Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Mental Health Of Incarcerated Juveniles In Nevada: Final Report, Nevada Institute For Children's Rerearch And Policy, University Of Nevada, Las Vegas, Jennifer Petsonius, Denise Tanata, Michelle Chino Dr

Nevada Institute for Children's Research and Policy Reports

The prevalence of mental health problems in the juvenile offender population is substantially higher than that of the general population (Cocozza & Skowyra, 2000). Studies estimate that one in five juvenile offenders has serious mental health problems, which is nearly twice the rate of occurrence of mental illness in children and adults in the general population (NMHA Fact Sheet #l). However, there have been several methodological problems encountered in previous research. These include the use of inconsistent definitions and measurements of mental illness; the use of biased, nonrandom samples, a reliance on retrospective case report data, and the use of …

Barriers To Community Mental Health Services For Latinos: Treatment Considerations, Haig Kouyoumdjian, Byron L. Zamboanga, David J. Hansen

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The underutilization of mental health services by Latinos has been a growing concern in research and clinical practice. This has become increasingly important as the population of Latinos in the United States rapidly rises and the evidence that many are not receiving needed mental health services accumulates. To provide an understanding of the issues, this article provides an overview of risk factors that may influence the mental health of Latinos and examines prevalence rates of psychopathology and service utilization trends. This article then presents a comprehensive review of the socioeconomic, cultural, and psychotherapeutic barriers that prevent Latinos from receiving community …

Sexual Risk Taking In Adolescence: The Role Of Self-Regulation And Attraction To Risk, Marcela Raffaelli, Lisa J. Crockett

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Precursors of adolescent sexual risk taking were examined in a multiethnic sample consisting of 443 children (51% girls) of National Longitudinal Survey of Youth participants. Respondents were 12–13 years old in 1994 and 16–17 in 1998. Controlling for demographic and contextual factors, self-regulation—but not risk proneness—was significantly (modestly) associated with overall sexual risk taking 4 years later, Analyses of individual sexual behaviors indicated that self-regulation may affect choices made after becoming sexually active (e.g. number of partners) rather than the initiation of sexual activity. Measures of parent and peer influence had independent effects on sexual risk taking but did not …

Determinants Of Satisfaction With An Automated Alcohol Evaluation Program., Daniel Z Lieberman

Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Faculty Publications

High rates of untreated mental illness cause serious health problems in the United States and worldwide. The use of computer-administered therapy has the potential to increase access to mental health care for certain patient populations. An online version of an alcohol check-up was developed that guided subjects through a series of standardized questionnaires, and provided them with feedback designed to enhance their appreciation of the negative aspects of their alcohol use. Ratings of the helpfulness of the questionnaires were evaluated in order to determine the characteristics of individuals who would potentially benefit from an automated substance abuse intervention, and to …

Serotonergic Agents And Alcoholism Treatment: A Simulation, Scott F. Stoltenberg

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Background: Those with early-onset alcoholism may better respond to ondansetron (a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist) than to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) treatment, whereas those with late-onset alcoholism may present the reverse response pattern. Johnson and colleagues proposed a model that attempts to explain the observed treatment response patterns of those with early and late alcoholism onset by focusing on the influence of a common genetic variant in the serotonin transporter regulatory region (5-HTTLPR) on serotonin (5-HT) and dopamine (DA) system function.
Methods: The present study formalizes and extends Johnson’s descriptive model into a computer simulation consisting of differential equations. For …

Provider-Caregiver Interactions: Evaluation And Use Of The Therapeutic Relationship Index For Caregiver Interventions, Yeon Kyung Chee, Marie P. Dennis, Laura N. Gitlin

Center for Applied Research on Aging and Health Research Papers

No abstract provided.

Parenting Characteristics Of Women Reporting A History Of Childhood Sexual Abuse, David Dilillo, Amy Damashek

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

This article reviews research on the parenting characteristics of female survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA). Various aspects of parenting are considered, including (a) childbearing patterns, (b) the intergenerational transmission of CSA, (c) maternal reactions to child CSA disclosure, (d) parenting skills and behaviors, (e) parental violence toward children, (f) attitudes toward parenting, and (g) adjustment of survivors’ children. Overall patterns suggest CSA survivors may experience difficulties with some aspects of parenting. Among the more consistent trends are findings that survivors may have difficulties establishing clear generational boundaries with their children, may be more permissive as parents, and may be …

Caregiver Strategy Use To Contend With Cognitive And Functional Decline In Persons With Dementia , Laura N. Gitlin, Marie P. Dennis, Walter W. Hauck, Laraine Winter, Sandy Schinfeld

Center for Applied Research on Aging and Health Research Papers

No abstract provided.

