"If He Were a Terrorist, You Would Have Caught Him Already": The Experience of Divorce Denial Among Intimate Partner Violence Survivors.

This study aimed to advance knowledge about separation abuse-and, specifically, divorce denial-and its implications for the well-being of survivors, by applying the conservation of resources (COR) theory. Data were collected from 15 Israeli female survivors of intimate partner violence who were denied divorce over a period lasting between 1 and 12 years. The findings revealed the participants' perceived detrimental effects of divorce denial on their well-being through multiple losses-in terms of autonomy, spiritual and relational, institutional, and financial resources. These findings suggest the need to assess and address the effects of resource loss in separation abuse interventions.

The Process of Online Disclosures of Interpersonal Victimization: A Systematic Review.

Theory and research on disclosure of interpersonal victimization, including intimate partner violence, sexual assault, and child abuse, has produced rich scholarship promoting a greater understanding of the challenges and implications of disclosure for survivors. However, in the last decade, social media platforms have opened new online disclosure opportunities that diverge from and overlap with offline disclosure. This highlights the need for adaptation and elaboration of theorizing in this growing area of study. Thus, the study aimed to systematically review the studies published in scientific literature. The following databases were accessed Criminal Justice Abstracts, Medline PsychInfo, Social Work Abstracts, Sociological Abstracts, Web of Science database, and Google Scholar. Twenty-seven studies met the inclusion criteria of peer-reviewed status and focused on the disclosure process. A thematic analysis revealed that online disclosure of interpersonal victimization is a multi-phase (decision-making and disclosure aftermath) and multifactorial (individual, interpersonal, social, and technological) experience for survivors. Specifically, survivors' motivation was related to therapeutic goals, social support, and a desire to advocate for social change. Survivors faced numerous facilitators (e.g., inspiration from other online disclosures) and barriers (e.g., fear of triggering other survivors) to disclosure. The impact of online disclosure was divided into benefits (e.g., empowerment) and risks (e.g., undermining survivors' security). The conceptual and empirical limitations of the current research are discussed, including a need for quantitative methods with larger samples and longitudinal designs to better understand how survivors can best benefit from processes of online disclosure, while avoiding harm or re-traumatization.

Cultural accommodation of internet-based interventions for substance use and related disorders: a proposed comprehensive framework based on a pilot study and a literature review.

Despite the low utilization rates of substance use and related disorders services, and the ability of internet-based interventions for substance use and related disorders (IBIS) to address challenges related to service engagement, limited attention has been placed on the processes for the accommodation of these interventions to diverse cultural settings. This study aimed to develop a framework for the cultural accommodation of IBIS across populations based on a pilot study and a literature review. A pilot study of cultural accommodation of an existing internet intervention for alcohol use was carried out in Israel, which involved focus groups and daily online surveys of prospective consumers (N = 24) as well as interviews with experts (N = 7) in the substance abuse treatment field. Thematic analysis revealed a range of themes that relate to the general Israeli culture and the specific Israeli drinking subculture, identified as needing to be addressed in the process of intervention accommodation. A comprehensive framework for cultural accommodation of IBIS is suggested, consisting of five stages: Technical and cultural feasibility; Engagement of target group; Identification of accommodation variables, Accommodation, and evaluation of the accommodated intervention. In addition, the framework consists of four dimensions of accommodation: Barriers and facilitators; Audio-visual materials and language; Mechanisms of change; Intersectional factors. We suggest that the proposed framework may serve as a guide for the cultural accommodation of existing internet-based interventions for substance use and related disorders across a range of cultural and geographical settings, thus augmenting the ecological validity of internet-based interventions for substance use and related disorders, expanding cross-cultural intervention research, and reducing health disparities worldwide.

"The Global Sense of Disaster was Synchronized With my Own Disaster": Implications of the COVID-19 Crisis on the Wellbeing of Survivors of Sexual Violence.

