A short form of the Revised Conflict Tactics Scales, and typologies for severity and mutuality

Romantic Attachment and Intimate Partner Violence Perpetrated by Men: The Role of Affect Dysregulation and Gender Hostility

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a major public health problem, associated with considerable consequences for the victims. Among the risk factors associated with the perpetration of male IPV, attachment insecurities (avoidance, anxiety) and affect dysregulation (AD) have received strong empirical support. A few studies showed that hostility toward women (HTW) is a correlate of IPV perpetration, but none have explored hostility toward men (HTM). This study's aim was to test direct and indirect associations between romantic attachment insecurities and IPV perpetration (psychological, physical, and sexual coercion) through AD in men seeking help, and to examine the moderator role of HTW and HTM in theses links. A sample of 1,845 men aged between 18 and 88 years and from a diverse population (e.g., cultural background, education, and sexual orientation) were recruited through 18 community organizations providing IPV services in a Canadian province. As part of the systematic assessment protocol of each organization, participants answered a series of online questionnaires. Results from a path analysis model showed indirect associations between attachment insecurities (avoidance and anxiety) and IPV perpetration (psychological, physical, and sexual coercion) through AD. Beyond these links, attachment avoidance was also directly associated with psychological violence, attachment anxiety with sexual coercion, and HTM with sexual coercion. The results revealed two moderation effects: higher HTW amplified the link between AD and physical IPV, whereas higher HTM amplified the link between AD and sexual coercion. Results highlight the relevance of assessing attachment, AD, and gender hostility in IPV programs. They also highlight the relevance of targeting HTM as a risk marker for IPV perpetration in men.

Intimate Partner Violence Among Rwandan Women With HIV: A Cross-Sectional Study

ABSTRACT

In Rwanda, women have higher incidence of HIV and intimate partner violence (IPV). This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of IPV among women living with HIV (WWH) in Rwanda and measure the difference in psychological outcomes, demographic data, and HIV-related outcomes using a cross-sectional, descriptive, observational design. A convenience sample of 162 Rwandan WWH were purposefully recruited to participate. The study collected demographic data and data about IPV, depression, HIV-related stigma, coping, self-esteem, and hope. The prevalence of any form of IPV in the sample was 27% with psychological IPV being the most prevalent. Demographic data had no statistical significance with the prevalence of IPV. WWH who experienced IPV had higher HIV stigma, lower coping self-efficacy, lower self-esteem, and less hope and worse HIV psychological outcomes. Further studies are needed to look into the correlation between the two and interventions addressing IPV prevention.

Psychosocial Adjustment Factors Associated with Child-Parent Violence: The Role of Family Communication and a Transgressive Attitude in Adolescence

According to official sources, the amounts of children-to-parent violence (CPV) in most advanced countries have been on an increasing trend for more than a decade, which generates great social concern. This phenomenon has also aroused enormous interest among researchers, who have identified risk and protective factors related to adolescent CPV in numerous studies. The aim of the present study was to analyse the relationship between offensive family communication and CPV in adolescence, and the moderating role that two psychosocial adjustment factors may be playing: a positive attitude towards the transgression of rules and psychological distress. A total of 7787 adolescents between 11 and 16 years of age (M = 13.37, SD = 1.34) from secondary schools in the state of Nuevo León (Mexico) participated in the study (51.5% boys, 48.5% girls). Structural equation modelling was performed using structural equation modelling software (EQS). The results showed that offensive family communication has a direct and significant relationship with CPV. It was also observed that there is an indirect relationship between both variables, through the relationships of psychological distress and a positive attitude towards the transgression of rules. The multigroup analysis performed showed gender differences in some of these relationships. Finally, the results and their implications in the field of family intervention are discussed.

A Mixed-Methods Analysis of Coercive Control and COVID-19 Stress Among Black Women Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence During the COVID-19 Pandemic

OBJECTIVE

During times of crises, women are at elevated risk for intimate partner violence (IPV), but extant discourse fails to consider how this landscape amplifies disparities for Black women. This study examined the prevalence and associations of COVID-19 pandemic-specific coercive control and COVID-19-related stress among Black women experiencing IPV.

METHODS

Fifty-five Black women reporting past-year IPV participated in a prospective cohort study in 2020 and completed surveys on pandemic-specific coercive control, COVID-19-related stress, and sociodemographic characteristics. A subset of 15 participants completed semi-structured interviews in 2021. We conducted multivariable regression analyses to examine associations between coercive control and stress. We used interpretive phenomenological analysis to contextualize women's experiences of coercive control and stress during the pandemic.

RESULTS

In the past 3 months, 76% (42 of 55) of women had a partner blame them for exposing them to COVID-19, 74% (41 of 55) had a partner minimize their pandemic concerns, and 52% (29 of 55) had a partner prevent them from getting a COVID-19 test. A higher average of pandemic-specific coercive control was associated with greater severity of COVID-19-related traumatic stress (b [SE] = 0.033 [0.009]; P = .001) and socioeconomic consequences related to COVID-19 (b [SE] = 0.019 [0.008]; P = .03). We identified 3 superordinate themes that illustrated Black women's experiences: (1) coercive control, (2) pandemic-driven shifts in relational context, and (3) women's structural and psychosocial stressors.

CONCLUSIONS

Experiencing coercive control during the pandemic interfered with Black women's engagement in preventive behaviors, which exacerbated distress. Intersectional public health efforts should address sociostructural and relational factors to prevent coercive control and stress among Black women experiencing IPV.

Associations Between Pornography Use Frequency and Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration Among Young Adult Couples: A 2-Year Longitudinal Study

Pornography use is a common sexual activity for many individuals including those in a romantic relationship. Some studies have shown that violent content depicted in pornography is a risk factor for perpetration of violence in real life. Even if most of these studies examined perpetration of violent behaviors in general, not specifically toward the intimate partner, some studies have shown that pornography use frequency is related to a greater perpetration of intimate partner violence (IPV), while other studies have found that it is not significantly related. However, most previous studies were cross-sectional, sampled individuals rather than couples, and did not include separately forms of IPV (e.g., physical, psychological, and sexual). The present study examined the associations between pornography use frequency and the perpetration of physical and psychological IPV, and sexual coercion among young adult couples. A convenience sample of 113 couples aged between 16 and 29 years old completed self-reported online questionnaires two times over a 2-year period. The results of autoregressive cross-lagged models showed that a person's pornography use frequency at Time 1 was related to their own higher sexual coercion perpetration 2 years later and that a person's sexual coercion perpetration was related to their partner's lower pornography use frequency 2 years later. However, no significant association between pornography use frequency and physical and psychological IPV emerged. In line with previous studies, our results suggest that pornography use represents an important risk factor for the perpetration of sexual coercion. Findings support the need to include education around pornography use in sexual violence prevention programs to avoid that young adults reproduce pornographic scripts in their sexuality.

Resilience and Challenges Among Women With Histories of Addiction and Victimization Newly Admitted to a Sober Living Home: A Brief Report

This study examined strengths (i.e., empowerment, purpose) and challenges (i.e., depressive and posttraumatic stress disorder symptomatology, financial and housing worries) experienced by women (N = 44) with histories of addiction and victimization newly admitted to a sober living home (SLH). Women had moderate to high levels of both strengths and challenges. In general, strengths and challenges were inversely related (e.g., higher purpose was related to lower depression), and challenges were positively related (e.g., higher financial worries were related to higher posttraumatic stress symptoms). The findings remind us that women entering SLHs have myriad needs and that comprehensive services drawing upon women's resilience are needed.

Early adverse childhood experiences and preschoolers' attentional regulation: A latent class analysis

BACKGROUND

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) profoundly disrupt preschoolers' attentional regulation development. Different patterns of ACEs may be associated with different attentional regulation outcomes.

OBJECTIVE

Drawing from developmental systems theory and attachment theory, this study aimed to identify distinct patterns of early ACEs at age three and examined the associations of these patterns with preschoolers' attentional regulation at age five.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

This study used the two waves of longitudinal data from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N = 4457).

METHODS

First, this study applied latent class analysis (LCA) across nine indicators of ACEs at age three. Second, class membership was examined for associations with preschoolers' attentional regulation at age five.

