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Full-Text Articles in Social Work

Bullying Victimization And Perpetration: Some Answers And More Questions, Dexter R. Voisin, David B. Miller Jul 2023

Bullying Victimization And Perpetration: Some Answers And More Questions, Dexter R. Voisin, David B. Miller

Faculty Scholarship

The U.S. government has defined bullying victimization as “any unwanted aggressive behavior(s) by another youth or group of youths who are not siblings or current dating partners that involves an observed or perceived power imbalance and is repeated multiple times or is highly likely to be repeated”.1 Conceptualizations of bullying and the use of the term vary by audience and context. For instance, for some, bullying behaviors might include acts of aggression or violence, whereas for others bullying might center on name-calling, exclusionary social practices or even spreading rumors and vicious lies.2


The Relationship Between Religion, Substance Misuse, And Mental Health Among Black Youth, Dexter R. Voisin Mar 2023

The Relationship Between Religion, Substance Misuse, And Mental Health Among Black Youth, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

Studies suggest that religion is a protective factor for substance misuse and mental health concerns among Black/African American youth despite reported declines in their religious involvement. However, few studies have investigated the associations among religion, substance misuse, and mental health among Black youth. Informed by Critical Race Theory, we evaluated the correlations between gender, depression, substance misuse, and unprotected sex on mental health. Using multiple linear regression, we assessed self-reported measures of drug use and sex, condom use, belief in God, and religiosity on mental health among a sample of Black youth (N = 638) living in a large midwestern …


Competency-Based Social Work Education: 25 Years Of Innovation & Leadership, Zoë Breen Wood, Marjorie N. Edguer, David L. Hussey, Mark Chupp, Grover C. Gilmore, Paul M. Kubek Oct 2022

Competency-Based Social Work Education: 25 Years Of Innovation & Leadership, Zoë Breen Wood, Marjorie N. Edguer, David L. Hussey, Mark Chupp, Grover C. Gilmore, Paul M. Kubek

Faculty Scholarship

The white paper chronicles the 25-year history of one graduate school of social work’s efforts in competency-based curriculum innovation. The authors argue that curriculum change is organizational change and share their experiences with a variety of curriculum assessment, design, and delivery efforts. Beginning with the development of the first social work competencies (labeled Abilities), pioneering efforts in assessment and holistic curricular design and delivery are reviewed. A new, one-semester, social work generalist curriculum is introduced. Emphasis is placed on the importance of developing a competency-based curriculum that is integrated both horizontally and vertically and that engages the social work student …


Pathways From Exposure To Community Violence To Bullying Victimization Among African American Adolescents In Chicago’S Southside, Dexter R. Voisin Aug 2022

Pathways From Exposure To Community Violence To Bullying Victimization Among African American Adolescents In Chicago’S Southside, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

The present study proposes and examines the pathways from exposure to community violence to bullying victimization through the influences of depression, exposure to peer delinquency, and drug use among 638 African American adolescents (aged 12–22) from low-resourced neighborhoods in Chicago’s Southside. The study found that African American adolescents who were exposed to community violence were likely at risk of bullying victimization, depression, exposure to peer delinquency, and drug use. Depression can heighten the risk of bullying victimization. These findings have implications for future research.


The Longitudinal Relationship Between Broken Windows And Sexual Behaviors Among African American Girls In Juvenile Detention: The Moderating Effects Of Sexual Sensation Seeking And Parental Monitoring, Dexter R. Voisin May 2022

The Longitudinal Relationship Between Broken Windows And Sexual Behaviors Among African American Girls In Juvenile Detention: The Moderating Effects Of Sexual Sensation Seeking And Parental Monitoring, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

Objective: Broken windows theory has been applied in public health to understand how neighborhood disadvantage contributes to health risk and disparities. This longitudinal study examined the relationship between a broken windows index (i.e., a proxy for neighborhood disadvantage) and sexual behaviors and whether sexual sensation-seeking behaviors and parental monitoring moderated that relationship. Method: Participants were 188 African American adolescent girls incarcerated in a short-term detention facility in Atlanta, GA. Participants completed audio computer-assisted self-interviews at baseline, 3, and 6 months; interviews assessed neighborhood disadvantage, sexual risk behaviors, sexual sensation seeking, parental monitoring, and demographics. Results: Longitudinal findings indicate that the …


