Addressing grief reactions among incarcerated adolescents and young adults using trauma and grief component therapy.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether male adolescents incarcerated in a juvenile justice facility would participate in and benefit from a grief-focused, evidence-based group treatment program. Few studies have examined the effectiveness of evidence-based, grief focused treatments for incarcerated adolescents, although these youths are reported to experience higher rates of bereavement than those in the general population. METHOD: Between 2015 and 2020, 63 male adolescents incarcerated at a secure correctional facility in the midwestern United States received group treatment for symptoms of maladaptive grief using an evidenced-based intervention called Trauma and Grief Component Therapy for Adolescents (TGCTA; Saltzman et al., 2017). Data collection before and after treatment included a brief screening measure, demographic information on each youth, and the Persistent Complex Bereavement Disorder (PCBD) Checklist, scored according to multidimensional grief theory (Layne et al., 2017). RESULTS: Mean PCBD grief domain scores decreased significantly for separation distress and circumstance-related distress from baseline to after TGCTA (Layne et al., 2014) group participation. After group completion, the association between PCBD grief symptoms and functional impairment was unchanged in the family domain, decreased in the school domain, and increased in the peers/friends domain. In the 5- to 15-week period after the group versus the 5- to 15-week period before the group, there was a 50% reduction in the number of behavioral incident reports involving TGCTA group participants, while 63 matched control participants had no change in behavioral incident reports. CONCLUSION: Study findings demonstrate the feasibility of treating maladaptive grief with youths in the juvenile justice system and provide preliminary evidence that grief-focused treatment may reduce maladaptive grief symptoms and improve behavioral functioning. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Inhibition of succinate-linked respiration and complex II activity by hydrogen peroxide.

Hydrogen peroxide produced from electron transport chain derived superoxide is a relatively mild oxidant, and as such, the majority of mitochondrial enzyme activities are impervious to physiological concentrations. Previous studies, however, have suggested that complex II (succinate dehydrogenase) is sensitive to H(2)O(2)-mediated inhibition. Nevertheless, the effects of H(2)O(2) on succinate-linked respiration and complex II activity have not been examined in intact mitochondria. Results presented indicate that H(2)O(2) inhibits succinate-linked state 3 mitochondrial respiration in a concentration dependent manner. H(2)O(2) has no effect on complex II activity during state 2 respiration, but inhibits activity during state 3. It was found that conditions which prevent oxaloacetate accumulation during state 3 respiration, such as inclusion of rotenone, glutamate, or ATP, blunted the effect of H(2)O(2) on succinate-linked respiration and complex II activity. It is concluded that H(2)O(2) inhibits succinate-linked respiration indirectly by sustaining and enhancing oxaloacetate-mediated inactivation of complex II.