RESULTS

LCA identified four latent classes of ACEs: separation (41.2 %), parental incarceration (33 %), family dysfunction (20.8 %), and child abuse (5 %). Children in the child abuse class exhibited lower levels of attentional regulation than those in the family dysfunction class (0.33 standard deviation difference, p < .01) or separation class (0.48 standard deviation difference, p < .001). Children in the parental incarceration class demonstrated lower levels of attentional regulation than those in the separation class (0.63 standard deviation difference, p < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Findings provide implications for the need to prevent early child abuse and incorporate trauma-informed intervention programs to support preschoolers' attentional regulation during school-entry age.

Internalized Homonegativity, Emotion Dysregulation, and Physical Same-Sex Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration: A Psychological Mediation Framework-Based Model

Same-sex intimate partner violence (SSIPV) is still under-investigated despite its spreading. Unique risk factors, such as internalized homonegativity, have been found to be related to physical SSIPV perpetration. However, the mechanisms that regulate this association are still unclear. Drawing from the psychological mediation framework (PMF), this paper aimed to explore the relationship between internalized homonegativity and physical SSIPV perpetration, assessing the mediating role of emotion dysregulation. In all, 139 gay and lesbian participants involved in same-sex relationships participated in the study by completing a self-administered online questionnaire. Mediation analyses were used to assess both the direct and indirect effects. Internalized homonegativity was not directly associated with physical SSIPV perpetration. However, internalized homonegativity was positively associated with emotion dysregulation, which, in turn, was positively associated with physical SSIPV perpetration. The indirect effect of internalized homonegativity on physical SSIPV perpetration through emotion dysregulation was also confirmed. The results that emerged extend the application of the PMF to SSIPV. The data found can inform both preventive interventions and treatments targeting SSIPV perpetrators to reduce the phenomenon and limit recidivism.

Intimate Partner Violence and Help-seeking Behavior Among College Students Attending A Historically Black College and University

This study provides critical evidence of the diversity of college students' experiences with intimate partner violence (IPV) and their informal and formal help-seeking behaviors at a historically Black college and university (HBCU). The study collected data on college students (N = 266) in fall 2021 using a one-site cross-sectional survey data. Findings revealed that many students at the HBCU reported IPV victimization (68.4%), IPV perpetration (68.0%), and coexperience of IPV victimization and perpetration (61.3%) in the past 12 months, but a few student survivors of IPV sought help from formal or informal support systems. Further, we found that IPV victimization types (e.g., physical, psychological, sexual abuse, and injury) with different severity levels (e.g., less severe or more severe) were differently related to the student survivor's help-seeking behaviors from formal and informal support systems. The findings of this study highlight the importance of supporting students attending HBCUs by addressing their perceptions of IPV help-seeking and coping with different types of IPV victimization via culturally tailored IPV prevention programs. HBCU campuses should promote physical health and mental health services for Black/African American survivors in HBCUs.

The Association of Alcohol Use and Child-to-Parent Violence in Mexican Adolescents

Background: Addictions can modify the dynamics, communication, and establishment of assertive relationships in the family nucleus, situations that can cause different types of family violence. A phenomenon of special interest is child-to-parent violence or children's violence toward their parents. This type of violence can be exercised physically (hitting, kicking, shoving), verbally (shouting, blackmailing and insulting) and economically (using a card, stealing money or belongings from the parents). Although is generally supported that child-to-parent violence may be associated with alcohol-induced aggressiveness and lack of control, there is less evidence of a possible differentiation regarding the sex of the parents. Objective: Analyze the relationship and effect of alcohol on child-to-parent violence according to the parents' sex. Methods: This was a predictive study of 265 adolescents between 12 and 19 years of age. Data were collected from social networks using two self-applied instruments (the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test and the Conflict Tactics Scale: Parent-Child Version) programmed with the Survey Monkey® digital platform. Results: Of the adolescents studied, 66.8% had consumed alcohol at some time in their lives; of these, 6.6% had harmful consumption. A positive relationship was found between alcohol involvement scores and economic violence toward the mother and father. The former was supported by regression models where alcohol involvement predicted child-to-parent economic violence directed toward mothers and fathers. Conclusions: It is important to develop activities to prevent alcohol consumption as a risk factor for violence and to promote family integration in adolescents and their families.

Bible Overclaiming and Intimate Partner Violence

Religion has had a mixed impact on society, with some followers engaging in violent behavior. It remains unclear why some followers perpetrate violence and others are peaceful. We argue that religious overclaiming is one facet of religion to be considered when trying to understand the relationship between religion and violence. Across two studies (N = 551), we tested the hypothesis that a higher tendency to overclaim knowledge of the Christian Bible would be associated with higher perpetration of intimate partner violence (IPV). We also tested the hypotheses that men who overclaim would be most likely to engage in the perpetration of IPV, and that higher religiosity would attenuate the effects of religious overclaiming. In both studies, participants completed a measure of religious overclaiming, reported on their perpetration of IPV, and reported their religiosity. Our findings across both studies indicated that Bible overclaiming was associated with greater perpetration of IPV. Further, Study 1 found that those high in Bible overclaiming (especially men) engaged in the most perpetration of IPV. However, this gender-based finding did not replicate in Study 2. Both studies found that religiosity was unassociated with the perpetration of IPV. Our results provide evidence that Bible overclaiming is related to the perpetration of IPV. Specifically, individuals who claim to know religious concepts that do not exist are associated with a higher risk for IPV.

The long-term collateral consequences of juvenile justice involvement for females

Introduction

Females are the fastest growing justice involved population in the United States, yet there is relatively little empirical research on the collateral consequences of juvenile justice involvement specifically for females. A growing body of empirical research underscores linkages between juvenile justice involvement and negative health and psychosocial outcomes, both in the short and long term.

Method

The current study describes the long-term collateral consequences of juvenile justice involvement for females previously involved in the juvenile justice system, drawing from a longitudinal dataset of 166 women who were initially recruited in adolescence due to chronic and severe justice system involvement. Participants were 15 years-old on average at study enrollment and 35 years-old on average at the current assessment. This paper describes the adolescent and adult experiences of the sample, therefore depicting the developmental trajectories of risk and protective factors for females involved with juvenile justice.

Results

As adults, 73% of the sample experienced arrest and 36% experienced incarceration. High rates of mental and physical health problems were reported, including that 50% of the sample met diagnostic criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder. Over 400 children were born to the sample, with high rates of documented intergenerational child welfare involvement.

Discussion

Study findings are discussed in the context of best practices for supporting adolescent girls involved with the juvenile justice system.

Kukaa Salama (Staying Safe): a pre-post trial of an interactive informational mobile health intervention for increasing COVID-19 prevention practices with urban refugee youth in Uganda

BACKGROUND

Tailored coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) prevention strategies are needed for urban refugee youth in resource-constrained contexts. We developed an 8-wk interactive informational mobile health intervention focused on COVID-19 prevention practices informed by the Risk, Attitude, Norms, Ability, Self-regulation-or RANAS-approach.

METHODS

We conducted a pre-post trial with a community-recruited sample of refugee youth aged 16-24 y in Kampala, Uganda. Data were collected before (T1) and immediately following (T2) the intervention, and at the 16-wk follow up (T3), to examine changes in primary (COVID-19 prevention self-efficacy) and secondary outcomes (COVID-19 risk awareness, attitudes, norms and self-regulation practices; depression; sexual and reproductive health [SRH] access; food/water security; COVID-19 vaccine acceptability).

RESULTS

Participants (n=346; mean age: 21.2 [SD 2.6] y; cisgender women: 50.3%; cisgender men: 48.0%; transgender persons: 1.7%) were largely retained (T2: n=316, 91.3%; T3: n=302, 87.3%). In adjusted analyses, COVID-19 prevention self-efficacy, risk awareness, attitudes and vaccine acceptance increased significantly from T1 to T2, but were not sustained at T3. Between T1 and T3, COVID-19 norms and self-regulation significantly increased, while community violence, water insecurity and community SRH access decreased.

CONCLUSIONS

Digital approaches for behaviour change hold promise with urban refugee youth but may need booster messaging and complementary programming for sustained effects.