Motivation To Move Out Of The Community As A Moderator Of Bullying Victimization And Delinquent Behavior: Comparing Non-Heterosexual/Cisgender And Heterosexual African American Adolescents In Chicago’S Southside, Dexter R. Voisin Dec 2021

Motivation To Move Out Of The Community As A Moderator Of Bullying Victimization And Delinquent Behavior: Comparing Non-Heterosexual/Cisgender And Heterosexual African American Adolescents In Chicago’S Southside, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

A growing body of research documents that bullying victimization is associated with delinquent behavior. There is an increasing need to better illuminate the factors that might moderate this relationship. This study examined whether the motivation to move out of low-resourced neighborhoods and sexual orientation/gender identity moderated the relationship between bullying victimization and delinquent behavior among a sample of 450 heterosexual and 91 non-heterosexual/cisgender African American youths. Measures considered were bullying victimization, delinquent behavior, sexual orientation/gender identity, motivation to move out, and family demographics. Sexual orientation/gender identity was not associated with youth delinquent behavior after controlling for covariates. Being motivated to …


From Exposure To Violence Between Mother And Her Intimate Partner To Suicidality Experienced By Urban Adolescents In Chicago’S Southside, Dexter R. Voisin Jul 2021

From Exposure To Violence Between Mother And Her Intimate Partner To Suicidality Experienced By Urban Adolescents In Chicago’S Southside, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

Although the relationship between exposure to intimate partner violence and youths’ psychological and other wellbeing has been widely studied, there is limited research about how youths’ exposure to violence between mother and her intimate partner may be related to youth psychological wellbeing. The study used a sample of urban adolescents in Chicago Southbound to examine whether youths’ exposure to verbal conflict between mother and her intimate partner is related to their suicidality and whether youth depression and aggression may be in between such a linkage. Our findings indicated that one-third of the youth had suicidal thoughts or suicidal/self-hurting attempts. Youths’ …


Examining The Causal Impact Of Prenatal Home Visiting On Birth Outcomes: A Propensity Score Analysis, Elizabeth R. Anthony, Robert L. Fischer Feb 2021

Examining The Causal Impact Of Prenatal Home Visiting On Birth Outcomes: A Propensity Score Analysis, Elizabeth R. Anthony, Robert L. Fischer

Faculty Scholarship

Objectives: In Ohio, African American babies die at 2.5–3 times the rate of White babies. Preterm birth and low birth weight are the leading causes of infant mortality. Home visiting is an evidence-based strategy for serving low-income pregnant women; however, there are relatively few rigorous studies examining its effect on birth outcomes. Methods: This study uses a propensity score technique to estimate the causal effect of participation in home visiting on prematurity and low birth weight among a low-income, predominantly African American sample (N = 26,814). Results: We found that participation in home visiting significantly reduced the odds of experiencing …


Correlates Of Depression Among Black Girls Exposed To Violence, Dexter R. Voisin Jan 2021

Correlates Of Depression Among Black Girls Exposed To Violence, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

Depression rates for youth remanded to juvenile detention is double that of the general population and Black girls are especially vulnerable. A dearth of literature analyzes the factors that are correlated with depression among system-involved Black girls, ages 12–17 years old. We utilized personal agency to examine the relationship between risk factors (i.e., abuse history, and fear of condom negotiation) and protective factors (i.e., condom self-efficacy, and perceived social support) that might correlate with depression among Black girls exposed to violence. Findings indicate that fear of condom negotiation, abuse history and low condom self-efficacy are correlated with depressive symptomology while …


Conceptualizing The Effects Of Continuous Traumatic Violence On Hiv Continuum Of Care Outcomes For Young Black Men Who Have Sex With Men In The United States, Dexter R. Voisin Sep 2020

Conceptualizing The Effects Of Continuous Traumatic Violence On Hiv Continuum Of Care Outcomes For Young Black Men Who Have Sex With Men In The United States, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

The United States (US) is on track to achieve the 90-90-90 targets set forth by UNAIDS and the National HIV/AIDS strategy, yet significant racial disparities in HIV care outcomes remain, particularly for young Black men who have sex with men (YBMSM). Research has demonstrated that various types of violence are key aspects of syndemics that contribute to disparities in HIV risk. However, little research has looked collectively at cumulative violent experiences and how those might affect HIV treatment and care outcomes. Drawing on extant literature and theoretical underpinnings of syndemics, we provide a conceptual model that highlights how continuous traumatic …