The present study is designed to improve our understanding of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, as collective trauma, on the wellbeing of survivors of sexual violence (SV). The data are based on an online qualitative survey about the experiences of 39 survivors and a thematic analysis of ten in-depth interviews with service providers in Israel. The findings reveal that the pandemic and restrictive measures are associated with increased risk for participants' wellbeing, caused directly by pandemic characteristics, as well as indirectly through the denial of access to coping resources. Paradoxically, the pandemic also offers relief, given the widespread restrictions imposed on the entire population and the general crisis atmosphere. The service providers' perspective indicates an increased demand for services as well as for their adjustment. These findings highlight the vulnerability of individuals with a history of SV and the need for accommodation of frontline SV services for health crises.

Maintaining Normative Functioning Alongside Drug Use: The Recognition of Harms and Adoption of Change Strategies.

The current study examined drug users' perspectives on strategies that helped them to maintain normative functioning or resolve impaired functioning. We interviewed 29 drug users who described themselves as functioning normatively while using drugs on a regular basis until they experienced harms or raised concerns of future harms. The content analysis showed that the users maintain their normative functioning through diverse strategies that can be located on a continuum. This continuum was conceptualized as "normative functioning management" based on White et al.'s concept of "recovery management." This study found an ongoing continuum through self-management and social interaction consisting of three regions: the management of normative functioning, the recognition of the harm of drug use to functioning, and the subsequent adoption of change strategies for maintaining normative functioning. This continuum may provide a more nuanced theoretical understanding of the phenomenon of drug users with normative functioning and is therefore relevant for counselors encountering such users in their practice. This study highlights inner resources such as self-awareness and social interaction that help functioning users to maintain their normative functioning and fulfill basic obligations in their normal routines, that is, preserving their professional status, family lives, and relationships.

"You have to start normalizing": Identity construction among self-changers and treatment changers in the context of drug use normalization.

Identity transformation and stigma management have been widely acknowledged as significant factors in various drug-cessation pathways, such as self-change (SC) and treatment-change (TC). These processes involve the employment of symbolic boundaries within which people associate themselves with desired groups and/or distance themselves from less desirable ones. However, the relevance of the drug-cessation pathway to identity construction in an era of drug-use normalization has not yet been explored. The present study used thematic discourse analysis to compare the drug-cessation narrative and the reflected identity construction of 41 former drug users in Israel (25 SCs and 16 TCs). The findings revealed a shared trigger for drug cessation that was related to impaired functionality and a threat to their identity. However, the groups differed in other drug-cessation factors that served their identity-negotiation strategies. The SCs negotiated stigma by distancing themselves from other drugs users, minimizing drug risk, and denying the need for drug treatment. In contrast, the TCs negotiated stigma by distancing themselves from their former user identities, embracing the disease model of drug use, and confirming the necessity of treatment. This identity construction reflects continuous framing of ideals of subjectivity, such as self-regulation, which policy makers and treatment stakeholders should consider in developing services and conveying substance-use policy messages.

Exploring the promise of intersectionality for promoting justice-involved women's health research and policy.

The perspective of intersectionality has gained widespread scholarly interest and been employed across many different disciplines, including criminology. This perspective focuses on interlocking systems of oppression and the need to work toward structural changes to promote social justice and equity. The present article aimed to explore the potential of intersectionality for advancing health research and policy regarding justice-involved women, in different phases of the judicial process, based on the extant literature.First, employing an intersectional approach to analyze the issue of health during the pre-incarceration period may facilitate identification of the structural and representational factors underlying the barriers that women face in obtaining health services, which elevates the risk to their health. Furthermore, adopting an intersectionality perspective to explore women's health during incarceration may shed light on vulnerable, invisible subpopulations of women such as incarcerated older women and their health problems, and help identify the structural barriers to carceral health services and the role of stigma in inflicting and normalizing harmful practices within prison walls. In addition, an intersectionality lens highlights the risk of unintended use of scholarly knowledge regarding the health of justice-involved women. Last, an intersectionality perspective is particularly relevant for research of the reentry of justice-involved women. In particular, it can be used to examine gender-sensitive reentry services that ignore other axes of marginalization, such as class and race, generating a powerful dynamic that results in partial service, denial of access to therapeutic resources, and possible exposure to health-damaging environments.Through an exploration of the extant literature on justice-involved women, I endeavored to demonstrate that an intersectional framework offers powerful tools to both challenge and strengthen gender frameworks within criminology. This will make it possible to move beyond consideration of gender alone, to understand how systems of oppression based on race, age and other social locations intersect and combine to construct health disadvantages among justice-involved women. This highlights the needs for a new research agenda and policy that integrate the intersectional framework with health theories to provide a more developed understanding of health among justice-involved women.