Using Military Screening Questions to Anonymously Recruit Post-9/11 Era Service Members and Veterans Using Online Survey Methods

INTRODUCTION

The ability to collect data on posttraumatic reactions following military sexual trauma is impacted by data collection methods, such that under-reporting can occur when data are believed to be identifiable. This may be especially true for topics that are sensitive, including sexual trauma. Ensuring participation from service members using non-identifiable methods is challenging when service history cannot be confirmed. The COVID-19 pandemic complicated data collection due to contact and social distancing requirements and limitations. To attempt to overcome these challenges, this study utilized an anonymous survey delivered by Qualtrics, Inc. with military validation checks that served as a screening mechanism. The purpose of the current report is to describe the development and use of military validation questions to recruit a sample of military sexual assault survivors using an anonymous survey.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Qualtrics, Inc., a data collection software company, was contracted to collect data on military service members and veterans who reported military sexual assault. We developed and piloted four validation checks regarding military knowledge, which had to be answered correctly before participants could engage in the survey. This information was common to those who have served but uncommon to civilians, ensuring, to the best of our ability, that those responding were or had been service members. An incorrect response to any of the validation checks resulted in termination from the study. The probability of guessing correctly all four items was 0.16%.

RESULTS

The current study collected data on 200 women and 200 men, all of whom reported military sexual assault. Data collection took approximately 6 weeks to complete. The validation checks resulted in screening out 1,450 potential participants who provided fraudulent responses. The average cost per participant, which included recruitment costs and participant payment, was $20. Given the histories of military sexual assault, the cohort reported high rates of probable positive screens for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), suicide risk, and moderately severe depression, as well as other interpersonal challenges that are typically reported by those exposed to sexual assault, suggesting our validation checks were effective in recruiting the desired sample. Though not an original goal of our recruitment efforts, 9.75% (n = 39) of our sample identified as a sexual orientation other than heterosexual, including gay, bisexual, questioning, or "other."

CONCLUSIONS

Use of Qualtrics, Inc. to incorporate validation checks helped us to be more reasonably confident that we were collecting data from military service members who reported military sexual assault. While the probability of a person without current or past military service passing the validation checks was low, it was not impossible. An unanticipated benefit of this platform was the short duration of time it took to complete data collection; the sample was collected within about 6 weeks. This platform may be a good option for investigators who cannot collect face-to-face data.

Housing Insecurity and Other Syndemic Factors Experienced by Black and Latina Cisgender Women in Austin, Texas: A Qualitative Study

Austin, Texas emerged as one of the fastest-growing cities in the U.S. over the past decade. Urban transformation has exacerbated inequities and reduced ethnic/racial diversity among communities. This qualitative study focused on housing insecurity and other syndemic factors among Black and Latina cisgender women (BLCW). Data collection from 18 BLCW using in-depth interviews guided by syndemic theory was conducted three times over three months between 2018 and 2019. Four housing insecurity categories emerged: (a) very unstable, (b) unstable, (c) stable substandard, and (d) stable costly. Participants who experienced more stable housing, particularly more stable housing across interviews, reported fewer instances of intimate partner violence (IPV), less substance use, and a reduced risk of acquiring HIV. Results identified the importance of exploring housing insecurity with other syndemic factors among BLCW along with determining structural- and multi-level interventions to improve housing circumstances and other syndemic factors. Future research should explore these factors in other geographic locations, among other intersectional communities, and among larger sample sizes and consider using a mixed methods approach.

Associations of adverse childhood and lifetime experiences with sleep quality and duration among women in midlife

OBJECTIVES

Many women experience sleep problems during midlife. Associations of adverse lifetime experiences-more common among women-with sleep outcomes are understudied.

METHODS

We studied 476 women enrolled in Project Viva 1999-2002. At enrollment, participants reported any lifetime history of abuse and/or financial hardship. At midlife follow-up ∼20 years later, they reported a history of up to 10 adverse childhood experiences (ACEs); 7-day sleep quality (patient-reported outcomes measurement information system sleep disturbance and sleep-related impairment T-scores); and past month average sleep duration. We examined associations of adverse experiences with sleep outcomes, adjusted for childhood sociodemographic variables. We also explored mediation by current depression and anxiety symptoms, hot flash severity, general health, and body mass index.

RESULTS

ACEs were common: 301 women (63%) reported one or more. Each additional ACE was associated with higher midlife sleep disturbance (adjusted β = 0.65 points, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.27, 1.02) and sleep-related impairment (0.98, 95% CI: 0.54, 1.41) T-scores, and with sleep duration <6 hour/night (odds ratio 1.19, 95% CI: 1.00, 1.42), but not with continuous sleep duration (-2 minutes, 95% CI: -5, 1). Adverse experiences in adulthood were less consistently associated with sleep quality but were associated with sleep duration, for example, financial hardship during the index pregnancy was associated with 75 minutes (95% CI: -120, -29) shorter sleep duration 2 decades later. Associations of ACEs with sleep disturbance and sleep-related impairment were mediated by midlife depression anxiety and physical health but not by hot flash severity or body mass index.

CONCLUSIONS

Adverse lifetime experiences have deleterious associations with sleep duration and quality in midlife women.

Exploring the complex links between childhood exposure to intimate partner violence, maltreatment, and self-regulation: A three-wave cross-lagged study

BACKGROUND

Intimate partner violence (IPV) often co-occurs with childhood maltreatment and negatively impacts children's development. While previous research has shown a direct link between these experiences and children's self-regulation, less is known about the potential unique effect and bidirectional associations between them.

OBJECTIVE

The present study aims to investigate the bidirectional effects among maternal IPV experiences, child maltreatment, and children's behavioral self-regulation.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

4,402 participants from three waves of the longitudinal study of the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS) were included in the study.

METHODS

Cross-lagged path analyses were conducted to examine the longitudinal reciprocal relationships among IPV, child maltreatment, and children's behavioral regulation when children were 3, 5, and 9 years old.

RESULTS

IPV exposure at ages 3 and 5 was negatively associated with levels of behavioral self-regulation at ages 5 and 9, even after accounting for physical maltreatment, psychological maltreatment, or neglect. Neglect at ages 3 and 5 was found to be associated with lower levels of behavioral self-regulation at later ages, when IPV exposure was considered in the models. Lower levels of behavioral self-regulation at age 3 were found to be linked with higher levels of psychological maltreatment, physical maltreatment, neglect, and IPV exposure at age 5.

CONCLUSION

This study revealed bidirectional effects between maternal IPV experiences, child maltreatment, and children's behavioral self-regulation. Furthermore, the study demonstrated that exposure to IPV during early childhood significantly predicts long-term behavioral self-regulation difficulties, even after controlling for the effects of child maltreatment.

Understanding Veterans' intimate partner violence use and patterns of healthcare utilization

OBJECTIVE

To understand the association between Veterans' healthcare utilization and intimate partner violence (IPV) use (i.e., perpetration) in order to (1) identify conditions comorbid with IPV use and (2) inform clinical settings to target for IPV use screening, intervention, and provider training.

DATA SOURCES AND STUDY SETTING

We examined survey data from a national sample of 834 Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn (OEF/OIF/OND) Veterans.

STUDY DESIGN

We assessed associations between past-year IPV use and medical treatment, health issues, and use of Veterans Health Administration (VA) and non-VA services using chi-square tests and logistic regression.

DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS

Data were derived from the Department of Defense OEF/OIF/OND Roster. Surveys were sent to all women Veterans and a random sample of men from participating study sites.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

Half (49%) of the Veterans who reported utilizing VA healthcare in the past year indicated using IPV. Q values using a 5% false discovery rate indicated that Veterans who used IPV were more likely than Veterans who did not use IPV to have received treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD; 39% vs. 27%), chronic sleep problems (36% vs. 26%), anxiety or depression (44% vs. 36%), severe chronic pain (31% vs. 22%), and stomach or digestive disorders (24% vs. 16%). Veterans who used IPV were also more likely than Veterans who did not use IPV to have received medical treatment in the past year (86% vs. 80%), seen psychiatrists outside VA (39% vs. 20%), and have outpatient healthcare outside VA (49% vs. 41%). IPV use was not related to whether Veterans received care from VA or non-VA providers.

CONCLUSIONS

Veterans' IPV use was related to greater utilization of services for mental health, chronic pain, and digestive issues. Future research should examine whether these are risk factors or consequences of IPV use.