Racial And Ethnic Comparison Of Ecological Risk Factors And Youth Outcomes: A Test Of The Desensitization Hypothesis, Dexter R. Voisin Jul 2020

Racial And Ethnic Comparison Of Ecological Risk Factors And Youth Outcomes: A Test Of The Desensitization Hypothesis, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

Minority youth, because of structural, ecological, and societal inequalities, are at heightened risk of reporting depression and experiencing negative sanctions associated with delinquency. Sociological theories suggest that greater exposure to ecological risk factors at the peer, family, school and community levels are associated with elevated rates of youth depression and delinquency. Desensitization theory posits that repeated exposures to ongoing stressors result in a numbing of psychological and behavioral responses. Thus, it remains unclear whether racial/ethnic differences exist with regards to how contextual stressors correlate with depression and delinquency. Using a sample of 616 Black, 687 Latinx, and 1,318 White youth, …


Art Adherence Among Men Who Have Sex With Men Living With Hiv: Key Challenges And Opportunities, Dexter R. Voisin Jun 2020

Art Adherence Among Men Who Have Sex With Men Living With Hiv: Key Challenges And Opportunities, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

Purpose of Review: In the USA, gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) are disproportionately affected by HIV. High levels of adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) can dramatically improve outcomes for persons living with HIV and reduce the risk of HIV transmission to others. Yet, there are numerous individual, social, and structural barriers to optimal ART adherence. Many of these factors disproportionately impact Black MSM and may contribute to their poorer rates of ART adherence. This review synthesizes the key challenges and intervention opportunities to improve ART adherence among MSM in the USA. Recent Findings: Key …


A Longitudinal Examination Of African American Adolescent Females Detained For Status Offense, Dexter R. Voisin Nov 2019

A Longitudinal Examination Of African American Adolescent Females Detained For Status Offense, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

Introduction: Behaviors like truancy, running away, curfew violation, and alcohol possession fall under the status offense category and can have serious consequences for adolescents. The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency and Prevention Act prohibited detaining status offenders. We explored the degree to which African American adolescent girls were being detained for status offenses and the connections to their behavioral health risks and re-confinement. Methods: 188 African American girls (aged 13–17), recruited from detention facilities, were surveyed at baseline and 3-month follow-ups. Logistic regression models estimated the likelihood of longitudinal re-confinement, controlling for sexual and behavioral health risk factors. Results: One third …


Peer Victimization And Illicit Drug Use Among African American Adolescents In Chicago: The Moderating Effects Of Religious Affiliation, Dexter R. Voisin Jul 2019

Peer Victimization And Illicit Drug Use Among African American Adolescents In Chicago: The Moderating Effects Of Religious Affiliation, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

Objective: Investigators have examined the moderating effects of young people’s relationships with parents, teachers, and peers on victimization and on adverse outcomes such as drug use. However, the moderating influence of religious affiliation on the association between peer victimization and illicit drug use, the focus of this paper, has seldom been examined. Method: Participants were 638 low-income African American youth ages 12–22 (mean age = 15.8; 54% female and 46% male) in Chicago, IL. We conducted hierarchical logistic regression analyses to examine the moderating effect of religious affiliation on the relationship between peer victimization and illicit drug use. Results: Youths …


Social Networks Moderate The Syndemic Effect Of Psychosocial And Structural Factors On Hiv Risk Among Young Black Transgender Women And Men Who Have Sex With Men, Dexter R. Voisin Jul 2019

Social Networks Moderate The Syndemic Effect Of Psychosocial And Structural Factors On Hiv Risk Among Young Black Transgender Women And Men Who Have Sex With Men, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

The interaction between the cumulative effect of psychosocial and structural factors (i.e. syndemic effect) and social networks among young Black transgender women and men who have sex with men (YBTM) remains understudied. A representative cohort of 16–29 year-old YBTM (n = 618) was assessed for syndemic factors [i.e. substance use; community violence; depression; poverty; justice system involvement (JSI)], social network characteristics, condomless anal sex (CAS), group sex (GS), and HIV-infection. The syndemic index significantly increased the odds of CAS, GS, and HIV-infection, and these effects were moderated by network characteristics. Network JSI buffered the effect on CAS, romantic network members …