Sense of coherence as a recovery capital in recovery from substance use disorders.

BACKGROUND: Recovery from substance use disorders without treatment has long been of interest to researchers and practitioners. The aim of the study was to examine the role of sense of coherence and recovery capital in long-term recovery without treatment and the association between the two concepts. METHOD: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 229 Israeli respondents, 134 of them self-changers and 95 treatment-changers. The respondents completed the Addiction Severity Index, the Sense of Coherence Questionnaire, the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, and the Recovery Capital Questionnaire. RESULTS: Significant differences between the two groups were found. The self-changers had a higher sense of coherence (p < .001) and reported more cannabis use. No significant group differences were found in recovery capital. The treatment-changers had experienced significantly more child abuse (p < .001) and suffered from severe psychiatric problems (p = .019), compared with the self-changers. Significant correlations were found between higher sense of coherence and lower psychiatric severity (p < .001), lower rate of child abuse (p < .001), and self-change (p = .037). A strong relationship was found between sense of coherence and recovery capital (p < .001), showing that the two concepts were moderately to highly interrelated. CONCLUSIONS: The findings signify the central role of sense of coherence in recovery and the importance of strengthening sense of coherence, which may promote health-related outcomes.

Does Self-Change Occur Among Severely Dependent Substance Users?

The aims of the current study were to examine differences between self-changers (SC) and treatment-changers (TC) in sociodemographic, personal characteristics, severity of substance use disorders (SUDs), and psychiatric problems, and to predict the severity of SUDs, psychiatric problems, and belonging to the SC group. The sample included 229 Israeli respondents (134 SC and 95 TC). Significant differences between the two groups were found. The SC were younger, had a higher sense of coherence, and reported more cannabis use. The TC were involved more in crime and had experienced more child abuse and severe psychiatric problems compared with the SC. No significant group differences were found in the severity of substance dependence. The findings suggested that severity of SUDs did not differentiate between the groups, but the severity of psychiatric problems and history of child abuse did. This indicates a need for treatment interventions targeting all three issues of childhood trauma, SUDs, and psychiatric problems.

Intensive-invisible mothering: The experiences of mothers of adult children with dual diagnosis.

The experiences of mothers of adult offspring with a dual diagnosis have rarely been discussed in the literature, despite growing involvement and responsibility of mothers for daily care of their children. Interpretive phenomenological analysis of in-depth interviews was used to examine the mothering experience of 12 mothers of adult offspring with dual diagnosis. The analysis revealed that the mothers' experiences were intensive, abusive, and isolating, and simultaneously rendered them invisible, undervalued, or ignored by professionals, community, and family. Furthermore, the analysis indicated that this experience of 'intensive-invisible' mothering was promoted or prevented by three intersecting mechanisms, identified here as discursive, institutional, and spatial. The research contributes to the fields of knowledge regarding family members of people with mental health problems, by adding a theoretical layer that takes into account how public discourses of motherhood mould women's accounts of their mothering experience. Practical implications of these findings for professionals working with these mothers are discussed. Specifically, therapeutic intervention that focuses on identifying and modifying the underlying psychological and social processes associated with the 'intensive-invisible' mothering experience could be useful.

Cognitive Appraisal of Child Abuse Among Israeli Inmates: Does Sex Make a Difference?

Sex differences in child abuse and neglect (CAN) have long interested researchers due to their adverse impact. Cognitive appraisal of CAN may also affect the negative consequences. The purpose of this study was to assess sex differences in (a) the experience and (b) the cognitive appraisal of CAN among 247 Israeli inmates. The findings indicated that female inmates experienced higher rates of total CAN than male inmates. No significant sex differences were found in physical abuse, emotional neglect, or cognitive appraisal of CAN. However, there were significant sex differences in ranking the significance of different dimensions of cognitive appraisal of CAN. Paternal partner violence was a predictor of CAN and its cognitive appraisal for both sexes; maternal partner violence was a predictor of both among female inmates only. Even when male and female inmates share similar family risk factors, their effects may differ by sex. Possible clinical implications are discussed.