Women with mood disorders and couples conflict: menopause symptom improvement, after group therapy

OBJECTIVE

Although a public health crisis, intimate partner violence (IPV) has been understudied for middle-aged women with mood disorders during their perimenopausal and postmenopausal years. The aims of this study were to examine the relationship between IPV and hot flashes/night sweats (HF/NS) frequency and severity among women with mood disorders and to test whether the effect of cognitive behavioral group therapy on menopausal symptoms differs between those with and without IPV at baseline and post-test.

METHODS

Of 59 participants from a mood disorders outpatient clinic enrolled in the parent study, 24 experienced IPV. This study analyzed pretreatment and post-treatment data from the Revised Conflict Tactic Scale - Short Form-2, and HF/NS frequency and severity ratings on the Hot Flash Daily Diary using the McNemar chi-square test.

RESULTS

The presence of any type of violence at pretreatment was significantly (p < 0.01) linked to improvements in HF/NS frequency and severity. Women who showed improvements in negotiation skills had better outcomes in menopausal symptoms. Sexual coercion increased from one to three women.

CONCLUSIONS

Negotiation skills may help women with mood disorders to reduce HF/NS frequency and severity. More studies need to be conducted with a special focus on helping women in this population.

Associations between Sexual Minority Identities, Heterosexism, Identity Concealment, and Depression in Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Emerging Adults: Adjusting for the Effects of General Stressors

OBJECTIVES

Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals experience stressors distinctively tied to their sexual identities, such as externalized and internalized heterosexism and identity concealment, which are correlated with increased psychological distress, including depression. The present study examined the variance in depression scores resulting from heterosexism, LGB identity concealment, and minority sexual identities, after adjusting for race/ethnicity and interpersonal violence victimization experiences.

METHODS

Participants were 277 LGB emerging adults 18 to 29 years old (mean 25.39, standard deviation 2.77; 46 lesbian women, 71 gay men) recruited from an online platform.

RESULTS

Nearly 41% reported moderate to severe depression symptoms. A two-step hierarchical regression model examining the effect of sexual minority stressors, heterosexism, LGB identity concealment, and minority sexual identity on depression after controlling for childhood maltreatment and face-to-face intimate partner violence types was significant. Bisexual women (vs gay men), those with greater exposure to heterosexism, and those with a greater degree of identity concealment experienced significantly higher scores on depression. In addition, being a person of color (including identifying as Hispanic), exposure to childhood maltreatment, and experiencing psychological intimate partner violence significantly predicted increases in depression scores.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings emphasize the importance of assessing minority stressors and taking them into account when providing clinical interventions to LGB individuals.

Partner Cooperation, Conflict, Maternal Mental Health, and Parenting Behaviors in Rural Kenya: Towards a Two-Generational Understanding of Gender Transformation Benefits

Increasing partner cooperation is an established approach to reducing intimate partner violence. This strategy, known in the literature as "gender transformation," benefits mental and physical health of women and men. Less is known about the potential for gender transformation strategies to improve the nurturing context for children. We hypothesize that increasing partner cooperation, a common benefit of community-based empowerment programs, would decrease child maltreatment through reducing intimate partner conflict and improving maternal mental health. This study utilizes cohort data from women (n = 400) participating in a combined group-based microfinance program to assess potential mechanisms by which partner cooperation at T1 (June 2018) predicts less children maltreatment at T2 (June 2019). As hypothesized, partner cooperation predicts less subsequent child maltreatment-frequency of neglect, corporal punishment, physical assault, and psychological abuse in the past month. This association is mediated completely by subsequent more partner cooperation and less intimate partner conflict, maternal loneliness, and depression. Implications of this study include potential for combining multiple development areas-women's empowerment, intimate partner cooperation, mental health, and child nurturing contexts. Future study should assess these pathways in a cluster-based randomized trial, and explore how findings may inform policy and practice where these domains are less integrated.

Factors Associated With Domestic Violence Against Women at Different Stages of Life: Findings From a 19-Year Longitudinal Dataset From the MINIMat Trial in Rural Bangladesh (2001-2020)

Despite the abundance of literature, longitudinal studies evaluating the factors associated with domestic violence (DV) at different stages and over longer periods of women's lives are rare. We evaluated factors associated with physical and sexual DV during pregnancy, at 10-year, and 18-year follow-ups after pregnancy and within a 19-year period of life using a cohort of women (n = 1,126) who participated in the Maternal and Infant Nutrition Interventions, Matlab trial in rural Bangladesh. Data on women's experience of DV, social and economic characteristics, empowerment, and family condition were recorded in a similar manner during pregnancy and at 10- and 18-year follow-ups, using standard questionnaires. Multivariate logistic regression models and generalized estimating equations were used to evaluate factors associated with women's experience of physical and sexual violence at each discrete time point and over a period of 19 years, respectively. During pregnancy, women were more likely to experience violence if they were members of microcredit programs/non-governmental organizations (NGOs), living in an extended family and had lower wealth status. At the 10- and 18-year follow-ups, higher levels of decision-making and higher wealth status were protective against the experience of violence. At the 18-year follow-up, women with larger age differences from their husbands were less likely to experience violence, while membership in microcredit programs/NGOs was associated with higher odds of experiencing violence among women. Within a period of 19 years, a higher level of education, living in an extended family, higher decision-making level and higher wealth index were protective against the experience of violence, while membership in microcredit programs/NGOs was a risk factor. In conclusion, this study showed that correlates of violence might change at different time points in women's life. Thus, policies and programs should consider the stage of women's lives while planning interventions for addressing violence against women.

Promoting Empathy and Affiliation in Relationships (PEAR) study: protocol for a longitudinal study investigating the development of early childhood callous-unemotional traits

INTRODUCTION

Children with callous-unemotional (CU) traits are at high lifetime risk of antisocial behaviour. Low affiliation (ie, social bonding difficulties) and fearlessness (ie, low threat sensitivity) are proposed risk factors for CU traits. Parenting practices (eg, harshness and low warmth) also predict risk for CU traits. However, few studies in early childhood have identified attentional or physiological markers of low affiliation and fearlessness. Moreover, no studies have tested whether parenting practices are underpinned by low affiliation or fearlessness shared by parents, which could further shape parent-child interactions and exacerbate risk for CU traits. Addressing these questions will inform knowledge of how CU traits develop and isolate novel parent and child targets for future specialised treatments for CU traits.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

The Promoting Empathy and Affiliation in Relationships (PEAR) study aims to establish risk factors for CU traits in children aged 3-6 years. The PEAR study will recruit 500 parent-child dyads from two metropolitan areas of the USA. Parents and children will complete questionnaires, computer tasks and observational assessments, alongside collection of eye-tracking and physiological data, when children are aged 3-4 (time 1) and 5-6 (time 2) years. The moderating roles of child sex, race and ethnicity, family and neighbourhood disadvantage, and parental psychopathology will also be assessed. Study aims will be addressed using structural equation modelling, which will allow for flexible characterisation of low affiliation, fearlessness and parenting practices as risk factors for CU traits across multiple domains.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethical approval was granted by Boston University (#6158E) and the University of Pennsylvania (#850638). Results will be disseminated through conferences and open-access publications. All study and task materials will be made freely available on lab websites and through the Open Science Framework (OSF).

Adaptation in Young Military Recruits: Protocol for the Advancing Research on Mechanisms of Resilience (ARMOR) Prospective Longitudinal Study

BACKGROUND

Military services provide a unique opportunity for studying resilience, a dynamic process of successful adaptation (ie, doing well in terms of functioning and symptoms) in response to significant adversity. Despite the tremendous interest in positive adaptation among military service members, little is known about the processes underlying their resilience. Understanding the neurobiological, cognitive, and social mechanisms underlying adaptive functioning following military stressor exposure is essential for enhancing the resilience of military service members.

OBJECTIVE

The primary objective of the Advancing Research on Mechanisms of Resilience (ARMOR) longitudinal study is to characterize the trajectories of positive adaptation among young military recruits in response to basic combat training (BCT), a well-defined, uniform, and 10-week period of intense stress (aim 1), and identify promotive and protective processes contributing to individual variations in resilience (aim 2). The secondary objective is to investigate the pathways by which neurobehavioral markers of self-regulation assessed using electroencephalography and magnetic resonance imaging contribute to adaptive trajectories (aim 3).