Implementation Science And Prevention In Action: Application In A Post-Permanency World, Nancy Rolock Jan 2019

Implementation Science And Prevention In Action: Application In A Post-Permanency World, Nancy Rolock

Faculty Scholarship

This article describes how implementation science and intervention research guided the process of selecting and implementing an evidence-informed intervention (Tuning in to Teens; TINT). TINT was provided as a selective prevention effort offered to families with youth aged 10 to 13 years old, with characteristics that suggest an elevated risk for post-permanency discontinuity. Usability testing findings: Contact was made with 54% of families, and 12% participated in the intervention. Multivariate results found no statistically significant differences between families who responded to outreach efforts and those who did not; families who participated in TINT and those who did not. Implications: Large …


Exposure To Community Violence And Substance Use Among Black Men Who Have Sex With Men: Examining The Role Of Psychological Distress And Criminal Justice Involvement, Dexter R. Voisin Oct 2018

Exposure To Community Violence And Substance Use Among Black Men Who Have Sex With Men: Examining The Role Of Psychological Distress And Criminal Justice Involvement, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

Young Black MSM (YBMSM) are disproportionately affected by violence, criminal justice involvement, and other structural factors that also increase vulnerability to HIV. This study examined associations between exposure to community violence (ECV) and substance use, psychological distress, and criminal justice involvement (CJI) among YBMSM in Chicago, IL. Respondent driven sampling was used to recruit a sample of 618 YBMSM (aged 16–29) from the South Side of Chicago between June 2013 and July 2014. Weighted logistic regression assessed the direct effects of ECV, CJI, and psychological distress on substance use outcomes. Indirect effects were assessed via path analysis with mean and …


A Longitudinal Examination Of Factors Associated With Network Bridging Among Ymsm: Implications For Hiv Prevention, Dexter R. Voisin Aug 2018

A Longitudinal Examination Of Factors Associated With Network Bridging Among Ymsm: Implications For Hiv Prevention, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

Social-environmental factors may be associated with social network stability, which has implications for HIV acquisition. However, the link between social-environmental factors, network composition and HIV risk has not been examined previously among a city-population based sample of young Black men who have sex with Men (YBMSM). Respondent driven sampling was used to recruit a cohort of 618 YMBSM. Respondents were evaluated at baseline, 9 and 18 months beginning June 2013. A logistic regression model was used to assess the relationship between bridging (i.e. having non-redundant contacts in one’s network, indicating network instability) and social-environmental factors and HIV risk factors between …


Pathways Linking Family Stress To Youth Delinquency And Substance Use: Exploring The Mediating Roles Of Self-Efficacy And Future Orientation, Dexter R. Voisin Mar 2018

Pathways Linking Family Stress To Youth Delinquency And Substance Use: Exploring The Mediating Roles Of Self-Efficacy And Future Orientation, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

African American adolescents in poorer neighborhoods experience significant sanctions related to drug use and delinquency. Parental stress (i.e. substance use, mental distress, and incarceration) is associated with youth drug use and delinquency. We examined whether high self-esteem and positive future orientation mediated parental stress and youth substance use and delinquency. Demographic, family stress, future orientation, self-esteem, and drug use data were collected from 578 youths. Major findings indicated that self-esteem mediated the relationship between family stress and both drug use and delinquency. Future mediated the relationship between family stress and delinquency. Resiliency factors may promote positive development for low-income youth.


The Relationship Between Black And Gay Community Involvement And Hiv-Related Risk Behaviors Among Black Men Who Have Sex With Men, Dexter R. Voisin Dec 2017

The Relationship Between Black And Gay Community Involvement And Hiv-Related Risk Behaviors Among Black Men Who Have Sex With Men, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

Black gay men must navigate identities and stigmas related to being gay and Black, and report higher HIV incidence relative to their White male counterparts although they report lower rates of drug use and risky sexual behaviors. This study examined whether closeness to the gay or Black community correlated with HIV-related risk and protective behaviors. Data were drawn from uConnect, a population-based cohort study of young Black men who have sex with men (YBMSM) on Chicago's South Side. The sample consists of 618 Black MSM ranging in age from 16 to 29. Cross-sectional measures for this study include Black and …


