Sexual Assault Among Women in College: Immediate and Long-Term Associations With Mental Health, Psychosocial Functioning, and Romantic Relationships

2019 ◽  
pp. 088626051987015
Author(s):  
Karen Rothman ◽  
Emily Georgia Salivar ◽  
McKenzie K. Roddy ◽  
S. Gabe Hatch ◽  
Brian D. Doss
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Race And Ethnicity ◽  
Psychosocial Functioning ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Lower Grade ◽  
Grade Point

The current study sought to examine immediate and long-term consequences of college sexual assault (C-SA) among women with no prior sexual assault history. While much is known regarding the short-term negative impact of C-SA, the current study examines whether C-SA is associated with immediate academic and psychosocial consequences as well as long-term poorer mental health (depression, posttraumatic stress [PTS], anxiety) and interpersonal functioning (relationship quality, sexual and emotional intimacy). In addition, the current study explores potential moderators of these associations, including race, the nature of the assault, resulting injury, relation to perpetrator, and whether the assault was reported. A stratified design was used comparing women who experienced C-SA ( n = 201) to women with no C-SA history (n = 203) controlling for age, education, race, and ethnicity. Results from a series of repeated-measures analyses of variance (ANOVAs) demonstrated that across race and ethnicity, women with a history of C-SA reported lower grade-point averages, more missed classes, and fewer serious romantic relationships in college following the assault. Furthermore, results from a series of linear and logistic regression revealed that approximately 9 years later, women who experienced C-SA reported greater symptoms of depression, anxiety, and PTS as well as lower emotional and sexual intimacy. These associations differed by a number of assault variables (assault type, relation to perpetrator, amount of fear reported, physical injuries sustained, whether the assault was reported, whether medical treatment was sought). The current study further confirms the significant and pervasive impact of C-SA associated with women’s health and functioning, warranting further intervention to both reduce the incidence of C-SA and expand the reach of existing mental health interventions to survivors.

scholarly journals Health risk assessment and countermeasure analysis of the elderly population exposed to PM2.5 microenvironment

Work ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Yan Xu ◽  
Wantian Cui
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Risk ◽  
Elderly Population ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Exposure Concentration ◽  
Physical Diseases ◽  
The Impact

BACKGROUND: China’s atmospheric PM2.5 pollution is serious, and PM2.5 exerts a negative impact on the human respiratory system, cardiovascular, and mental health, and even more serious health risk for the elderly with weak immunity. OBJECTIVE: This work aims to analyse the impacts of PM2.5 microenvironment exposure on the health of the elderly and provide corresponding countermeasures. METHODS: The survey subjects are 118 retired elderly people in the community. PM2.5 exposure concentrations are monitored in summer (June 10 ∼ July 10, 2019) and winter (November 25 ∼ December 25, 2019). RESULTS: The exposure concentration in winter is higher than that in summer, with statistical difference (P <  0.05). Under the impact of PM2.5 microenvironment exposure, smoking in the elderly can increase the concentration of PM2.5, and long-term exposure to PM2.5 in the elderly can cause mental health problems. CONCLUSION: Long-term exposure of the elderly to the PM2.5 microenvironment leads to physical diseases and even psychological problems, which requires attention.

Anti-stigma interventions

2018 ◽  
pp. 411-420
Author(s):  
Petra C. Gronholm ◽  
Claire Henderson ◽  
Tanya Deb ◽  
Graham Thornicroft
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Intervention Development ◽  
Outcome Data ◽  
Short Term ◽  
People With Mental Illness ◽  
Related Stigma ◽  
Health Related

There is a rich literature on the nature of mental health-related stigma and the processes by which it severely affects the life chances of people with mental health problems. Applying this knowledge to deliver and evaluate interventions to reduce stigma in a lasting way is, however, a complex and long-term challenge. This chapter outlines how mental health-related stigma and discrimination have been defined; describes the negative impact they have on people with mental illness; summarizes anti-stigma strategies and the evidence regarding their effectiveness; and makes suggestions for future intervention development and evaluation. It seems likely that short-term interventions may only have a short-term impact, with the implication being the need to study longer-term interventions and to use interim process and outcome data to improve interventions along the way.

