxiety symptoms in high CA or low resilience individuals experiencing paranoia. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10942-023-00511-4.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa introduced new societal adversities and mental health threats in a country where one in three individuals are expected to develop a psychiatric condition sometime in their life. Scientists have suggested that psychosocial stress and trauma during childhood may increase one's vulnerability to the mental health consequences of future stressors-a process known as stress sensitization. This prospective analysis assessed whether childhood adversity experienced among South African children across the first 18 years of life, coinciding with the post-apartheid transition, exacerbates the mental health impacts of psychosocial stress experienced during the 2019 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic (ca. 2020-2021). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data came from 88 adults who participated in a follow-up study of a longitudinal birth cohort study in Soweto, South Africa. Childhood adversity and COVID-19 psychosocial stress were assessed as primary predictors of adult PTSD risk, and an interaction term between childhood adversity and COVID-19 stress was calculated to evaluate the potential effect of stress sensitization. RESULTS: Fifty-six percent of adults exhibited moderate-to-severe PTSD symptoms. Greater childhood adversity and higher COVID-19 psychosocial stress independently predicted worse post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms in adults. Adults who reported greater childhood adversity exhibited non-significantly worse PTSD symptoms from COVID-19 psychosocial stress. DISCUSSION: These results highlight the deleterious mental health effects of both childhood trauma and COVID-19 psychosocial stress in our sample and emphasize the need for greater and more accessible mental health support as the pandemic progresses in South Africa.
ABSTRACT
Objective: Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the world. The present research aimed to investigate the moderating role of thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness, and suicidal capability in suicidal ideation, behavior, and attempts among the Iranian population. Method(s): The data were analyzed using cross-sectional regression models. The population of this study included 600 students of the University of Mohaghegh Ardabili. The tools used to collect the data in this study were the Patient Health Questionnaire-2, the Depressive Symptom Index-Suicidality Subscale (DSI-SS), the Suicide Attempt Questionnaire, the Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire (IPTS), the Suicide Capacity Scale-3, the Adverse Childhood Experiences, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire, and the Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised. Result(s): The results of this study showed that there was an interaction between thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness in suicidal behavior and DSI-SS. The results also showed that the acquired and practical capability subscales (suicidal capability) strengthen the relationship between suicidal behavior and the DSI-SS, on the one hand, and suicide attempt, on the other hand. Conclusion(s): The findings of the study showed that the interpersonal theory of suicide can pave the way to prevent suicidal ideation and behavior in Iranian society, and it is recommended that Iranian practitioners apply the theory in practice.Copyright © 2022 Yerkure Tanitim ve Yayincilik Hizmetleri A.S.. All rights reserved.
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Purpose of Study: Since 1972, Bhutan has followed the philosophy of Gross National Happiness (GNH) - an alternative to GDP which quantifies the holistic wellness of its citizens' as opposed to the production of materials as a metric of the nation's development & prosperity. Nonetheless, the government identified youth and young adult (YYA) mental health to be a major/increasing point of concern from a 2015 national survey, indicating need for a closer look at Bhutan's mental health burden. By exploring YYA perspectives of mental health via an online survey, we hope to inform resource creation, support existing infrastructure, & guide future research. Methods Used: Survey questions were developed via collaboration of Canadian and Bhutanese shareholders to ensure cultural appropriateness and relevance. In all, 11 demographics questions, 17 10-point Likert scale questions, and 7 written answer questions were included in the survey. Students enrolled at university in Thimphu, Bhutan, between the ages of 18-25 inclusive and who are Bhutanese citizens or who have lived the majority of their life in the country were recruited via email. 289 participants consented to & completed the online survey via Qualtrics. Survey responses were quantitatively analyzed in R-Studio, save for written responses still under qualitative analysis in NVivo and not included in this discussion. Summary of Results: On average, YYA indicated feeling sad, anxious, and/or depressed more frequently than they perceived peers/family to feel the same. Strong agreement was seen regarding treatability of mental health conditions (median of 9 on 10-point Likert scale). Environmental factors, adverse childhood experiences, & personal weakness were noted to have detrimental impacts on wellbeing. The majority of respondents indicated positive familial relationships & confidence in parents to understand/support mental health issues, with medians for all family-related 10-point Likert scale questions being above 7.5. Most respondents agreed they were able to get through difficult times and be self-reliant, with all associated 10-point Likert questions having a median over 5 for moderate agreement. A general positive response to using apps or websites as mental health resources was noted. Relating to COVID-19, minimal negative outcomes in terms of diet, anxiety/depression, home life, & substance use were reported. Strong agreement (median of over 7.5 on 10-point Likert scale) was noted with regard to increases in domestic violence as a result of the pandemic. Conclusion(s): Differences between self-ratings and perceptions of others' mental health by Bhutanese YYA indicate a lack of open communication about the topic. Directing resources towards discussions about mental health may be beneficial - especially if technologically accessible. Impacts of the pandemic may continue to develop as Bhutan emerges from lockdown protocols;increasing domestic violence is a primary concern of Bhutanese YYA meriting research.