METHODS

ARMOR is an ongoing, prospective longitudinal cohort study of young military recruits who recently joined the National Guard but have not yet shipped out for BCT. Participants (N=1201) are assessed at 5 time points over the initial >2 years of military service beginning before BCT (baseline) and followed up at 2 weeks and 6, 12, and 18 months after BCT. Participants complete web-based questionnaires assessing vulnerability and protective factors, mental health, and socioemotional functioning at each time point and a battery of neurocognitive tests at time 0. A subset of participants also complete structured diagnostic interviews and additional self-report measures and perform neurobehavioral tasks before and after BCT during electroencephalography sessions and before BCT only during magnetic resonance imaging sessions.

RESULTS

This UG3/UH3 project was initially funded in August 2017, with the UG3 pilot work completed at the end of 2018. The UH3 phase of the project was funded in March 2019. Study enrollment for the UH3 phase began on April 14, 2019, and ended on October 16, 2021. A total of 1201 participants are enrolled in the study. Follow-up data collection for the UH3 phase is ongoing and projected to continue through February 2024. We will disseminate the findings through conferences, webinars, open access publications, and communications with participants and stakeholders.

CONCLUSIONS

The ARMOR study provides a rich data set to identify the predictors and mechanisms of resilient and nonresilient outcomes in the context of military stressors, which are intended to empirically inform the development of prevention and intervention strategies to enhance the resilience of military trainees and potentially other young people facing significant life challenges.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

DERR1-10.2196/51235.

Risk factors for traumatic bonding and associations with PTSD symptoms: A moderated mediation

BACKGROUND

Traumatic bonding, defined as attachment to a perpetrator of intimate partner violence (IPV), offers one explanation as to why many people with abusive romantic partners do not break off these relationships. But what individual-level risk factors make some victims of IPV more likely than others to develop traumatic bonding toward their partners? What is the nature of the potential association between traumatic bonding and PTSD symptoms?

PARTICIPANTS

A path model tested the potential roles of childhood maltreatment and attachment insecurity as risk factors for traumatic bonding, as well as the potential association between traumatic bonding and PTSD symptoms, in a high-risk sample of 354 participants in current abusive relationships.

RESULTS

As hypothesized, childhood maltreatment and attachment insecurity significantly predicted traumatic bonding over and above the effects of age, gender, and romantic love. In addition, attachment insecurity moderated the association between childhood maltreatment and traumatic bonding, such that at higher levels of attachment insecurity, the association between childhood maltreatment and traumatic bonding was stronger than at mean or lower levels of attachment insecurity. Traumatic bonding was positively associated with PTSD symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, the results support the role of childhood maltreatment as a risk factor for both traumatic bonding and PTSD symptoms and highlight the importance of attachment insecurity in these associations. This was the first study to examine a complex model of risk factors for traumatic bonding. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed.

A randomized clinical trial comparing Interpersonal Psychotherapy with Prolonged Exposure for the treatment of PTSD in veterans

Trauma-focused therapies are recommended as first-line treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but many veterans do not complete or sufficiently respond to these treatments. Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) is a non-trauma focused approach that directly addresses the interpersonal and social impairments associated with PTSD. This two-site randomized controlled equivalence trial compared IPT with Prolonged Exposure (PE) in improving PTSD symptoms and interpersonal functioning in 109 veterans with PTSD. Secondary outcomes included functioning and quality of life. We hypothesized that IPT would be statistically equivalent to PE in reducing PTSD symptoms, and superior to PE in improving interpersonal functioning and secondary outcomes of work and social adjustment and quality of life. PTSD symptom severity decreased significantly in both treatments from pre- to post-treatment. Although IPT improved as much as PE and treatments did not differ significantly, the 95 % confidence interval for the difference between the groups did not fall completely within the margin of equivalence. IPT was not superior to PE in improvement in interpersonal functioning or on secondary outcomes. Findings from multi-level linear mixed models using longitudinal data (posttreatment, three and six month follow up) for the primary outcomes of PTSD and interpersonal functioning were consistent with the post-treatment analyses. Although statistically inconclusive in terms of equivalence, the comparable reduction in PTSD symptoms slightly favoring IPT suggests that IPT is an acceptable alternative to gold-standard trauma-focused treatments for veterans with PTSD.

Adolescents' internalizing symptoms predict dating violence victimization and perpetration 2 years later

The aim of this longitudinal study was to examine bidirectional associations of adolescents' internalizing symptoms with dating violence victimization and perpetration. We conducted secondary analyses of the Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development data (n = 974). Each adolescent completed items from the Conflict Tactics Scale (at ages 15 and 17 years) to assess psychological, physical, and sexual dating violence victimization and perpetration in the past 12 months. Adolescents' symptoms of depression and general anxiety in the past 12 months were self-reported (at ages 15 and 17 years) using The Mental Health and Social Inadaptation Assessment for Adolescents. There were concurrent associations of adolescents' internalizing symptoms with dating violence victimization and perpetration. Internalizing symptoms at age 15 years were positively associated with dating violence victimization and perpetration 2 years later in both males and females, even after adjusting for baseline characteristics. However, neither dating violence victimization nor perpetration at age 15 years was associated with internalizing symptoms 2 years later. For males and females, internalizing symptoms put adolescents at risk for future dating violence victimization and perpetration. Interventions that target internalizing symptoms may have the potential to decrease subsequent dating violence.

A Latent Profile Analysis of Intimate Partner Violence Perpetrated by Men Seeking Help

Past research has emphasized the need to identify profiles of men who perpetrate intimate partner violence (IPV) as a way to better understand this heterogeneous population and guide the development of tailored services. However, empirical validation for such profiles remains limited, since it still focuses on specific populations or fails to consider IPV as reported by men seeking treatment for IPV. We know little about the profiles of men who seek services for their use of IPV (with or without a justice referral). This study sought to identify profiles of men seeking treatment for IPV, based on their self-reported use of the various forms and severity of IPV perpetrated, and to compare the identified groups on key psychosocial risk markers of IPV. A total of 980 Canadian men entering treatment in community organizations specialized in IPV answered a series of questionnaires. A latent profile analysis identified four profiles: (a) "no/minor IPV" (n = 194), (b) "severe IPV with sexual coercion" (n = 122), (c) "minor IPV and control" (n = 471), and (d) "severe IPV without sexual coercion" (n = 193). Results revealed differences in psychosocial risk markers, including attachment insecurities, childhood interpersonal trauma, undesirable personality traits, affect dysregulation, and psychological distress, mostly between the "severe IPV without sexual coercion" profile and the "no/minor IPV" and "minor IPV and control" profiles. Very few differences were found, however, between the "severe IPV with sexual coercion" and "severe IPV without sexual coercion" profiles. Implications for awareness, prevention, and treatment efforts for each profile are discussed.

Co-Occurrence of Intimate Partner Violence Against Mothers and Maltreatment of Their Children With Behavioral Problems in Eastern Europe

This study investigates the co-occurrence of intimate partner violence (IPV) against mothers and their risk of perpetrating child maltreatment (CM) in North Macedonia, the Republic of Moldova, and Romania. Risk factors for IPV, CM, and their co-occurrence were identified. Two samples (N1 = 112, N2 = 701) of mothers with children with behavioral problems were assessed. IPV was reported by 64% of mothers, CM by 96%, and their co-occurrence by 63%. Mothers exposed to emotional IPV reported more physical and emotional CM. Mothers exposed to physical IPV reported more physical CM. Motheŕs own history of CM and offspring's behavior problems were associated with IPV and CM co-occurrence.

Parental Attachment, Self-Esteem, Social Problem-Solving, Intimate Partner Violence Victimization in Emerging Adulthood

Emerging adults can experience conflicts with their dating partner, leading to intimate partner violence (IPV). In order to understand the vulnerability factors involved in IPV victimization, the current study explored a serial multiple mediation model to determine the links between parental attachment (to the father and mother), self-esteem, and social problem solving (SPS) on the three forms of IPV (psychological, physical and sexual). Based on an online survey, 756 emerging adults (84.8% women, mean age = 23.52) completed self-report questionnaires related to parental attachment, self-esteem, SPS (avoidance and impulsive/carelessness style), and IPV during the past year. The study design was cross-sectional and data were analyzed through partial least structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) technique. The findings did not support serial multiple mediation model, as the indirect effects of the two specific mediation models were not significant. However, the total indirect effects were significant, indicating a cascade effect chain of events between the variables; insecure parental attachment was related to lower self-esteem, which was associated with poor SPS skills (especially impulsive/carelessness style), which in turn was associated with both psychological and physical violence victimization. The implications of the findings for promoting the life skills of emerging adults, such as problem solving or self-esteem, to enable them to handle their relationship conflicts are discussed.