Study addiction among musicians: Measurement, and relationship with personality, social anxiety, performance, and psychosocial functioning

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 449-474
Author(s):  
Rafał Lawendowski ◽  
Piotr Bereznowski ◽  
Wiktor K. Wróbel ◽  
Michał Kierzkowski ◽  
Paweł A. Atroszko
Keyword(s):  
Social Anxiety ◽  
Psychosocial Functioning ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Lower Grade ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Grade Point ◽  
Work Addiction ◽  
Antecedents And Consequences ◽  
High Social Anxiety

Adverse health-related consequences of perfectionistic over-involvement in work are well-documented among professional musicians. The aim of this study was to investigate a recently developed concept of “study addiction” among students of music academies. Study addiction has been defined within the framework of theory and research on work addiction as a potential behavioral addiction. A cross-sectional correlational study was conducted among 132 students of music academies in Poland. The Bergen Study Addiction Scale (BStAS), reflecting seven core addiction symptoms related to studying, was employed together with commonly used measures of personality and well-being. A one-factor solution had an acceptable fit with the data in the sample of music academies’ students. Multiple hierarchical regression analyses showed that study addiction was related to low extraversion and high social anxiety. Study addiction was related to specific aspects of studying (longer learning time, lower academic performance) and to indicators of decreased well-being (impaired general health, decreased quality of life and sleep quality, higher perceived stress). As expected, study addiction was positively related to learning engagement. However, while the latter was associated positively with psychosocial functioning indicators, study addiction was related negatively to these variables. Furthermore, social anxiety was found to be a mediator between emotional stability/extraversion and study addiction. Moderation analyses revealed that social anxiety was related to a lower grade point average (GPA) only for these students who were high on study addiction. Using a cut-off score based on a polythetic approach showed that 16% of students were addicted to studying. The results suggest that among students at music academies, study addiction can be validly measured and that it has similar potential antecedents and consequences to that in the general population of students. Considering the estimate of study addiction prevalence in this group, further systematic studies among musicians are highly warranted.

scholarly journals Greater empathy in MDMA users

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 295-304 ◽  
Author(s):  
Molly Carlyle ◽  
Tobias Stevens ◽  
Leah Fawaz ◽  
Beth Marsh ◽  
Sophia Kosmider ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Exclusion ◽  
Psychosocial Functioning ◽  
Drug Users ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Cognitive Empathy ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Social Pain ◽  
Emotional Empathy ◽  
Long Term Impact

Background: 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is widely known for its positive acute effects on social behaviour, such as increasing empathy, whilst also attenuating the negative impact of social exclusion. However there is a scarcity of research that investigates the long-term impact of recreational MDMA use on these fundamental social processes. Method: Sixty-seven individuals were split into three groups based on their drug-use history: poly-drug MDMA users ( n = 25), poly-drug users who do not use MDMA ( n = 19), alcohol-only users ( n = 23), and were tested in an independent groups design. Participants completed both a self-report measure of emotional and cognitive empathy, along with the Multifaceted Empathy Task – a computerised assessment of empathy – and the Cyberball Game – a social exclusion paradigm. Results: MDMA users had significantly greater subjective emotional empathy, and greater cognitive empathy on the computer task compared with the poly-drug users who do not use MDMA. There were no significant differences in subjective responses to social exclusion between the groups. Indices of MDMA use did not correlate with empathy. Conclusions: Long-term MDMA users in this sample exhibited normal psychosocial functioning in regard to empathy and social pain and had higher subjective emotional empathy. This conflicts with previous suggestions that moderate, long-term MDMA use may cause heightened social distress, and is further evidence of the safety of the drug, which is relevant to considerations of its therapeutic use.

scholarly journals Socioeconomic status trajectories and health in China

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ning Wei ◽  
Lülin Zhou ◽  
Wenhao Huang
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Family Income ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Historical Period ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Term Adverse Effect