ABSTRACT
This study was designed to test a regression model of event centrality and contingencies of self-worth as predictors of posttraumatic growth (PTG), drawing from Constructivist Self Development Theory (CSDT;Saakvitne et al., 1998). In order to participate in the study, participants had to experience at least one adverse childhood experience (ACE) and had to be 18 years or older. Individuals who experienced sexual abuse before 18 years old were excluded from the study to prevent significant discomfort to these individuals (Mersky et al., 2019). Due to conducting the study during a global pandemic, COVID-19 questions were included in the study and used in the correlations, regression model, and post-hoc analyses. Significant results included event centrality and God's love were positively correlated with PTG. Other contingencies of self-worth were not significantly correlated with PTG. Two demographic variables (marital status and education level) were significantly correlated with PTG and used as covariates in the regression model. One result indicated COVID-19 impacting participant's answers was significantly correlated with PTG, and thus, this also was used as a covariate in the regression model. Event centrality and God's love were found to significantly predict PTG in a sequential multiple regression. Post-hoc analyses suggested ACEs affected participants' coping skills during the COVID-19 pandemic, changes in self-worth occurred as a result of the pandemic, and participants made meaning of their traumatic experiences. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
The school nurse (SN) is often the sole health care expert in the school setting, providing for the physical and socio-emotional needs of others. SN may be exposed to reports of trauma, a widespread and costly public health issue. This study sought to explore the experience of the SN when exposed to reports of trauma from those in their care. Seven N.J. certified school nurses participated in two online interviews via Microsoft Teams, spaced one to two weeks apart between June 2021 and September 2021. Interviews were recorded & transcribed verbatim and thematic analysis applied. This study found that SN receive reports of trauma to varying degrees, with those in high-poverty urban settings relaying more frequent exposure than those in suburban settings. The SN identified the health office as a safe haven where students are welcome, accepted as they are, can share concerns, and seek comfort from their ailments. SN reported challenges working within the school model, and experienced obstacles to receiving reports of trauma including a lack of school-based collaboration, a lack of understanding of the SN role, and SN workload. In the eye of the storm, while receiving traumatic reports, SN focus on immediate needs. Later, while mitigating the aftermath, they process the experience and apply coping strategies, such as self-care and social support, to restore and replenish. While weathering the storm, they share concern and frustration, but acknowledge that they can only do so much. The SN in this study did not demonstrate secondary trauma but instead shared stories of resilience. Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the SN receipt of reports of trauma were explored. Further research is needed regarding the role of the SN, SN workload, and their experience in receiving reports of trauma. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has been a traumatic experience that has impacted children for almost 2 years. As schools return to face-to-face settings, it will be vital to consider how schools can manage the transition and address the issues of trauma in students and educators. The purpose of this extended literature review is to evaluate how teachers and children alike are suffering through stress, Complex-PTSD, and PTSD as they navigate the new complexities faced within education. This extended literature review is centered on the topic of trauma in children as well as trauma-informed approaches to education. The designs, implementations, outcomes, and associated challenges and barriers of existing trauma-informed approaches in schools are discussed to provide an overview of the current state of trauma-informed education. This literature review will yield a product in training that will entail solutions for the research questions, including an appraisal of the school system and a holistic perspective applied to the entire school system. After completing this extended literature review, the researcher recommends the implementation of the whole school approach in online education, a collaborative approach with a team specifically dedicated towards trauma-informed education, a synchronous class design with fewer students, as well as more outdoor classes and activities. Studies on trauma-informed care have been researched heavily over the past decade. More research is needed with a focus on the educators and staff attending to the children. There has been more research on secondary or vicarious trauma among front-line workers and much less for educators. Therefore, whole school trauma-informed pilot programs are imperative for the health and wellness of staff and students to assess their safety and efficacy to convince the government to mandate all schools to be trauma-informed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