The “Sexually Abused Child”: Potential Mechanisms Of Adverse Influences Of Such A Label, Gabriel Holguin, David J. Hansen

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Labeling and the effects of labeling have been extensively researched in the psychological literature in a variety of different contexts. For example, labeling has been empirically shown to lead to lowered expectancies of behavior and achievement, which can then contribute to the potential for the occurrence of a self-fulfilling prophecy with adverse consequences. Another area that has been extensively researched, with a dramatic increase in the literature base in recent history, is that of child sexual abuse (CSA). Despite various shortcomings of the research literature, the consistent findings have been identification of a variety of negative correlates and symptomatologies associated …

Juror Sensitivity To The Cross-Race Effect, Jordan Abshire, Brian H. Bornstein

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Black and White mock jurors’ sensitivity to the cross-race effect was investigated by varying the race of the eyewitness in a simulated murder trial of a Black defendant. Participants heard an audiotape of a trial after which they rendered a verdict and rated the credibility of the witnesses. White participants found the prosecution witnesses (including the eyewitness) more credible, and the defense witness less credible, than did Black participants; they were also more likely to find the defendant guilty. The Black eyewitness was perceived as more credible than was the White eyewitness, but eyewitness race had no effect on verdict. …

Clergy Sexual Abuse And The Catholic Church: What Do We Know And Where Do We Need To Go?, Thomas G. Plante

Psychology

Few recent topics have received the kind of media attention, heated debate, and discussion than the topic of sex-offending clergy, their victims, and supervisors. It is a story about too many bishops (and priests) behaving badly when they are purported to be the moral, religious, and ethical leaders of society. It is a remarkable story. However, it is a complex story that has had little scholarship and discourse driven by thoughtfulness, civility, and reason.

Adolescent Religiosity And Sexuality: An Investigation Of Reciprocal Influences, Sam A. Hardy, Marcela Raffaelli

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The present study examined potential bi-directional associations between religiosity and first sexual intercourse. The sample, drawn from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, included 303 teens (22% Hispanic, 35% Black, 43% White; 53% male) aged 15–16 in 1996 and 17–18 in 1998. All teens included in the sample were virgins at Time 1. In the longitudinal analyses, higher Time 1 religiosity (a composite of importance of religion and frequency of church attendance) was associated with a lower likelihood of first sexual intercourse between Time 1 and Time 2. However, transition to sexual activity between Time 1 and Time 2 was …

Effects Of Chronic Caffeine Pre-Exposure On Conditioned And Unconditioned Psychomotor Activity Induced By Nicotine And Amphetamine In Rats, M. I. Palmatier, E. Y. K. Fung, Rick A. Bevins

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Three experiments examined the effects of chronic preexposure to caffeine on the subsequent conditioned and unconditioned locomotor activating effects of nicotine or amphetamine in rats. Rats were given daily intraperitoneal injections of caffeine anhydrous (0, 10 or 30 mg/kg base) for 30 days. Conditioning (environment-drug pairings) began after the last day of caffeine pre-exposure. Preexposure to 30 mg/kg of caffeine enhanced the acute and chronic locomotor effects of amphetamine (0.5 mg/kg). A similar enhancement of activity was not seen with the high (0.421 mg/kg base) or low dose (0.175 mg/kg) of nicotine. In a drug-free test, the distinct environment paired …

Spruce Run News (Fall 2003), Spruce Run Staff

Maine Women's Publications - All

No abstract provided.

Testing The Dynamic Field Theory: Working Memory For Locations Becomes More Spatially Precise Over Development, Anne R. Schutte, John P. Spencer, Gregor Schöner

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The dynamic field theory predicts that biases toward remembered locations depend on the separation between targets, and the spatial precision of interactions in working memory that become enhanced over development. This was tested by varying the separation between A and B locations in a sandbox. Children searched for an object 6 times at an A location, followed by 3 trials at a B location. Two- and 4-year-olds’, but not 6-year-olds’, responses were biased toward A when A and B were 9-in. and 6-in. apart. When A and B were separated by 2 in., however, 4- and 6-year-olds’ responses were biased …

Barriers To Physicians’ Decisions To Discuss Hospice: Insights Gained From The United States Hospice Model, E. Kiernan Mcgorty, Brian H. Bornstein

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Due to its comprehensive and cost-saving design, hospice has become a critical component of health care. Physicians have become the primary gatekeepers to information on hospice and sources of referral to hospice. However, many physicians do not discuss hospice options until late in the disease course, when patients and their families are no longer able to benefit from hospice services. Although physicians, as well as patients and hospice personnel, cite patient and hospice structure factors as barriers, the present article will focus on barriers physicians have more control over, such as their discomfort discussing terminality and fear of losing contact …

Group Therapy For Incarcerated Women Who Experienced Interpersonal Violence: A Pilot Study, Rebekah G. Bradley, Diane R. Follingstad

CRVAW Faculty Journal Articles

This study evaluated effectiveness of group therapy for incarcerated women with histories of childhood sexual and/or physical abuse. The intervention was based on a two-stage model of trauma treatment and included Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills and writing assignments. We randomly assigned 24 participants to group treatment (13 completed) and 25 to a no-contact comparison condition (18 completed). We evaluated treatment effects, using the Beck Depression Inventory, Inventory of Interpersonal Problems, and Trauma Symptom Inventory. The data demonstrate significant reductions in PTSD, mood, and interpersonal symptoms in the treatment group.