Abstract Background: After 40 years of reform and opening-up, China's social and economic conditions have undergone tremendous changes. For individuals who have experienced this historical period, the socioeconomic transition has brought different effects on their health status. This research examines the issue and provides evidence that government policies need to be improved. Methods: This study adopted data from the 2015 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). We set the education level, occupation, and family income during old age as the socioeconomic status for the early, middle, and late stages of life. Based on specific criteria, we classified the population as disadvantaged and advantaged, considering eight changing trajectories of socioeconomic status. We used multiple regression analysis to examine how the eight trajectories affect individuals' physical and mental health. Results: After controlling for social demography and health behavior variables, we found that compared with those in the advantaged group long term, people who were in the disadvantaged group suffered from a significantly negative impact of their socioeconomic status on physical and mental health. The health status of those who moved upward in socioeconomic status was substantially better than those who remained in the same status. Conclusion: This study confirms that early disadvantaged socioeconomic status has a long-term adverse effect on health. However, the negative impact can be mitigated by improving one’s occupation during middle age or family income during old age throughout China's socioeconomic transitions. Therefore, increasing upward social mobility at any stage helps eliminate health inequalities.

Children and war: Risk, resilience, and recovery

2012 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 553-558 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emmy E. Werner
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Longitudinal Research ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Multiple Informants ◽  
Risk And Resilience ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThis article reviews and reflects on studies that have explored the effects of war on children around the world. Most are cross-sectional and based on self-reports. They describe a range of mental health problems, related to dose effects and to the negative impact of being a victim or witness of violent acts, threats to and loss of loved ones, prolonged parental absence, and forced displacement. The more recent the exposure to war, and the older the child, the higher was the likelihood of reported posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. Especially vulnerable to long-term emotional distress were child soldiers, children who were raped, and children who had been forcibly displaced. In adulthood, war-traumatized children displayed significantly increased risks for a wide range of medical conditions, especially cardiovascular diseases. Among protective factors that moderated the impact of war-related adversities in children were a strong bond between the primary caregiver and the child, the social support of teachers and peers, and a shared sense of values. Among the few documented intervention studies for children of war, school-based interventions, implemented by teachers or locally trained paraprofessionals, proved to be a feasible and low-cost alternative to individual or group therapy. More longitudinal research with multiple informants is needed to document the trajectories of risk and resilience in war-affected children, to assess their long-term development and mental health, and to identify effective treatment approaches.

scholarly journals Community Rehabilitation and Hospitalizations Among People With Chronic Psychotic Disorder: Is There a Differential Association by Co-occurring Substance Use Disorder?

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharon Florentin ◽  
Paola Rosca ◽  
Tali Bdolah-Abram ◽  
Yehuda Neumark
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
Vocational Rehabilitation ◽  
Substance Use Disorder ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Annual Number ◽  
Rehabilitation Services ◽  
Case Register ◽  
Community Rehabilitation

Objective: Co-occurrence of chronic psychotic disorders and substance use disorder (SUD) is clinically challenging and increasingly prevalent. In 2000, legislation was passed in Israel to foster rehabilitation and integration in the community of persons with mental health disorders. In 2010, the need to allocate resources for patients with these co-occurring disorders (COD) was officially recognized. Yet, most rehabilitation services were not specifically designed for COD. This study examines the relationship between duration of community rehabilitation and number of psychiatric hospitalization days among persons with/without COD in Israel.Methods: Data from the National Psychiatric Case Register on 18,684 adults with schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorders hospitalized in 1963–2016, was merged with data from the Israel Mental Rehabilitation Register. Associations and interactions between COD-status (COD/non-COD), time-period (Period1: 2001–2009, Period2: 2010–2016), duration of housing or vocational rehabilitation on hospitalization days per year were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA.Results: The proportion of non-COD chronic psychotic patients who received rehabilitation services increased from 56% in Period1 to 63% in Period2, as it did among COD patients—from 30 to 35%. The proportion of non-COD patients who received longer-duration vocational rehabilitation (≥1 year) was significantly higher (43%) than among COD patients (28%) in both time periods. For housing rehabilitation, these proportions were 79 and 68%, respectively. Persons with COD experienced more hospitalization days annually than non-COD patients. Duration of rehabilitation (less/more than a year) was inversely associated with annual number of hospitalization days (p &lt; 0.0001). This pattern was noted in both COD and non-COD groups and remained significant after controlling for age, sex, COD group, percent of hospitalizations with SUD, and age at first hospitalization.Conclusions: COD patients with prolonged rehabilitation seemingly achieve long-term clinical improvement similar to non-COD patients, despite most rehabilitation settings in Israel not being designed for COD patients. Yet, COD patients receive overall less rehabilitation services and for shorter periods than non-COD patients. Long-term rehabilitation services should be provided to COD patients, who may need more time to commit to treatment. To achieve better long-term mental health improvements, a continued expansion of community-based integrative treatment and rehabilitation services for COD patients is needed in Israel.