Juvenile delinquency is an ongoing problem in society and is detrimental as many delinquents have mental and behavioral health issues. Delinquency is costly to society, and it was found that many delinquents have a traumatic past or adverse childhood experiences. They include child abuse and neglect, loss, separation/divorce of parents, witnessing domestic violence, parents who struggle with mental health and/or drug and substance abuse, parents who have their own trauma, death of a loved one, natural disaster, or other tragedies that are linked to an increase in the likelihood of juvenile delinquency. In this study, the relationship between juvenile delinquency and trauma by the lived experiences of professionals who have worked with delinquents and at-risk youth was examined. The biopsychosocial model provided a theoretical framework for the study. Data were collected by interviewing 20 mental health professionals. The data were analyzed to determine common themes and patterns about professionals who work with at-risk youth. The 6 themes found during analysis were professionals' caseloads consisted of clients who have lived through trauma, vicarious trauma was common, professionals must adapt to the barriers that stem from working with the population, they faced many barriers working with at-risk youth, they wanted to be effective for their clients, they were interested in trainings to increase their effectiveness with clients, they found it was necessary for caregivers to be involved in treatment, and COVID-19 has impacted traumatized youth. This study can contribute to positive social change as professionals may be able to identify ways to intervene with at-risk youth to encourage normal social functioning. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
Nearly a billion children have had their lives disrupted by the 2019-2021 SARS CoV 2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2;COVID-19) global pandemic, with some estimates suggesting that the economic devastation may result in nearly 725 million children living in poverty in the absence of any mitigating policies (UNICEF, 2020). Given the likelihood of trauma exposure and the almost certainty of being impacted by the global pandemic, it is vital for educators, parents, and public health officials to have a better understanding of the neuropsychological factors underscoring both trauma and resilience in order to better meet the needs of our students. After all, not all children exposed to trauma and adversity experience detrimental outcomes, and many children are capable of devising internal coping and resilience strategies to grow from these experiences. This chapter discusses the various types of trauma that children typically encounter, how trauma impacts key regions in the brain responsible for learning and social-skills development, offer assessment strategies, and suggest targeted intervention strategies for schools and parents in light of some of the unprecedented circumstances our children must face. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
This dissertation presented a hermeneutic phenomenological study conducted with 12 Latina mothers who were survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) considering or in a process of shared parenting with their former abusive partner. The purpose of this study was to explore the essence of shared parenting experiences among participants in the IPV context and examine how attachment style, adverse childhood experiences, and cultural values impacted their shared parenting decisions and processes. The study was guided by the theoretical frameworks of symbolic interactionism, intersectional feminism, and attachment. Findings indicated adverse childhood experiences and cultural values affected participants' shared parenting decisions and processes, with all but one participant reporting they desired shared parenting for the sake of their children. Participants were fully aware of risks associated with shared parenting including psychological abuse, physical violence, and coercive control. Participants reported risk-management strategies, the most prevalent of which included involving a third party, often family or a trusted friend, using supervised visitation, and meeting the perpetrator in a public place. Given the role of attachment style in relation to shared parenting was unclear, future research should investigate the impact of attachment style and shared parenting. Additionally, assessing adverse childhood experiences and cultural values will be beneficial when combined with interview data. Due to the prevalence of IPV, culturally sensitive and trauma-informed interventions must focus on individual skills training for survivors, group therapy to help process IPV experiences and instill hope, and relational therapy with family members and loved ones to strengthen problem-solving skills and promote recovery. Furthermore, in the context of the COVID-19 global pandemic, many women reside with perpetrators due to lack of resources, so secure online platforms must be constructed to provide support and ensure women and children's safety. Recommendations were provided for improving how the legal and judicial system recognize and respond to coercive control as a punishable form of abuse. Moreover, to improve competence among mental health practitioners working with IPV survivors, graduate programs for mental health practitioners must include general knowledge and intervention on IPV. Intervention through the educational system and the church system is also recommended. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Mentalization is the ability to interpret one's own behaviour, as well as the behaviours of others, as caused by intentional inner mental states. It has been theoretically linked to resilience;indeed, thinking about actions in terms of mental states enables people to manage both everyday problems. Under the umbrella of mentalizing theory, growing interest has recently emerged in the concept of Epistemic Trust. Epistemic Trust is defined as the ability to evaluate incoming information from the social world as accurate, reliable, and relevant. The opening of Epistemic Trust allows the individual to assimilate information into existing knowledge domains. Recently, Luyten et al. (2020) theorized that complex trauma might disrupt the development of the capacity for epistemic Trust. Campbell et al. (2021) highlighted the mediating role of epistemic mistrust (i.e., the rigid suspiciousness toward incoming knowledge) and epistemic credulity (i.e., the inability to discriminate between trustworthy and untrustworthy information) in the association between childhood adverse experiences and psychopathological outcomes. In addition, focusing on adolescent inpatients, Orme et al. (2019) found negative associations between epistemic Trust and borderline traits. During the COVID-19 lockdown was found a protective role of Mentalization and epistemic Trust in contrast to dysregulation and perceived stress in adolescence (Locati et al., 2022). Thus, it is possible to hypothesize that both mentalizing capacity and epistemic Trust play protective roles in reducing the risk of developing psychopathology, but further evidence of these associations is needed. This study aims to investigate the relationship between mentalizing and stress, exploring how challenging circumstances interact with adolescent mentalizing capacity. This study sought to examine how Mentalization and epistemic trust were recruited in regulating and coping with emotional distress and psychopathological diseases by non-clinical adolescents. Method(s): Participants were 482 non-clinical adolescents (204 Males e 278 Females), aged between 12 and 19 years (M=15,59, DS=2,05). Adolescents were assessed using the Reflective Functioning Questionnaire for Youth, Epistemic Trust Mistrust Credulity Questionnaire, Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale and Youth Self Report. By means of ANOVA we test the effect of age on Mentalization and epistemic Trust (Trust, Mistrust and Credulity). We hypothesized to find a positive effect on Mentalization, but not on epistemic Trust. We performed a network analysis in order to explore the relationship between Mentalization and epistemic trust (Trust, Mistrust and Credulity), psychopathology (internalizing and externalizing), emotion dysregulation and age. Result(s): Developmental trends reveal a positive effect of age on Mentalization, Trust and Mistrust, but not on Credulity. Network analysis showed that both Trust and Mentalization are negatively associated with emotion dysregulation and externalizing problems. In addition, Trust is linked with Mentalization. On the other hand, Mistrust is positive associated with Dysregulation and Psychopathology (internalizing and externalizing problems), while Credulity is positive association only with emotion dysregulation. Conclusion(s): First, these findings underline the presence of a developmental dynamic that involves not only Mentalization but also Epistemic Trust in its Trust and Mistrust domains. These findings suggest the idea of epistemic Trust as a developmental construct that may be negotiated in the relationship with the social context, that in adolescence became challenging from the childhood phase. Nevertheless, Credulity domain may represent a different trend, maybe already defined during infancy. Moreover, these findings suggest that trust and the capacity to mentalize contrast emotional dysregulation. However, robust levels of epistemic Trust and Mentalization may have acted as protective factors that buffered psychopathology risk. Network analysis confirms the rel tionship between mistrust and credulity and psychopathological risks and emotion dysregulation, with a stronger effect of Mistrust on both internalizing and externalizing symptoms and a hidden effect of Credulity on emotion dysregulation. These findings may inform clinical treatment and prevention in adolescence, confirming the resilient role of Trust and Mentalization in contrast to externalizing behaviour risk. On the other hand, Mistrust may reveal a critical maintenance factor of internalizing behaviour problems.
ABSTRACT
Alexithymia is associated with adverse developmental outcomes. However, this concept has been criticized for being heavily influenced by Western norms of emotional expression and for potentially pathologizing people from different cultural backgrounds. Furthermore, the widely employed variable-centered study approaches hinder research understanding of real-world alexithymia profiles. Using a person-centered approach, the current study investigated the alexithymia profiles among Chinese college students and tested the profiles' relations with childhood adversity and COVID-19 burnout. Four latent alexithymia profiles were identified. The High I profile (particular difficulty identifying feelings) emerged as a risk profile for childhood adversity and COVID-19 burnout. Our findings illustrate the heterogeneity of the alexithymia construct and represent a significant step toward expanding cross-cultural understanding of alexithymia profiles and their associations with related psychological constructs. When dealing with childhood adversity and COVID-19 burnout, health care programs should consider a specific alexithymia profile defined by difficulty identifying feelings. © 2022 Elsevier Inc.