The Experience of Prisoners' Parents: A Meta-Synthesis of Qualitative Studies.

The parents of prisoners have long drawn the attention of researchers, due to their role in the etiology of criminality as well as the importance of their support of their offspring during and after incarceration. However, although studies have shown that the parents of prisoners experience high levels of distress, burden, and social stigma, research into their experience is only now beginning to emerge. This metasynthesis examined the limited body of qualitative research on the experience of prisoners' parents, as an exploratory step toward advancing the understanding of their experience. Relevant terms were used to systematically search key databases. Ten small-scale studies, which varied in focus, location, and disciplinary orientation, met the inclusion criteria. The synthesis produced four core themes, reflecting findings regarding parents' (primarily mothers') experience of their offspring's incarceration: parenting from a distance; the burden of care; troubled parental identity; and social reaction. Furthermore, the findings suggested a number of possible mediating factors of this experience, such as parents' social capital and their cognitive appraisal of their offspring's criminality. These themes imply a possible experience of "imprisonment by association" among the parents of inmates and illuminate features that may be unique to them. Given the inherent limitations regarding generalizability of a metasynthesis and the heterogeneity of the experiences of the parents represented by the articles reviewed, the findings call for future large-scale quantitative studies to explore the challenges and therapeutic needs of parents of prisoners regarding the themes identified.

A qualitative study of barriers and facilitators in treating drug use among Israeli mothers: An intersectional perspective.

RATIONALE: Despite the benefits and availability of drug treatment in Western countries, research has shown low utilisation rates, especially by mothers. Studies have indicated internal barriers (e.g., shame) and external/structural barriers (e.g., poverty) to women's utilisation of drug treatment, but little is known about the interrelated axes of marginalization that create such barriers and, even less, facilitators of treatment. A promising avenue for examining this path may be the theoretical perspective of intersectionality, which has often been used to illustrate how women's experiences are shaped by gender in conjunction with other factors, including class, age, and race. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to obtain a deeper understanding of the barriers and facilitators of drug-abuse treatment among substance-abusing mothers, including practical implications. METHODS: In-depth interviews were conducted with 25 Israeli-born and immigrant mothers known to child protection and welfare agencies. A critical feminist theoretical perspective informed by intersectionality was adopted to examine the barriers to and facilitators of their enrolment in drug treatment. RESULTS: Thematic analysis revealed three themes in the interrelationships of different factors and treatment utilisation. First, the threat of losing child custody was interrelated with lack of social and family support, immigration status, being post-partum, and economic hardship to shape barriers to treatment. Second, a set of coping resources originating in their marginality was interrelated with opportunity for treatment. Last, the participants suggested changes that would encourage treatment utilisation, with focus on non-judgmental referral procedures. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicated that barriers and facilitators are interrelated and co-constructed, reflecting the interlocking of power and oppression across the axes of class, gender, and ethnicity. Focusing on social inequality and gender in policies and research on women's drug treatment, the findings may inform the development of strategies to overcome treatment barriers.

Lifetime history of suicidal ideation and attempts among incarcerated women in israel.

BACKGROUND: Evidence indicates that rates of death by suicide are higher among female inmates compared with male inmates and the general population. Despite the high rate of lifetime suicidality, little is known about the predictors of suicidality for these women. OBJECTIVE: The purpose was to examine sociodemographic, criminological, and psychological variables associated with a history of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts among incarcerated women. METHOD: This cross-sectional study investigated a history of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts in a sample of 46 Israeli incarcerated women. Participants completed a confidential interview that included the Addiction Severity Index, the Renard Diagnostic Interview, self-report measures of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, and the presence of symptoms of depression. RESULTS: More than half of the women reported a history of suicidal ideation or attempts. Those who reported such a history were characterized by a high prevalence of childhood victimization, early onset of substance abuse, high prevalence of mental health problems, and high prevalence of mental health problems in the family. Child abuse, depression, and family mental health problems are related to suicidal ideation and attempts in incarcerated women. CONCLUSIONS: As the number of women with mental health concerns entering prison grows, corrections staff are faced with increasing challenges to provide services that mitigate the risk of death by suicide. Inquiring about childhood abuse and symptoms of depression and mental health problems, as well as providing treatment for the emotional impact of trauma exposure, may reduce the risk of suicidality in this population. (PsycINFO Database Record

The stage-dependent roles of Ldb1 and functional redundancy with Ldb2 in mammalian retinogenesis.