Adult Survivors Of Childhood Abuse: An Analysis Of Coping Mechanisms Used For Stressful Childhood Memories And Current Stressors, Kristine T. Futa, Cindy L. Nash, David J. Hansen, Calvin P. Garbin

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Coping mechanisms used to deal with stressful childhood memories and current stressors were assessed for 196 women in each of 4 groups: no abuse history, sexual abuse history, physical abuse history, and both sexual and physical abuse history. Current psychological adjustment was also examined. Discriminant function analyses revealed a variety of significant differences between the groups in use of strategies for coping with memories of abuse or another childhood stressor. There was no relationship between childhood history of abuse and the manner in which women coped with a current stressor. Women with an abuse history reported significantly poorer adult adjustment …

The Teenage Inventory Of Social Skills: Reliability And Validity Of The Spanish Translation, Cándido J. Inglés, María D. Hidalgo, F. Xavier Méndez, Heidi M. Inderbitzen

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Peer relationships play a critical role in the development of social skills and personal feelings essential for personal growth and life-long adjustment (Hansen, Nangle, & Meyer, 1998), and are a key factor in the development of personal identity and independence from the family circle (Mayseless, Wiseman, & Hai, 1998). Children and adolescents who are popular or accepted by their peers receive more social reinforcement, which improves their adaptation, not only in social areas but also in personal and school ones (Inderbitzen, Walters, & Bukowski, 1997; La Greca & Lopez, 1998). Acceptance or popularity among peers is closely connected to prosocial …

History Of Depression And Smoking Cessation Outcome: A Meta-Analysis, Brian Hitsman, Belinda Borrelli, Dennis E. Mcchargue, Bonnie Spring

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The authors conducted a meta-analysis of published studies to (a) evaluate the premise that a history of major depression is associated with failure to quit smoking and (b) identify factors that moderate the relationship between history of depression and cessation outcome. Fifteen studies met the selection requirements and were coded for various study methodology and treatment characteristics. DSTAT was used to calculate individual study effect sizes, determine the mean effect size across studies, and test for moderator effects. No differences in either short-term (≤ 3 months) or long-term abstinence rates (≥ 6 months) were observed between smokers positive versus negative …

Psychosocial Stress And Cervical Neoplasia Risk, Ann L. Coker, Sharon M. Bond, Margaret M. Madeleine, Kathryn J. Luchok, Lucia Pirisi

CRVAW Faculty Journal Articles

OBJECTIVE: We assessed the association between psychosocial stress and preinvasive cervical neoplasia development controlling for HR-HPV infection.

METHODS: This case-control study enrolled low-income women receiving family planning services at health department clinics. There were 59 cases with biopsy confirmed HSIL and 163 with low-grade SIL and 160 controls with normal cervical cytology. A modified SLE scale was used to measure stressful events and the perceived impact of the event in the prior 5 years. Unconditional logistic regression was used to assess SIL risk and stressful events scores and by subscales.

RESULTS: After adjusting for age, HR-HPV infection, and lifetime number …

Compromised Constitutions: The Iranian Experience With The 1918 Influenza Pandemic., Amir Afkhami

Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Faculty Publications

The global demographic impact of the 1918-19 influenza pandemic continues to fascinate researchers and scholars. This paper examines the social and demographic effects of this outbreak on Iranian society, through a comprehensive investigation of the modes of transmission and propagation, mortality rates, and other distinctive features of the region, and reveals the importance of taking a country's unique sociopolitical settings into account. Iran was one of the regions hit hardest by the pandemic, with mortality rates significantly higher than in most regions of the world. Though globally the victims of influenza lived primarily in urban areas, it was Iran's rural …

Doing Rawls Justice: An Experimental Study Of Income Distribution Norms, Philip A. Michelbach, John T. Scott, Richard E. Matland, Brian H. Bornstein

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Distributive justice has been the focus of political theory with the postwar rise of the social welfare state, and Rawls’ A Theory of Justice (1971) is arguably the most important work of political philosophy during that period. Parallel to this theoretical literature is a body of empirical research into distributive justice. We offer a synthesis of the theoretical and empirical approaches with an experimental study of how individuals use allocation principles in making judgments concerning income distribution under conditions of strict impartiality. Our experiment is designed in part to examine the extent to which they prioritize them consistent with Rawls’ …