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Purpose of Study: Community health fairs have been developed to address the unmet needs for disease prevention and health education among underserved communities. Hispanic communities experience significant non-financial barriers (e.g., cultural and linguistic) that also contribute to lower rates of access and utilization of health care services, including important preventive screening services. Around 3% of Mobile County's population is Hispanic. The aim of this event was: (1) To perform basic health screening, provide health education, and administer COVID-19 and Influenza vaccines to children under the age of 18 years. (2) To act as a bridge between the Hispanic families in the community and the available resources to help them overcome barriers to accessing quality care. Methods Used: We started by identifying and finalizing the location and the date for the health fair with help from the Guadalupe Center (a faith-based organization). We planned to divide the health fair into three specialized zones: Health Screening, Health Education, and Vaccination. The Health Screening zone would include anthropometry, developmental screening, and vision screening. The Health Education zone would educate the families on asthma care, breastfeeding, drowning prevention, road safety, safe sleep practices, oral hygiene, adverse childhood experiences, and healthy lifestyle. The Vaccination Zone would administer COVID-19 and Influenza vaccines. We designed and printed brochures for all health education topics in English and in Spanish. Age and gender appropriate 'Health Passports' with growth charts and other key parameters to record the child's health status were also created. Resident and medical student volunteers were trained regarding documentation, health screening, health education, and referrals to early intervention or specialist services that accepted uninsured or Medicaid patients. Summary of Results: A total of 49 children underwent health screening and health education. Each child's health status was documented in age and gender appropriate 'Health Passport'. In addition to this, these children and their parents were educated at the various health education stations and provided with brochures. Around 40% of the children that were screened had an abnormal vision screen, the parents of these children were given a list of available resources for further follow-up. Six children with developmental delay were identified and early intervention forms were filled out for two and more information regarding the Individualized Education Program (IEP) was given to the other four families. Eight children were vaccinated for COVID-19 and five were vaccinated for Influenza. Conclusion(s): The Hispanic community has persistently faced barriers to access healthcare due to literacy and socioeconomic status. Academic institutions and community- based organizations must work to develop and sustain culturally relevant health education and outreach events to reduce these disparities. Copyright © 2023 Southern Society for Clinical Investigation.
ABSTRACT
The school nurse (SN) is often the sole health care expert in the school setting, providing for the physical and socio-emotional needs of others. SN may be exposed to reports of trauma, a widespread and costly public health issue. This study sought to explore the experience of the SN when exposed to reports of trauma from those in their care. Seven N.J. certified school nurses participated in two online interviews via Microsoft Teams, spaced one to two weeks apart between June 2021 and September 2021. Interviews were recorded & transcribed verbatim and thematic analysis applied. This study found that SN receive reports of trauma to varying degrees, with those in high-poverty urban settings relaying more frequent exposure than those in suburban settings. The SN identified the health office as a safe haven where students are welcome, accepted as they are, can share concerns, and seek comfort from their ailments. SN reported challenges working within the school model, and experienced obstacles to receiving reports of trauma including a lack of school-based collaboration, a lack of understanding of the SN role, and SN workload. In the eye of the storm, while receiving traumatic reports, SN focus on immediate needs. Later, while mitigating the aftermath, they process the experience and apply coping strategies, such as self-care and social support, to restore and replenish. While weathering the storm, they share concern and frustration, but acknowledge that they can only do so much. The SN in this study did not demonstrate secondary trauma but instead shared stories of resilience. Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the SN receipt of reports of trauma were explored. Further research is needed regarding the role of the SN, SN workload, and their experience in receiving reports of trauma. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