Latent classes in preschoolers' internal working models of attachment and emotional security: Roles of family risk

Children's relationships inform their internal working models (IWMs) of the world around them. Attachment and emotional security theory (EST) emphasize the importance of parent-child and interparental relationships, respectively, for IWM. The current study examined (a) data-driven classes in child attachment and emotional security IWM, (b) associations between IWM classes and demographic variables, maltreatment, intimate partner violence (IPV), and maternal depressive symptoms, and (c) consistency in attachment and emotional security IWM classes, including as a function of maltreatment, IPV, and maternal depressive symptoms. Participants were 234 preschool-aged children (n = 152 experienced maltreatment and n = 82 had not experienced maltreatment) and their mothers. Children participated in a narrative-based assessment of IWM. Mothers reported demographics, IPV, and maternal depressive symptoms. Latent class analyses revealed three attachment IWM classes and three emotional security IWM classes. Maltreatment was associated with lower likelihood of being in the secure attachment class and elevated likelihood of being in the insecure dysregulated attachment class. Inconsistencies in classification across attachment and emotional security IWM classes were related to maltreatment, IPV, and maternal depressive symptoms. The current study juxtaposes attachment and EST and provides insight into impacts of family adversity on children's IWM across different family relationships.

Superwoman schema: uncovering repercussions of coping strategies used among Black women at high risk for HIV

The Superwomen Schema (SWS) describes a social framework that encompasses the role that many Black women adopt in response to chronic stress, financial pressures, and an intersection of oppression. Woods-Giscombé (Superwoman Schema: African American Women's Views on Stress, Strength, and Health. Qualitative Health Research 20 (5): 668-683, 2010) characterizes SWS using five tenets: obligation to manifest strength, obligation to suppress emotions, resistance to vulnerability or dependency, determination to succeed despite a lack of resources, and an obligation to help others. The goal of this study is to determine the connection between SWS among Black women and substance use as a means of maintaining mental health, garnering resilience, and coping with external pressures. We aimed to highlight systemic and infrastructural racism and prejudice and how they relate, not only to the adoption of SWS, but also how they may contribute to substance use. This study is a secondary analysis of a larger study on HIV prevention Black and Latine women at high risk for HIV. Only Black participants (n = 10) were included in this secondary analysis. The interviews were conducted 3 times across 3 months. Interviews were coded and analyzed using thematic content analysis in NVivo. Themes of undiagnosed mental health symptoms, medical mistrust, institutional distrust, and aversion to help-seeking were recurrent in our data. Our research confirmed and assessed dual repercussions of SWS among Black women both as a defense that granted resilience in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds and as a construct that encouraged substance use as a coping mechanism for compromised mental health. This study contextualized this subset of coping and substance use to address and dismantle systemic contributors.

Acculturative Stress, Resilience, and a Syndemic Factor Among Latinx Immigrants

BACKGROUND

The process of immigration and subsequent adaptation can expose Latinx immigrants to chronic and compounding challenges (i.e., acculturative stress), but little is known about how resilience factors and these stressors interact to influence syndemic conditions, intertwined epidemics that disproportionally affect historically marginalized communities.

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study was to describe the influence of acculturative stress and resilience on the syndemic factor underlying substance abuse, intimate partner violence, HIV risk, and mental conditions.

METHODS

Baseline cross-sectional data from a community-engaged, longitudinal study of 391 adult (ages 18-44 years) Latinx immigrants in North Carolina were obtained using standardized measures available in English and Spanish. Structural equation modeling tested the syndemic model, and random forest variable importance identified the most influential types of acculturative stressors and resilience factors, including their interactions, on the syndemic factor.

RESULTS

Results indicated that a single syndemic factor explained variations in heavy drinking, drug use, intimate partner violence, depression, and anxiety and fit the data well. Age, being a woman, acculturative stress, acculturation to the United States, and emotional support were significantly related to the syndemic factor. The relationship between acculturative stress and the syndemic factor was buffered by ethnic pride, coping, enculturation, social support, and individual resilience. The most influential acculturative stressors were marital, family, and occupation/economic stress.

DISCUSSION

Findings from this study underscore the importance of considering the co-occurrence of behavioral and mental health conditions among Latinx immigrants. Health promotion programs for Latinx immigrants should address acculturative stress and bolster ethnic pride, social support, and coping as sources of resilience.

Mapping the disparities in intimate partner violence prevalence and determinants across Sub-Saharan Africa

Objective

This study aimed to map disparities in prevalence and associated factors across countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Methods

We used National Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data from 26 countries in the region with 114,340 participants. Women and girls in the reproductive age group of 15 to 49 years were included in the study. To map disparities across countries and their provinces, we employed the kriging interpolation technique. We used STATA for data management.

Result

The prevalence of physical, emotional and sexual IPV in Sub-Saharan Africa was 30.58, 30.22, and 12.6% respectively, and at least one form of IPV was 42.62%. Disparities were observed across the countries and provinces in each country. Younger age, secondary-level education and above, moderate participation in decision-making, not working out of home, not afraid of the spouse, rich (wealth index), not having a child, high maternal literacy, and rural residence relatively decreased the odds of IPV. The husbands' lower education, alcohol consumption, and high controlling behavior increased the probability of IPV.

Conclusion

The prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence in Sub-Saharan Africa is the highest in the world, a signal that the global agenda to end all forms of violence against women will be difficult to achieve. There is a large gap across countries and provinces in each country. Area-specific intervention packages that focus on modifiable factors should be strengthened.

Dysfunctional Attitudes, Sociotropy-Autonomy, and Intimate Partner Violence Victimization in Emerging Adulthood

Understanding the dynamics and vulnerability factors involved in intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization among emerging adults is important in order to better prevent it from happening. The current study aimed to investigate the relationships among dysfunctional attitudes, sociotropy-autonomy, and types of IPV victimization (i.e., psychological, physical, and sexual) and severity (i.e., minor or severe) in emerging adulthood. Through an online survey, 929 emerging adults (84.6% women, mean age = 23.61) completed self-report questionnaires related to variables explored. When checking for childhood abuse, dysfunctional attitudes, sociotropy, and autonomy were related to IPV victimization for at least one type of violence and one scale of severity. The regression models show that independence from others and importance given to others are related to greater severe and minor physical violence, respectively. Attraction to loneliness seemed related to lesser minor psychological violence, whilst valorization of freedom of movement and action were related to greater minor sexual violence. The capacity to oppose others seemed related to greater severe sexual violence. These different cognitive and social characteristics may be associated with poorer social skills, thus making emerging adults more vulnerable to IPV victimization. The preventive and clinical implications are discussed.

The association of intimate Partner violence and decision making power on nutritional status of married women in Ethiopia: a multilevel mixed-effect analysis

BACKGROUND

A growing body of research has established a link between intimate partner violence (IPV) and decision-making autonomy on women's mental, physical, and reproductive health consequences, as well as child nutritional status. However, there is a scarcity of research on the effects of IPV and decision-making autonomy on women's nutritional status. To date, no research has been conducted in Ethiopia to investigate the impact of IPV and decision-making autonomy on women's nutritional status. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between IPV and decision-making power at both the individual and community levels on women's nutritional status.

METHODS

We analyzed data from the 2016 Ethiopian demographic and health survey. Our study focused on 3,660 married non-pregnant women of reproductive age. We used the chi-squared test and spearman correlation coefficients for bivariate analysis. The relationship between IPV and decision making power with nutritional status was evaluated using multilevel binary logistic regression models while controlling other determinants.

RESULTS

Around 28% of women reported at least one of the four types of IPV. Approximately 32% of women had no decision-making power at home. About 27.1% of women were underweight (BMI < 18.5), while 10.6% were overweight/obese (BMI ≥ 25). Women who had sexual IPV had a higher chance of being underweight (AOR = 2.97; 95% CI: 2.02-4.38) than women who had no sexual IPV. While women who had decision-making power at home were at lower odds of being underweight (AOR = 0.83; 95% CI: 0.69-0.98) than their counterparts. The findings also revealed a negative relationship between being overweight/obese and community-level women's decision-making autonomy (AOR = 0.75; 95% CI 0.34-0.89).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings show the presence of a significant association between IPV & decision-making autonomy with women's nutritional status. Therefore, effective policies and programs to end violence against women and encourage women to participate in decision-making are required. This will help to improve the nutritional status of women as well as the nutritional outcomes of their families. This study suggests that efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG5) may have an impact on other SDGs particularly SDG2.