Pathways To Delinquency And Substance Use Among African American Youth: Does Future Orientation Mediate The Effects Of Peer Norms And Parental Monitoring?, Dexter R. Voisin Nov 2017

Pathways To Delinquency And Substance Use Among African American Youth: Does Future Orientation Mediate The Effects Of Peer Norms And Parental Monitoring?, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

The following study assessed whether future orientation mediated the effects of peer norms and parental monitoring on delinquency and substance use among 549 African American adolescents. Structural equation modeling computed direct and indirect (meditational) relationships between parental monitoring and peer norms through future orientation. Parental monitoring significantly correlated with lower delinquency through future orientation (B = −.05, standard deviation =.01, p <.01). Future orientation mediated more than quarter (27.70%) of the total effect of parental monitoring on delinquency. Overall findings underscore the importance of strengthening resilience factors for African American youth, especially those who live in low-income communities.


Project Ngage: Results Of A Randomized Controlled Trial Of A Dyadic Network Support Intervention To Retain Young Black Men Who Have Sex With Men In Hiv Care, Dexter R. Voisin Oct 2017

Project Ngage: Results Of A Randomized Controlled Trial Of A Dyadic Network Support Intervention To Retain Young Black Men Who Have Sex With Men In Hiv Care, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

HIV-positive young black MSM (YBMSM) experience poor outcomes along the HIV care continuum, yet few interventions have been developed expressly for YBMSM retention in care. Project nGage was a randomized controlled trial conducted across five Chicago clinics with 98 HIV-positive YBMSM aged 16–29 between 2012 and 2015. The intervention used a social network elicitation approach with index YBMSM (n = 45) to identify and recruit a support confidant (SC) to the study. Each index-SC dyad met with a social worker to improve HIV-care knowledge, activate dyadic social support, and develop a retention in care plan. Each index and SC also …


A Longitudinal Analysis Of Antiretroviral Adherence Among Young Black Men Who Have Sex With Men, Dexter R. Voisin Apr 2017

A Longitudinal Analysis Of Antiretroviral Adherence Among Young Black Men Who Have Sex With Men, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

Purpose: Young black men who have sex with men (YBMSM) experience poorer antiretroviral therapy (ART) medication adherence relative to their white counterparts. However, few studies have longitudinally examined factors that may correlate with various classifications of ART adherence among this population, which was the primary aim of this study. Methods: Project nGage was a randomized controlled trial conducted across five Chicago clinics from 2012 to 2015. Survey and medical records data were collected at baseline and 3- and 12-month periods to assess whether psychological distress, HIV stigma, substance use, family acceptance, social support, and self-efficacy predicted ART medication adherence among …


Testing Three Pathways To Substance Use And Delinquency Among Low-Income African American Adolescents, Dexter R. Voisin Feb 2017

Testing Three Pathways To Substance Use And Delinquency Among Low-Income African American Adolescents, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

Objective Mounting literature suggests that parental monitoring, risky peer norms, and future orientation correlate with illicit drug use and delinquency. However, few studies have investigated these constructs simultaneously in a single statistical model with low income African American youth. This study examined parental monitoring, peer norms and future orientation as primary pathways to drug use and delinquent behaviors in a large sample of African American urban adolescents. Methods A path model tested direct paths from peer norms, parental monitoring, and future orientation to drug use and delinquency outcomes after adjusting for potential confounders such as age, socioeconomic, and sexual orientation …


Involvement In The Juvenile Justice System For African American Adolescents: Examining Associations With Behavioral Health Problems, Dexter R. Voisin Oct 2016

Involvement In The Juvenile Justice System For African American Adolescents: Examining Associations With Behavioral Health Problems, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

While researchers have found that African American youth experience higher levels of juvenile justice involvement at every system level (arrest, sentencing, and incarceration) relative to their other ethnic counterparts, few studies have explored how juvenile justice involvement and number of contacts might be correlated with this broad range of problems. A convenience sample of 638 African American adolescents living in predominantly low-income, urban communities participated in a survey related to juvenile justice involvement. Major findings using logistic regression models indicated that adolescents who reported juvenile justice system involvement versus no involvement were 2.3 times as likely to report mental health …