Juvenile delinquency is an ongoing problem in society and is detrimental as many delinquents have mental and behavioral health issues. Delinquency is costly to society, and it was found that many delinquents have a traumatic past or adverse childhood experiences. They include child abuse and neglect, loss, separation/divorce of parents, witnessing domestic violence, parents who struggle with mental health and/or drug and substance abuse, parents who have their own trauma, death of a loved one, natural disaster, or other tragedies that are linked to an increase in the likelihood of juvenile delinquency. In this study, the relationship between juvenile delinquency and trauma by the lived experiences of professionals who have worked with delinquents and at-risk youth was examined. The biopsychosocial model provided a theoretical framework for the study. Data were collected by interviewing 20 mental health professionals. The data were analyzed to determine common themes and patterns about professionals who work with at-risk youth. The 6 themes found during analysis were professionals' caseloads consisted of clients who have lived through trauma, vicarious trauma was common, professionals must adapt to the barriers that stem from working with the population, they faced many barriers working with at-risk youth, they wanted to be effective for their clients, they were interested in trainings to increase their effectiveness with clients, they found it was necessary for caregivers to be involved in treatment, and COVID-19 has impacted traumatized youth. This study can contribute to positive social change as professionals may be able to identify ways to intervene with at-risk youth to encourage normal social functioning. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
Introduction: It has been broadly anticipated that COVID-19 pandemic-related experiences may constitute traumatic stressors in vulnerable populations, and that older adults' might be especially at risk of experiencing mental health symptoms during the pandemic. Objective(s): The present study aimed to examine older adults' psychological distress: posttraumatic stress, Covid-related fears, anxiety, and depression during the pandemic, and the relationship between present distress, defensive functioning, and childhood trauma. We also explored potential differences between youngerolder adults (between 65 and 74 years), and older-older adults (75 years and above). Method(s): Data was collected in a large-scale online survey during the early months of the pandemic, for the present study, we included participants above 65 years old (N = 1,225). Result(s): showed that age, adverse childhood experiences, and overall defensive functioning were all significantly related to posttraumatic stress, anxiety, and depression. Specifically, younger age and more reported childhood adversity were related to higher distress, whereas higher defensive functioning was related to less distress. Covid-related fears were not associated with age. Our final model showed that defensive functioning mediated the relationship between childhood trauma and distress. Conclusion(s): Our results support the relative resilience of olderolder adults compared to younger-older adults, as well as the longlasting impact of childhood adversity through defensive functioning later in life, specifically in times of heightened stress, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Future studies are warranted to identify further factors affecting defensive functioning as adults age, as well as processes that are associated with resilience in response to stressors in older adulthood.
ABSTRACT
Aims Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE's) are those potentially traumatic events occurring in an individual between birth and 17 years of age.1 The term was first used in the pioneering study published in 1998, which showed causational relationships between ten adverse childhood experiences and negative health outcomes. Since then, a multitude of further research has been conducted in the field. Scientific curiosity led me to research the link between early trauma and physical, mental, and social health. Having conducted and presented the results of a pilot study (pre-pandemic), my passion grew, leading to an in-depth literature review on the relating factors, mechanism and relationship between ACE's and physical and mental health, followed by an extensive undergraduate study, to ascertain the impact of ACE's on medical students, in particular focusing on emotional health, during this pandemic (2021). Methods A sample of 140 students attending the university of medicine and pharmacy 'Grigore T. Popa' were surveyed, collecting demographic, physical, mental, social, and emotional health data by means of an Google Forms questionnaire (including: the Pittsburgh sleep quality Index,2 and WHO ACE-IQ3). Correlations were made between different variables, such as: gender, nationality, self-rated physical health and 'binary ACE score'. Results 61.4% were female, with participants from across the globe. The average age was 23.13 years. A snapshot of the prevalence of ACE's was obtained, 29.3% had an ACE score of 4 or more. Of the categories of ACE's: a quarter having experienced sexual abuse, witnessing physical violence (without objects) in just under a third (31%), and threats or actual abandonment or exclusion from the house in just under 1 in 5 (19%). While data confirmed the findings of previous studies on the impact of ACE's on physical health, the most notable findings were in relation to emotional health. In the past year, 39.3% reported having felt deep sadness more than three times. 47.1% reported feelings of worthlessness more than three times in the past year. 27.1% reported excessive worry, 15% reported thoughts of self-harm. Positive correlations were observed between ACE score, and feelings of deep sadness, feelings of worthlessness, excessive worry, thoughts of self-harm, and suicidal thoughts (see figure 1). Conclusion These findings underline an important issue, equally affecting the future medical professionals. Findings reflect the generation and the world as a whole, with the compounded impact of the SARS-COV-2 pandemic on mental and emotional health. Results suggest, dealing with the effects of 'post-pandemic' stress and ACE will be an issue requiring particular attention. (Figure Presented).