Mental and Social Health Commons^™

Is It Abuse? Deaf Female Undergraduates' Labeling Of Partner Violence, Melissa Anderson, Caroline Kobek Pezzarossi

Melissa L. Anderson

The current study investigated the labeling of abuse experiences in a sample of 97 Deaf female undergraduate students, exploring the following questions: What is the prevalence of violent behaviors experienced by Deaf female undergraduates in their past-year relationships, what proportion of these relationships are identified as "abuse," and what scripts and strategies do Deaf female undergraduates utilize to label their experiences of partner violence? Results indicated that over half of the sample chose not to label past-year experiences of psychological aggression, physical assault, and sexual coercion as abuse, even when these experiences included severe violence. Implications for the Deaf education …

Intimate Partner Violence Against Deaf Female College Students, Melissa Anderson, Irene Leigh

Melissa L. Anderson

It has been estimated that roughly 25% of all Deaf women in the United States are victims of intimate partner violence (Abused Deaf Women's Advocacy Services [ADWAS]), a figure similar to annual prevalence rates of 16% to 30% for intimate partners in the general population. One goal of the present study was to ascertain the prevalence of intimate partner violence victimization in a sample of Deaf female college students. When comparing the prevalence of physical assault, psychological aggression, and sexual coercion victimization to hearing female undergraduates, the current sample was approximately two times as likely to have experienced victimization in …

Deaf Students And Their Classroom Communication: An Evaluation Of Higher Order Categorical Interactions Among School And Background Characteristics, Thomas Allen, Melissa Anderson

Melissa L. Anderson

This article investigated to what extent age, use of a cochlear implant, parental hearing status, and use of sign in the home determine language of instruction for profoundly deaf children. Categorical data from 8,325 profoundly deaf students from the 2008 Annual Survey of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children and Youth were analyzed using chi-square automated interaction detector, a stepwise analytic procedure that allows the assessment of higher order interactions among categorical variables. Results indicated that all characteristics were significantly related to classroom communication modality. Although younger and older students demonstrated a different distribution of communication modality, for both younger and older …

Black Deaf Individuals' Reading Skills: Influence Of Asl, Culture, Family Characteristics, Reading Experience, And Education, Candace Myers, M. Diane Clark, Millicent Musyoka, Melissa Anderson, Gizelle Gilbert, Selina Agyen, Peter Hauser

Melissa L. Anderson

Previous research on the reading abilities of Deaf individuals from various cultural groups suggests that Black Deaf and Hispanic Deaf individuals lag behind their White Deaf peers. The present study compared the reading skills of Black Deaf and White Deaf individuals, investigating the influence of American Sign Language (ASL), culture, family characteristics, reading experience, and education. (The descriptor Black is used throughout the present article, as Black Deaf individuals prefer this term to African American. For purposes of parallel construction, the term White is used instead of European American.) It was found that Black Deaf study participants scored lower on …

Effect Of The Planet Health Intervention On Eating Disorder Symptoms In Massachusetts Middle Schools, 2005-2008, S. Bryn Austin, Jennifer L. Spadano-Gasbarro, Mary L. Greaney, Emily A. Blood, Anne T. Hunt, Tracy K. Richmond, Monica L. Wang, Solomon Mezgebu, Stavroula K. Osganian, Karen E. Peterson

Monica L. Wang

INTRODUCTION: The Planet Health obesity prevention curriculum has prevented purging and abuse of diet pills (disordered weight control behavior [DWCB]) in middle-school girls in randomized trials, but the effects of Planet Health on DWCB when implemented by schools under dissemination conditions are not known. METHODS: Massachusetts Department of Public Health and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts disseminated Planet Health as part of the 3-year, Healthy Choices obesity prevention program in middle schools. We conducted an evaluation in 45 schools from fall 2005 to spring 2008. We gathered data from school staff to quantify intervention activities, and we gathered anonymous …

Family Options For Parents With Mental Illnesses: A Developmental, Mixed Methods Pilot Study, Joanne Nicholson, Karen Albert, Bernice Gershenson, Valerie Williams, Kathleen Biebel

Joanne Nicholson

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this paper is to provide a description of Family Options, a rehabilitation intervention for parents with serious mental illnesses and their children focusing on recovery and resilience, and to report the findings from a pilot study at 6-months post-enrollment for participating mothers. METHODS: A developmental design, and mixed quantitative and qualitative methods facilitate an in-depth understanding of Family Options and its impact on parents early in the implementation process. RESULTS: Participating families faced significant challenges, including long-term mental health conditions in adults, and emotional and behavioral difficulties in children. Data from mothers (n = 22) demonstrate …

Symptoms Of Diminished Autonomy Over Cigarettes With Non-Daily Use, Judith A. Savageau, Paul D. Mowery, Joseph R. Difranza

Judith A. Savageau

Data from a nationally representative sample of smokers (ages 12-22 years, n=2,091) was examined to investigate the prevalence of symptoms of diminished autonomy over cigarettes. Six symptoms were assessed: failed cessation, smoking despite a desire to quit, and a need or urge to smoke, irritability, restlessness, or disrupted concentration attributed to nicotine withdrawal. One or more of the six symptoms were present in 18.9% of subjects who smoked less often than once per week. Among subjects who had not smoked 20 cigarettes in their lifetime, 12.6% had symptoms of nicotine withdrawal, and 25% had made an unsuccessful quit attempt.

Lesson In A Pill Box: Teaching About The Challenges Of Medication Adherence, Darlene M. O'Connor, Judith A. Savageau, David B. Centerbar, Kimberly N. Wamback, Jennifer S. Ingle, Nicole J. Lomerson

Judith A. Savageau

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Medication mismanagement is a serious health issue affecting elders and people with disabilities, who often manage multiple medications. This project's goal was to educate medical and nursing students about the challenges patients face when managing complex medication regimens.

METHODS: A total of 104 first-year medical students and 40 second-year nursing students were randomly assigned to participate in a 1-week regimen of mock prescriptions or to read a description of the regimen and make predictions about what the experience would be like had they participated.

RESULTS: Quantitative results in combination with qualitative information suggest that the students taking …

Enforcement Of Underage Sales Laws As A Predictor Of Daily Smoking Among Adolescents: A National Study, Joseph R. Difranza, Judith A. Savageau, Kenneth E. Fletcher

Judith A. Savageau

BACKGROUND: With a goal to reduce youth smoking rates, the U.S. federal government mandated that states enforce laws prohibiting underage tobacco sales. Our objective was to determine if state compliance with tobacco sales laws is associated with a decreased risk of current daily smoking among adolescents.

METHODS: Data on tobacco use were obtained from a nationally representative sample of 16,244 adolescents from the 2003 Monitoring the Future survey. The association between merchant compliance with the law from 1997-2003 and current daily smoking was examined using logistic regression while controlling for cigarette prices, state restaurant smoking policies, anti-tobacco media, and demographic …