Women's perspectives on barriers to potential PrEP uptake for HIV prevention: HIV risk assessment, relationship dynamics and stigma

HIV remains a significant health issue for women, and multiple overlapping factors shape women's HIV-related risk. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) offers critical advantages over other existing options, yet it remains significantly underused among women in the USA where limited work has explored women's opinions on barriers to potential PrEP use. Using open-ended text responses from a sample of women seeking care at a US urban family planning health centre, this study aimed to understand perceptions of factors affecting potential PrEP use. Three themes concerning key factors impacting potential PrEP use emerged: HIV risk assessment, relationship dynamics, and anticipated stigma. Women's assessment of HIV risk suggests that identifying women in clinical settings as having low self-perceived risk may overlook the complexity of how women determine HIV-related risk and prevention needs. Women frequently referenced relationship dynamics when considering PrEP and discussed anticipated partner reactions about use contributing to non-use. Fear or worry of stigma were expressed as motivations to not use PrEP. Study results highlight the importance of public health and health care professionals normalising PrEP as a strategy in women's HIV prevention and sexual health decision-making. Woman-centred PrEP education, screening and communication strategies reflective of their unique HIV-related risk context are needed.

Impact of a Community Empowerment Intervention on Sexually Transmitted Infections Among Female Sex Workers in Baltimore, Maryland

BACKGROUND

Female sex workers ( FSWs) are vulnerable to a number of health issues, but often delay seeking health care due to structural barriers. Multiservice drop-in centers have been shown to increase FSW access to health services globally, but their impact on FSW in the United States is lacking. This study seeks to evaluate the effect of a community-level empowerment intervention (the multiservice drop-in SPARC center) on cumulative sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among FSW in a city in the United States.

METHODS

Between September 2017 and January 2019, 385 FSWs were recruited in Baltimore. Participants from areas served by SPARC were recruited to the intervention; other areas of Baltimore were the control. Follow-up occurred at 6, 12, and 18 months. The primary outcome is cumulative STI (ie, positive gonorrhea or chlamydia test at any follow-up). We tested effect modification by condomless sex with paying clients reported at baseline. Logistic regressions with propensity score weighting were used to estimate intervention effect, accounting for loss to follow-up, with bootstrap confidence intervals.

RESULTS

Participants completed 713 follow-up study visits (73%, 70%, 64% retention at 6, 12, and 18 months, respectively). Baseline STI prevalence was 28% and cumulative STI prevalence across follow-ups was 26%; these both did not differ between control and intervention communities in bivariate analyses. After adjusting for covariates, FSW in the intervention had a borderline-significant decrease in odds of cumulative STI compared with control (odds ratio, 0.61, P = 0.09 ) . There was evidence of effect modification by baseline condomless sex, such that FSW in the intervention who reported condomless sex had lower odds of cumulative STI compared with FSW in the control community who also reported baseline condomless sex (odds ratio, 0.29; P = 0.04).

CONCLUSIONS

Results demonstrate the value of a low-barrier, multiservice model on reducing STIs among the highest-risk FSW.Clinical Trial Number: NCT04413591.

Relations Between Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms and Positive Memory Characteristics Among Women Reporting Intimate Partner Violence: A Micro-Longitudinal Study

Evidence links posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms to positive autobiographical memory characteristics. To extend this research, we uniquely utilized micro-longitudinal data to examine (1) the trajectory of PTSD symptom count across 30 days; and (2) if more vividness and accessibility of retrieved positive memories at the daily level predicted decreases in the trajectory of PTSD symptom count across 30 days. The current study was a secondary data analysis of a larger study. The sample included 74 women who reported physical or sexual victimization in the past 30 days by their current male partner and reported the use of alcohol and/or drugs during that time (M_age = 39.68 years; 37.80% with diagnostic PTSD; 43.2% White; 37.8% Black or African American). They completed thrice daily measures of PTSD symptoms and positive memory characteristics (vividness and accessibility) across 30 days. Results of the random effects longitudinal multilevel model indicated that, on average, the relation between PTSD symptom count and positive memory vividness was positive and statistically significant (0.19, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] [0.2, 0.35]); and the relation between PTSD symptom count and positive memory accessibility was positive and statistically significant (0.31, 95% CI [0.15, 0.47]). The relationship between PTSD symptom count and positive memory vividness/accessibility (i.e., slopes) varied significantly across participants, with a wide range of positive and negative regression coefficients. Future research needs to investigate why and how positive memory vividness and accessibility may relate to trajectories of PTSD symptoms over time, with potential clinical implications for positive memory interventions addressing PTSD.

Male Sexual Dysfunction and the Perpetration of Intimate Partner Violence

We contribute to our understanding of the social epidemiology of intimate partner violence (IPV) by developing a mediation model that frames IPV as an outcome of male sexual dysfunction (performance anxiety and erectile dysfunction) and the mechanisms of masculine discrepancy stress (the perceived failure to conform to internalized normative expectations of masculinity) and anger. Our mediation analyses of recently collected data from the 2021 Crime, Health, and Politics Survey (CHAPS), a national probability sample of 792 men, confirmed that sexual dysfunction was indirectly associated with the perpetration of any IPV, physical IPV, and sexual IPV through the compound path of masculine discrepancy stress and anger.

Alcohol use during the COVID-19 pandemic: gender, parenthood, intimate partner violence, and stress

Some preliminary work during the COVID-19 pandemic indicates that adult alcohol use increased, particularly for parents. This cross-sectional study examined the quantity and frequency of adults' alcohol use during the early stages of the pandemic. Additionally, the influences of gender, parenthood, COVID-19-related stressors and intimate partner violence (IPV) on alcohol consumption were examined. The sample consisted of 298 adults (98 parents) from across the United States who completed self-report surveys through Qualtrics at the beginning of the pandemic in May 2020. In the present study, all men reported higher levels of drinking compared to all women. Although stress levels did not impact alcohol consumption, findings indicate that increased IPV experiences were associated with higher levels of heavy drinking during the pandemic. Results also suggested that having children in the home particularly impacted drinking levels during the pandemic, above and beyond the influence of gender, IPV, and stress levels. These findings suggest that parenthood may have had a cascading influence on drinking experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Implications and recommendations for further research are discussed.

Incidence and risk factors of intimate partner violence among patients with gynaecological cancer in China

AIM

The aim of this study is to examine the incidence and risk factors for intimate partner violence (IPV) among patients with gynaecological cancer.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional study design was employed.

METHODS

Patients with gynaecological cancer were recruited from a tertiary hospital in Shandong, China. Eligible patients completed a survey including questions regarding their demographic and cancer-related characteristics, IPV experience and dyadic coping.

RESULTS

A total of 429 patients were surveyed, 31% of them reported previous experiences with IPV, and negotiation was the most common type reported. The following variables were associated with IPV: a husband, wife and child/children family structure; a husband, wife, child/children and parent-in-law family structure; an annual household income ≥¥50,000 ($7207); and a similar or greater income earned by the patient than by her partner.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

IPV in patients with gynaecological cancer is investigated in this study.

Disparities in Resource Availability, Psychological Intimate Partner Violence, and Depression Among Hispanic Women

This study aims to analyze the relationship between the availability of resources, exposure to psychological intimate partner violence (P-IPV), and depression in Hispanic women in South Florida. This secondary data analysis used cross-sectional baseline data from SEPA (Salud, Educación, Prevención y Autocuidado) III. SEPA III was a randomized controlled trial that tested the SEPA intervention with 320 cisgender, sexually active Hispanic women. Descriptive analysis, logistic, and multiple regressions were conducted. Lower sexual relationship power and attending religious services were associated with higher odds of P-IPV. Reporting a history of P-IPV in the last 3 months predicted depression scores and higher depression scores were associated with higher odds of experiencing P-IPV. Participants with higher depressive scores reported less education, increased emergency room utilization, and less sexual relationship power. P-IPV is highly prevalent among Hispanic women living in South Florida. The availability of personal and community resources can buffer the risk of P-IPV and its mental health consequences. Nurses can strengthen women's resources to prevent Hispanic women from exposure to P-IPV.