The Relationship Between Life Stressors And Drug And Sexual Behaviors Among A Population-Based Sample Of Young Black Men Who Have Sex With Men In Chicago, Dexter R. Voisin Sep 2016

The Relationship Between Life Stressors And Drug And Sexual Behaviors Among A Population-Based Sample Of Young Black Men Who Have Sex With Men In Chicago, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

Younger Black men who have sex with men (YBMSM) have the highest rates of HIV incidence in the U.S. and are also exposed to high life stressors (e.g., unemployment, incarceration, and exposure to communality). This study assessed whether life stressors were related to drug use and sexual risk behaviors among a representative sample of YBMSM. The South Side of Chicago and selected adjacent suburbs represents the most populous contiguous Black community in the U.S. Over 10% of the estimated YBMSM population in this geographic region were sampled. Major findings indicated that higher life stress was significantly associated with greater odds …


Marijuana Use Among Young Black Men Who Have Sex With Men And The Hiv Care Continuum: Findings From The Uconnect Cohort, Dexter R. Voisin Aug 2016

Marijuana Use Among Young Black Men Who Have Sex With Men And The Hiv Care Continuum: Findings From The Uconnect Cohort, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

Background: Young Black men who have sex with men (YBMSM) are at highest risk for HIV seroconversion in the United States. Successful movement through the HIV care continuum is an important intervention for limiting onwards HIV transmission. Objective: Little data exists on how substances most commonly used by YBMSM, such as marijuana, are related to the HIV continuum, which represents the primary aim of this study. Methods: A cohort of YBMSM (n = 618) was generated through respondent-driven sampling. Frequency of marijuana use and marijuana use as a sex-drug were assessed across the HIV care continuum using weighted logistic regression …


Temporal Effects Of Distressed Housing On Early Childhood Risk Factors And Kindergarten Readiness, Claudia J. Coulton, Francisca García Cobián Richter, Robert L. Fischer, Youngmin Cho Jun 2016

Temporal Effects Of Distressed Housing On Early Childhood Risk Factors And Kindergarten Readiness, Claudia J. Coulton, Francisca García Cobián Richter, Robert L. Fischer, Youngmin Cho

Faculty Scholarship

Poor housing quality and housing crises have been linked to adverse outcomes for children. However, few studies have focused on the early childhood period or been able to pinpoint how the timing and duration of housing problems contributes to early educational success. This longitudinal study draws on linked administrative records from housing, education, social service and health agencies to examine the influence of exposure to housing neighborhood conditions since birth on school readiness of all children entering kindergarten over a four-year period in a big city school system. Using marginal structural models that properly account for dynamic housing and neighborhood …


Multiple Dimensions Of Stigma And Health Related Factors Among Young Black Men Who Have Sex With Men, Dexter R. Voisin May 2016

Multiple Dimensions Of Stigma And Health Related Factors Among Young Black Men Who Have Sex With Men, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

This study is among the first to examine the association between multiple domains of HIV-related stigma and health-related correlates including viral load and medication adherence among young Black men who have sex with men (N = 92). Individual logistic regressions were done to examine the hypothesized relationships between HIV-related stigma and various health and psychosocial outcomes. In addition to examining total stigma, we also examined four domains of HIV stigma. Findings revealed the various domains of stigma had differential effects on health-related outcomes. Individuals who reported higher levels of total stigma and personalized stigma were less likely to be virally …


Psychological Distress, Drug Use, Sexual Risks And Medication Adherence Among Young Hiv-Positive Black Men Who Have Sex With Men: Exposure To Community Violence Matters, Dexter R. Voisin Feb 2016

Psychological Distress, Drug Use, Sexual Risks And Medication Adherence Among Young Hiv-Positive Black Men Who Have Sex With Men: Exposure To Community Violence Matters, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

In the USA, Black males are disproportionately affected by community violence and HIV. The aim of this study was to assess whether exposures to community violence are related to psychological distress, drug use, sexual risk behaviors, and medication adherence among a sample of HIV-positive young Black men who had sex with men (YBMSM). Data are from 98 YBMSM ages 18–29 years recruited from Chicago who completed measures on demographics, exposures to community violence, psychological distress, drug use, condomless anal intercourse, and medication adherence. Rates of exposure to community violence were high and youth reported victimization and witnessing numerous types of …