Type of Victimization Exposure, Perpetrator Type, and Timing of Victimization: The Impact on Behavioral Health Outcomes.

The effect of abuse victimization in correctional samples has been researched previously, particularly with an eye toward these experiences on justice-involved youth and prison samples' offending and recidivism behavior. The role of this type of victimization, including physical abuse, sexual abuse, and polyvictimization, is less studied in jail populations. The effect of abuse victimization is also less researched among other outcomes, including behavioral health disorders (BHDs) and substance use disorder (SUD). While the effect of abuse, generally, has been examined, less is known about how abuse perpetrator type and timing of abuse impact justice-involved individuals' outcomes. Using logistic regressions, we examined the influence of abuse perpetrator type (non-stranger or stranger) and timing (before childhood, after childhood, or before and after childhood) in a population of jailed adults from one state (n = 4,713). Outcomes studied included internalizing BHDs, externalizing BHDs, and severe SUD. Results indicated that abuse perpetrated by a non-stranger yielded a greater impact on mental illness compared to abuse perpetrated by a stranger. In contrast to abuse experienced as an adult, childhood abuse was more consistently associated with internalizing and externalizing disorders but was not related to severe SUD, with an exception of physical abuse. Further, BHDs and SUD were strongly associated with each other. Overall, polyvictimization had the strongest effect on the outcomes compared to either physical abuse or sexual abuse alone. Our findings suggest that screening for abuse experiences as a potential destabilizing factor in justice-involved populations could improve case management and interventions for people incarcerated in jails. Results also highlight the importance of distinguishing between the perpetrator type of abuse and timing of abuse.

Working memory and visual discrimination distraction tasks improve cold pressor pain tolerance in children.

OBJECTIVE: Distraction is a well-established pain management technique for children experiencing acute pain, although the mechanisms underlying the effectiveness of distraction are not well understood. It has been postulated that engagement of executive functions, such as working memory, may be a critical factor in attenuating pain via distraction. To test this hypothesis, we compared a 1-back task requiring engagement of working memory with a simple visual discrimination task demanding focused attention, but lower cognitive load (0-back). METHOD: Seventy-nine children (6-12 years old) underwent a baseline cold pressor trial followed by cold pressor trials in which they completed the visual discrimination and 1-back tasks in counterbalanced order. Executive functioning ability was assessed via the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (5th Edition) working memory subscales and by parent report on the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, Second Edition (BRIEF®2). RESULTS: Children's pain tolerance improved in both the visual discrimination and 1-back conditions though a differential response to the 2 tasks was not observed. Age moderated the relation between executive functioning and response to distraction; older children with better executive functioning skills demonstrated greater improvements in both distraction interventions. CONCLUSIONS: Findings demonstrate the benefits of both visual discrimination and working memory distraction tasks for elementary-aged children experiencing acute pain. Further research is required in order to elucidate the role of executive functioning skills and cognitive load in enhancing distraction analgesia in children, with particular focus on determining optimal load and task difficulty in light of emerging executive functioning abilities in this age group. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Taking Neighborhood Health to Heart (TNH2H): building a community-based participatory data system.

BACKGROUND: Healthy People 2020 calls for increased monitoring of local health and health disparities, but successful models of designing and implementing data collection systems for this purpose are lacking. COMMUNITY CONTEXT: We describe the process, methods, and outcomes of a community-based participatory research initiative, Taking Neighborhood Health to Heart, designed to collect and disseminate comprehensive health data from 5 diverse urban neighborhoods in Denver, Colorado. METHODS: Since its beginning in 2006, this initiative has involved community members in collection of individual health surveys from 1,146 households; audits of sidewalks, buildings, and other built environment features in 412 neighborhood blocks; audits of availability, price, and quality of fresh produce in 69 local stores; and audits of conditions and amenities in 20 local parks. Community members and researchers share, interpret, and disseminate these data through a joint data review and dissemination committee. OUTCOME: Through our community-based data collection system, Taking Neighborhood Health to Heart has been able to collect, analyze, and disseminate locally relevant data on people and neighborhoods to monitor heath and health disparities. INTERPRETATION: Since 2006, the initiative has sustained its focus on community-based participatory research that targets collection and dissemination of local health data. We have used this information to identify salient health issues and advocate for neighborhood programs, policies, and environmental changes to built and social features of neighborhoods that have historically led to unequal opportunities and social disadvantage.