Self-Esteem, Social Problem Solving and Intimate Partner Violence Victimization in Emerging Adulthood

Although there are many studies examining the psychosocial vulnerability factors of intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization in emerging adulthood, little is known about the life skills that may be involved, such as social problem solving (SPS) and self-esteem. The aim of the current study is to explore the relationships between SPS, self-esteem, and types (i.e., psychological, physical and sexual) and severity of IPV victimization in emerging adulthood. Based on a French online survey, 929 emerging adults (84.6% of whom were women with a mean age of 23.6) completed self-report questionnaires related to SPS (problem orientations and problem-solving styles), self-esteem and IPV victimization. The results showed that positive SPS skills and higher self-esteem were associated with lower severity of IPV. Multivariate analyses showed that the most associated factors of severe forms of IPV were avoidant and impulsive/carelessness styles. Minor sexual violence was positively associated with lower self-esteem and rational problem-solving skills, while minor psychological victimization was related to avoidant style. Upon completion of this study, it can be said that conflicts which escalate into IPV may be associated with dysfunctional conflict resolution styles, highlighting the importance of interventions that promote the development of life skills in order to prevent IPV.

Emotion regulation and intimate partner violence perpetration: A meta-analysis

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant public health concern that affects millions of individuals each year. As such, research informing its prediction and prevention is paramount. Etiological models of IPV perpetration and empirical findings suggest that emotion regulation (ER) is associated with IPV perpetration. Further, research has suggested that depending on ER conceptualization, ER may predict either increased (e.g., risk factor) or decreased IPV perpetration (e.g., protective factor). Despite its documented association with IPV perpetration, and amenability to intervention, ER's aggregate association with IPV perpetration has not been evaluated. The present systematic review and meta-analysis analyzes ER's association with IPV perpetration. Two hundred and sixty-five effect sizes from 62 unique samples were included for analysis. Results suggested a small to moderate association between ER and IPV perpetration, the magnitude of which varied by ER construct, whether ER predicted increased or decreased IPV perpetration, and the type of IPV perpetration measured. The magnitude of association between ER and IPV perpetration did not vary by sample type or gender. Implications of these findings were reviewed in the context of meta-theoretical and clinically-focused models of IPV perpetration and suggestions for future research were explored.

Development of A Japanese Version of the Family Poly-Victimization Screen (FPS-J)

This study developed a Japanese version of the Family Poly-Victimization Screen (FPS-J) and assessed its validity. A cross-sectional study using self-report questionnaires was conducted with parents of children in Tokyo, Japan, from January to February 2022. To test the validity of the FPS-J, we used the Japanese versions of the revised Conflict Tactics Scale Short Form (J-CTS2SF) as the gold standard for intimate partner violence (IPV), the Conflict Tactics Scale Parent-Child (J-CTS-PC) for child abuse (CAN), the Conflict Tactics Scale (J-MCTS) for elder abuse, the K6-J for depression and anxiety, the PCL5-J for post-traumatic stress disorder, and the J-KIDSCREEN for Health-related Quality of Life among children. Data from 483 participants (response rate: 22.6%) were used. The J-CTS2SF and J-CTS-PC scores were significantly higher among the IPV/CAN-victim groups than in the non-victimized groups classified by the FPS-J (p < 0.001). The JMCTS scores did not differ significantly between the victim and non-victim groups (p = 0.44), but the PCL5-J, K6-J, and J-KIDSCREEN-10 scores were either significantly higher or lower among victims of violence than among the non-victim groups (p < 0.05). This study suggests the validity of parts of the FPS-J, especially the IPV against respondents and CAN by respondents.

Measuring Violence Behaviours in the Context of Romantic Relationships during Adolescence: New Evidence about the Modified Conflict Tactics Scale

The main purpose of the present study was to analyze the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Modified Conflict Tactics Scale (M-CTS) in adolescents. The M-CTS is a questionnaire that screens for intimate partner violence. Additionally, we studied the association between the M-CTS and attitudes towards violence. The study included a sample of 1248 students in a cross-sectional survey. The M-CTS and the Attitudes Towards Violence (EAV) scale were used. The analysis of the internal structure of the M-CTS revealed that a four-factor structure was the best fitting solution. The M-CTS scores revealed evidence of structural equivalence by gender and age. The McDonald's Omega indices were adequate for both victims and perpetrators models. Moreover, attitudes towards violence were positively correlated with measures of violence manifestations. Results found in the present study confirm the psychometric adequacy of the M-CTS scores and gather new evidence about its internal structure and measurement equivalence for its use in samples of adolescent and young students. The assessment of intimate partner violence may contribute to detect adolescents at risk for different forms of violence in the future.

Emotional Loneliness, Suicidal Ideation, and Alexithymia in Adolescents Who Commit Child-to-Parent Violence

The objective of this research was to explore the relationship between involvement in child-to-parent violence (CPV) and the development of emotional loneliness, suicidal ideation, and alexithymia based on sex; 1,928 adolescents of both sexes participated (50.5% males and 49.5% females), aged between 12 and 18 years (M = 14. 67, SD = 1.77), enrolled in four educational centers in Spain. A multivariate analysis of variance (3 × 2 MANOVA) was applied using sex and CPV levels as independent variables. Univariate analyses were carried out to explore the significant relationships detected. Results showed that the adolescents with higher CPV scored higher in emotional loneliness, suicidal ideation, and alexithymia. Girls showed a greater prevalence of CPV at the medium and high levels. An interaction of sex and CPV with alexithymia was detected. Girls with high and moderate values of CPV presented a higher level of alexithymia. These results provide novel information in the field of CPV. Previous research has placed the main focus of analysis on the adolescents' behavior problems and not so much on their perceptions of personal adjustment and their emotional experiences. The information presented in this study contributes to achieve a more precise definition of the profile of adolescent who assault their parents for better prevention of CPV.

Child and parent factors predictive of mothers' and fathers' perceived family functioning

Understanding family functioning, particularly the risk and protective factors that may contribute to adaptive versus maladaptive family processes, is critical to promote child and family well-being and resilience. Guided by family systems theory and the family stress model, this study longitudinally investigated parents' and toddlers' individual-level challenges and parental internal resources as potential predictors of subsequent perceived family functioning (i.e., general family functioning and family conflict), while accounting for earlier couple functioning. First-time mothers' and fathers' reports of psychological distress, perceived child behavior problems, intrapersonal resources (i.e., coping, emotion regulation, and empathy), and couple functioning (i.e., relationship satisfaction and intimate partner violence victimization) were assessed when their child was 18 months and 4 years of age. Using autoregressive path models, results suggested that greater maternal distress and paternal perceptions of toddler behavior problems predicted later reports of perceived family dysfunction, whereas parental intrapersonal resources predicted more adaptive perceived family functioning. Overall, findings indicate mutual or bidirectional influence within the family, consistent with the family systems principle of reciprocal causality. Clinical implications are discussed, including the need to bolster parents' existing strengths as well as providing prevention and early screening of depressive symptoms among parents. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Mental health and HIV risk differs by co-occurring structural vulnerabilities among women who sell sex

Female sex workers (FSW) experience many structural vulnerabilities (SV; e.g., violence, economic insecurity) which contribute to increased risk of HIV and mental distress. However, little research has examined how SV co-occur to shape HIV risk, and none have studied mental distress. Among FSW (n = 385) in Baltimore, Maryland, latent class analysis of five binary indicators (housing insecurity; financial dependence on others; client-perpetrated physical or sexual violence; food insecurity) determined classes of SV and differential HIV risk behavior and mental health outcomes. A 3-class model fit the data best: minimal SV (i.e., low probabilities of all indicators); material needs (i.e., housing, food insecurity); and high SV (i.e., high probability of all indicators). Compared to minimal SV, high SV and material needs had significantly greater adjusted probability of drug injection and poorer adjusted depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and mental distress scores. The high SV class had significantly higher probability of reporting condomless sex with clients compared to material needs and minimal SV. Results show the deleterious effect of co-occurring SV on HIV risk behaviors among FSW with particular emphasis on co-occurring food and housing insecurities. This is the first study of co-occurring SV on mental health outcomes in this key population.