scholarly journals Changes in Adolescents’ Psychosocial Functioning and Well-Being as a Consequence of Long-Term COVID-19 Restrictions

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (16) ◽  
pp. 8755
Author(s):  
Nóra Kerekes ◽  
Kourosh Bador ◽  
Anis Sfendla ◽  
Mohjat Belaatar ◽  
Abdennour Mzadi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High School Students ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Psychosocial Functioning ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
School Students ◽  
Electronic Survey ◽  
The Usa

This work studied self-reports from adolescents on how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed their behaviors, relationships, mood, and victimization. Data collection was conducted between September 2020 and February 2021 in five countries (Sweden, the USA, Serbia, Morocco, and Vietnam). In total, 5114 high school students (aged 15 to 19 years, 61.8% females) responded to our electronic survey. A substantial proportion of students reported decreased time being outside (41.7%), meeting friends in real life (59.4%), and school performance (30.7%), while reporting increased time to do things they did not have time for before (49.3%) and using social media to stay connected (44.9%). One third of the adolescents increased exercise and felt that they have more control over their life. Only a small proportion of adolescents reported substance use, norm-breaking behaviors, or victimization. The overall COVID-19 impact on adolescent life was gender-specific: we found a stronger negative impact on female students. The results indicated that the majority of adolescents could adapt to the dramatic changes in their environment. However, healthcare institutions, municipalities, schools, and social services could benefit from the findings of this study in their work to meet the needs of those young people who signaled worsened psychosocial functioning, increased stress, and victimization.

scholarly journals Cocaine use in university students: relationships with demographics, mental health, risky sexual practices, and trait impulsivity

CNS Spectrums ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Samuel R. Chamberlain ◽  
Katherine Lust ◽  
Jon E. Grant
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
University Students ◽  
Effect Size ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Sexual Practices ◽  
Lower Grade ◽  
Grade Point ◽  
Cocaine Use ◽  
Trait Impulsivity ◽  
Risky Sexual Practices

Abstract Background. Cocaine is increasingly used on a recreational basis by the general population with potential implications for mental health. The aim of this study was to assess how common cocaine use is, and its mental health associations, in a large sample of university students. Methods. Approximately 10 000 university students were invited to take part in an online survey, which assessed the use of cocaine (ever or past year), alcohol and drug use, mental health issues, and impulsive and compulsive tendencies. Group differences in demographic and clinical characteristics were characterized. Results. A total of 3520 university students (57.7% female) completed the survey. Of these, 110 students (3.1%) reported using cocaine in the preceding year, and a further 163 students (4.6%) reported historical use more than a year ago. Cocaine use was associated with more years as a student, lower grade point averages, more use of other drugs, riskier sexual practices, post-traumatic stress disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, treatment for psychological/emotional problems (including taking prescribed medication), and trait impulsivity. Of these associations, the link with trait impulsivity had the largest effect size. Conclusion. History of cocaine use appears relatively common in university students; and has a number of untoward associations in terms of mental health, use of other substances, and risky sexual practices. The most marked finding (in terms of effect size) was the link between cocaine use and trait impulsivity, supporting the importance of this construct in seeking out candidate vulnerability markers for use of cocaine and other drugs. Future work should use longitudinal designs to further characterize the nature of these associations.

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