Effects Of A Multicomponent Intervention On Motivation And Sun Protection Behaviors Among Midwestern Beachgoers, Sherry Pagota, Dennis E. Mcchargue, R. Wayne Fuqua

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Skin cancer is the most prevalent of all cancers in the United States. Although avoiding sun exposure and using sun protection reduces skin cancer risk, rates of such behaviors are moderate at best. The present study examined the impact of a multicomponent intervention that aimed to increase the saliency of skin cancer risk while promoting the use of sun protection. Midwestern beachgoers (n =100) participated in an intervention or questionnaire-only control group. Sun protection, stage of change, and sun exposure were measured at baseline and 2-month follow-up. The intervention group significantly improved in sun protection use and stage of …

Co-Occurring Forms Of Child Maltreatment And Adult Adjustment Reported By Latina College Students, John C. Clemmons, David Dilillo, Isaac G. Martinez, Sarah Degue, Michelle Jeffcott

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Objectives: This study had two primary objectives: First, to examine the nature and co-occurrence of various forms of child maltreatment (sexual, physical. emotional, and witnessing violence) reported by Latina college students, and second, to explore coexisting maltreatment types and acculturation status as possible contributors to long-term adjustment difficulties.

Method: Participants were 112 Latina undergraduate students categorized by the number of childhood maltreatment types experienced (0, 1, or 2 or more) and acculturation level (1 to 5). The possible effects of co-occurring forms of maltreatment, in conjunction with acculturation status, were investigated with respect to participants’ reported trauma symptomatology. Data were …

School Functioning And Violent Behavior Among Young Adolescents: A Contextual Analysis, Amanda Birnbaum, Leslie A. Lytle, Peter J. Hannan, David M. Murray, Cheryl L. Perry, Jean L. Foster

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

This paper examines associations between overall school functioning and the frequency of violent behaviors among young adolescents (ages 10–14). The sample included 16 middle schools participating in an unrelated intervention study (on nutrition) in Minneapolis, Minnesota. A School Functioning Index developed to characterize schools’ overall stability, performance, and demographics was constructed using data from public archives and school administrator surveys. Data on violent behaviors and other variables were collected in student surveys in fall 1998 and spring 1999. We used multilevel modeling to assess the effect of school functioning on violent behavior after adjusting for known individual-level covariates of violent …

Statewide Penetration And Standard Costs Of Psychotropic Medications, Mary R. Murrin

Mental Health Law & Policy Faculty Publications

This study will examine differences in pharmaceutical utilization rates relative to financial risk arrangements of differing insurance plans. During the last four years we have noted consistent differences in utilization of expensive, psychotropic medications between individuals enrolled in Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs), which are at financial risk for the provision of pharmaceuticals, and the MediPass program in which the state bears the risk of pharmacy expenses. Persons in HMOs had lower levels of utilization.

Parent-Adolescent Communication About Sex: Retrospective Reports By Latino College Students, Marcela Raffaelli, Stephanie Green

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Latina female (n = 97) and Latino male (n = 69) college students (M age =21.4 years) completed self-report surveys regarding family of origin experiences, including sexual communication with parents while growing up. Latino parents of this comparatively highly educated sample tended to use direct rather than indirect strategies for communicating about sexuality with their children. Young women reported higher levels of sexual communication with mothers while growing up than did young men, and respondents reported less communication with fathers than mothers. Among young women, sexual communication with mother was positively associated with non-Mexican origin and negatively associated with having …

Effects Of A Multicomponent Intervention On Motivation And Sun Protection Behaviors Among Midwestern Beachgoers, Sherry Pagota, Dennis E. Mcchargue, R. Wayne Fuqua

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Skin cancer is the most prevalent of all cancers in the United States. Although avoiding sun exposure and using sun protection reduces skin cancer risk, rates of such behaviors are moderate at best. The present study examined the impact of a multicomponent intervention that aimed to increase the saliency of skin cancer risk while promoting the use of sun protection. Midwestern beachgoers (n = 100) participated in an intervention or questionnaire-only control group. Sun protection, stage of change, and sun exposure were measured at baseline and 2-month follow-up. The intervention group significantly improved in sun protection use and stage of …

A Process And Outcome Evaluation Of A Shelter For Homeless Young Women, Theresa Dostaler, Geoffrey Nelson

Psychology Faculty Publications

To evaluate the processes and outcomes of a short-term shelter, both quantitative and qualitative data were gathered via participant observation, focus group interviews with shelter staff and residents, and individual interviews with a sample of 40 young women who had been homeless prior to using the shelter. The process evaluation showed that the shelter staff strived to utilize an empowerment philosophy in their relationships with residents, but that there were many challenges to implementing this philosophy. The outcome evaluation showed that, at a 3-month follow-up, the participants reported significant improvements in housing, income, independence, and life satisfaction, but most continued …