The Lim domain-binding proteins are key co-factor proteins that assemble with LIM domains of the LMO/LIM-HD family to form functional complexes that regulate cell proliferation and differentiation. Using conditional mutagenesis and comparative phenotypic analysis, we analyze the function of Ldb1 and Ldb2 in mouse retinal development, and demonstrate overlapping and specific functions of both proteins. Ldb1 interacts with Lhx2 in the embryonic retina and both Ldb1 and Ldb2 play a key role in maintaining the pool of retinal progenitor cells. This is accomplished by controlling the expression of the Vsx2 and Rax, and components of the Notch and Hedgehog signaling pathways. Furthermore, the Ldb1/Ldb2-mediated complex is essential for generation of early-born photoreceptors through the regulation of Rax and Crx. Finally, we demonstrate functional redundancy between Ldb1 and Ldb2. Ldb1 can fully compensate the loss of Ldb2 during all phases of retinal development, whereas Ldb2 alone is sufficient to sustain activity of Lhx2 in both early- and late-stage RPCs and in Müller glia. By contrast, loss of Ldb1 disrupts activity of the LIM domain factors in neuronal precursors. An intricate regulatory network exists that is mediated by Ldb1 and Ldb2, and promotes RPC proliferation and multipotency; it also controls specification of mammalian retina cells.

The Experience of Mothers Exposed to the Abuse of Their Daughters by an Intimate Partner: "There Is No Definition for It".

This qualitative study illuminates the experience of mothers exposed to the intimate partner violence (IPV) of their daughters. In-depth interviews with 11 exposed mothers were conducted. The findings reveal four semi-chronological phases in the participants' experiences: pre-disclosure of the daughter's abuse, the first definitive encounter with the daughter's abuse, living with continued exposure to the daughter's IPV, and the aftermath of the daughter's IPV. A recurrent theme in the mothers' experiences was their dual positioning as a forgotten victim of IPV and as a caregiver of their daughter shaped by prevalent motherhood ideologies. Possible implications for intervention are discussed.

"I used to be an ordinary mom": The maternal identity of mothers of women abused by an intimate partner.

Mothers of children who suffer various problems tend to discuss their experience as a crisis in their maternal identity, regardless of whether the children are young or adults. However, the maternal identity of mothers who are aware that their adult daughters are being abused has not yet been explored. This study aims to examine the construction of the maternal identity by Israeli women whose grown daughters have been subjected to intimate partner violence (IPV), in the light of cultural representations of motherhood and domestic violence (DV). Thematic discourse analysis of in-depth interviews with 11 mothers identified discursive strategies that they used to negotiate a troubled maternal identity following their daughters' IPV experience. The mothers asserted a positive maternal identity by referring to common discourses about DV and motherhood, in a bid to bolster their "good mother" identity, to reframe motherhood, and to assign responsibility for the abuse to the abuser, to their daughters, or to the patriarchal social structure. The implications of these findings for motherhood and maternal identity theories and for professionals working in the field of DV are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record

"I Wanted to Rebel, But There They Hit Me Even Harder": Discourse Analysis of Israeli Women Offenders' Accounts of Their Pathways to Substance Abuse and Crime.

This study examined women offenders' accounts of their pathways to substance abuse and crime and the intersection between them, to reach a holistic understanding that captures the dynamics of victimization, agency, and gender. Discourse analyses of the accounts of 11 Israeli women offenders indicated differential use of two discourses. Five participants used the victimization discourse, which viewed substance abuse as an attempt to medicate the self that was injured following victimization experiences; two used the agency discourse, which viewed substance abuse as a way to experience pleasure, leisure, and control over their destiny. Four of the participants used these two contradictory discourses simultaneously. The findings indicate the absence of a cultural discourse that encompasses women's complex experience of gender, victimization, and agency. Possible implications for intervention are discussed.