ABSTRACT
The present study examined associations between stress and problematic alcohol use among US Navy members anticipating deployment, whether depressive symptoms mediated the stress-alcohol link, and whether social support and relationship satisfaction moderated associations between stress, depressive symptoms, and problematic alcohol use. Participants were 108 US Navy members assigned to an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer anticipating an 8-month deployment after Operational Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom. Stress was indirectly related to problematic alcohol use such that higher levels of stress were associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms, which were further associated with higher levels of alcohol use. The indirect effect of stress to problematic alcohol use via depressive symptoms was tested at different levels of social support and relationship satisfaction. At higher levels of social support and relationship satisfaction, the association between stress and problematic alcohol use via depressive symptoms decreased. Results help identify targets for alcohol prevention efforts among current military members.
Subject(s)
Affect/physiology , Alcoholism/psychology , Military Personnel/psychology , Personal Satisfaction , Social Support , Stress, Psychological/psychology , Adaptation, Psychological , Adult , Alcoholism/complications , Depression/complications , Depression/psychology , Female , Humans , Male , Risk Factors , Stress, Psychological/complications , Young AdultABSTRACT
The present brief report examined whether number of deployments, relationship satisfaction, and the interaction between number of deployments and relationship satisfaction predicted Navy members' reports of perpetrating physical partner violence. Participants were 80 U.S. Navy members assigned to an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer anticipating an 8-month deployment after Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom. The effect that the number of deployments had on perpetrating physical partner violence diminished as relationship satisfaction increased. Results suggest the importance of designing domestic violence intervention and treatment efforts toward those who report high levels of deployment and low relationship satisfaction.
Subject(s)
Intimate Partner Violence/psychology , Intimate Partner Violence/statistics & numerical data , Military Personnel/psychology , Military Personnel/statistics & numerical data , Personal Satisfaction , Adult , Afghan Campaign 2001- , Female , Humans , Male , United States , Young AdultABSTRACT
Current ethical guidelines require psychologists to self-assess competence and take steps to limit or discontinue clinical work when they can no longer render competent care. Yet even in the best of circumstances, human beings--psychologists included--are not very good at evaluating their own performance. Moreover, when psychologists are deployed to combat zones and work constantly with severely traumatized and injured service members, evidence suggests that they become vulnerable to compassion fatigue and secondary trauma syndromes. In this article, we consider the unique threats to competence faced by military clinical psychologists. We conclude with several specific recommendations for deployed military clinical psychologists themselves and for the community leaders tasked with training and supervising them.
Subject(s)
Clinical Competence , Empathy , Military Personnel/psychology , Physician Impairment , Psychology, Military/ethics , Stress Disorders, Traumatic/psychology , Attitude of Health Personnel , Codes of Ethics , Fatigue/psychology , Humans , Self Care/methods , Self-Assessment , Social Responsibility , Social Support , Stress Disorders, Traumatic/etiology , Wounds and Injuries/psychology , Wounds and Injuries/therapyABSTRACT
In a 2-year period 54 feral cats were captured in Grenada, West Indies, and a total of 383 samples consisting of swabs from rectum, vagina, ears, eyes, mouth, nose and wounds/abscesses, were cultured for aerobic bacteria and campylobacters. A total of 251 bacterial isolates were obtained, of which 205 were identified to species level and 46 to genus level. A commercial bacterial identification system (API/Biomerieux), was used for this purpose. The most common species was Escherichia coli (N=60), followed by Staphylococcus felis/simulans (40), S. hominis (16), S. haemolyticus (12), Streptococcus canis (9), Proteus mirabilis (8), Pasteurella multocida (7), Streptococcus mitis (7), Staphylococcus xylosus (7), S. capitis (6), S. chromogenes (4), S. sciuri (3), S. auricularis (2), S. lentus (2), S. hyicus (2), Streptococcus suis (2) and Pseudomonas argentinensis (2). Sixteen other isolates were identified to species level. A molecular method using 16S rRNA sequencing was used to confirm/identify 22 isolates. Salmonella or campylobacters were not isolated from rectal swabs. E. coli and S. felis/simulans together constituted 50% of isolates from vagina. S. felis/simulans was the most common species from culture positive ear and eye samples. P. multocida was isolated from 15% of mouth samples. Coagulase-negative staphylococci were the most common isolates from nose and wound swabs. Staphylococcus aureus, or S. intemedius/S. pseudintermedius were not isolated from any sample. Antimicrobial drug resistance was minimal, most isolates being susceptible to all drugs tested against, including tetracycline.
