The goal of the study was to examine disclosure of physical and sexual intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization across abusive relationships within a sociodemographically diverse sample of young women. We recruited 283 participants, ages 18 to 24, from a university, a 2-year college, and community sites serving low-income young women, and assessed physical and sexual IPV victimization, and related disclosure, across each of their abusive relationships (415 total). We used multilevel modeling to examine the effects of social location and situational factors on the odds of any disclosure of abuse during first relationships and across relationships. The rate of physical IPV disclosure was 50%, vs. 29% for sexual IPV. Multilevel model results indicated setting, IPV type, high frequency sexual IPV, and fear were significantly related to any disclosure.

Within correctional settings, incarcerated women have disproportionately high rates of experiencing staff-perpetrated sexual victimization. In addition, only a small proportion of incarcerated women formally report their victimization experiences to correctional staff and even fewer reports are fully investigated by internal investigators and found to be substantiated. Given the multiple steps in this process, incarcerated women face several possible justice gaps in receiving preventive and intervention-focused responses from correctional staff. Racial differences among incarcerated women's experiences of these steps have not been explored. This study used a structural intersectional framework to examine racial differences in these areas: incarcerated women's experiences of staff-perpetrated rape, reporting decisions, and correctional staff's investigation decisions. With a sample of 180 incarcerated women, this study included analysis of archival data (i.e., settlement claim forms and internal investigation files) from a class action lawsuit involving incarcerated women who had experienced staff sexual misconduct. Black women represented over half of the incarcerated women who experienced staff-perpetrated rape. There were no statistical differences between Black and White women with regard to the characteristics of their victimization experiences, and they had similar rates of reporting their victimization to institutional staff. However, significant differences were found between women with regard to prison staff's responses to their reports; Black women were less likely to have their reports investigated by staff and were more likely to have their investigated reports found to be unsubstantiated. A detailed analysis of 100 specific incidents showed similar findings. Thus, while justice gaps existed for all women, gaps in institutional responses were exacerbated for Black women. Centering incarcerated Black women's experiences is pivotal for guiding efforts to transform correctional settings, to prevent and address staff-perpetrated sexual victimization, and to build safety for incarcerated women.

Utilizing data from a longitudinal online survey of couples expecting their first child, this study sought to examine the trajectory of paternal-fetal attachment across the three trimesters of pregnancy. Expectant fathers (N=124) who completed at least the first two assessments were included in the analysis. Attachment was assessed using the Paternal Antenatal Attachment Scale, and paternal response to the ultrasound was measured with a four-item scale developed for this study. Longitudinal multilevel regression was used to model change in paternal-fetal attachment across assessments. Paternal-fetal attachment increased among all fathers, including those who showed less response to ultrasound and those who reported the pregnancy as mistimed or undesired. However desired pregnancy and stronger paternal response to ultrasound were associated with a larger increase in paternal-fetal attachment. The findings of the study have implications for the support of paternal-fetal attachment in health care and other settings.

The goal of the current study was to identify risk factors that predict sexual intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization across young women's relationship histories, within a socioeconomically diverse sample recruited from a university, a 2-year college, and community organizations serving low-income young women. We interviewed 148 young women aged 18 to 24 years about partner victimization (physical IPV, coercive control, and sexual IPV) within each of their relationships (up to four relationships, beginning with their first; 388 in total). We used the life history calendar to structure the interviews and obtain detailed information about each relationship, including age difference between participants and their partners, and relationship length. We used multilevel modeling to examine primary caregiver highest grade completed (an indicator of socioeconomic status [SES]), participant age, age difference, relationship length, setting, and physical IPV/coercive control as predictors of sexual IPV during their first relationship and across Relationships 1 to 4. Sexual IPV during participants' first relationship was inversely associated with SES and age, and positively associated with physical IPV/coercive control; 2-year college and community participants reported lower rates of sexual IPV during the first relationship, compared with university participants. The trajectory of sexual IPV across Relationships 1 to 4 declined among university participants and increased among 2-year college participants; age difference and physical IPV/coercive control positively covaried with sexual IPV across Relationships 1 to 4. Low SES, young age, large age difference, and the presence of physical IPV and coercive control may be risk factors for sexual IPV victimization within adolescent relationships. Sexual violence prevention and intervention approaches should incorporate these risk factors, and be designed to reach an increasingly socioeconomically diverse population across a variety of settings, to be effective.

Highlights Multilevel strengths‐based intervention decreases refugee distress and improves protective factors. Holistic focus on psychological, material, social, educational, and cultural needs is effective. High recruitment/retention rates support importance of non‐stigmatizing universal interventions. Refugee Well‐being Project (RWP) intervention reaches refugees unlikely to access formal mental health services. RWP circumvents typical barriers to services (stigma, trust, linguistic/cultural appropriateness).

The reporting and investigation of sexual assault within prison is complex. Although prevalence data are available, there is little known about the processes and case attrition within prison that mirror the attrition in the community between reporting, investigation, and outcomes. This critical case study uses secondary data from a class action litigation on behalf of incarcerated women who experienced staff sexual misconduct in one state system. Multiple sources of data are used quantitatively and qualitatively to examine prison processes. Prison Rape Elimination Act Standards are used as a framework to interpret the analysis and illustrate potential barriers for the successful implementation through case narratives. Although secondary data analyses have limitations, these data would be difficult to obtain under other circumstances and includes perspectives of the affected women and key institutional actors. The goal of this study is to inform and improve the prison-based processes in service of reducing and/or preventing victimization.

This study examined, using structural equation modeling (SEM), gender differences and similarities in correlates of the perpetration of emotional aggression against intimate partners among one of the largest groups of Asian Indians in the United States, Gujaratis. Although most of the correlates of emotional aggression (e.g., patriarchal attitudes, spousal disagreement, and alcohol use) were similar for men and women, higher support for gendered domestic roles was significantly related to higher perpetration of emotional aggression for men but not for women. Multigroup latent SEM served as a unique analytical strategy to investigate gender (a)symmetry, a controversial but critical debate in the field.

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is associated with employment problems. However, understanding of mechanisms through which SAD impacts employment is limited, and few studies examine employment experiences among racial minorities and economically disadvantaged individuals with SAD. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 12 unemployed individuals with SAD. Participants described interactions between feelings of social anxiety and anger, in addition to more typical SAD symptoms. Participants also perceived negative judgments from employers based on socio-economic status, appearance, and criminal histories. Participants reported using a range of coping strategies for social anxiety. Clinical implications related to the interplay between poverty, unemployment, and SAD are discussed.

Church-based interventions have the potential to extend services to economically disadvantaged individuals with depression in rural communities. This study examined depressive symptoms, material hardship, barriers to mental health treatment, and perceptions of a church-based group depression intervention among a sample of 57 rural residents seeking food-bank services. Forty-nine percent of respondents screened positive for depression on the Patient Health Questionnaire-2. Respondents with positive depression screens (M = 2.22; SD = 1.74) experienced greater material hardship compared to non-depressed respondents (M = 1.21; SD = 1.00; U = 262.0; p=.04). The most commonly endorsed barriers to mental health treatment were: cost (47.4%), lack of transportation (31.6%), no insurance/lack of insurance coverage (26.3%), and wanting to handle these problems on my own (26.3%). The majority of respondents indicated that church-based depression treatment would benefit their community (62.5%), would consider attending church-based depression treatment (55.4%), and would recommend this intervention to others experiencing depressive symptoms (66.1%). Clinical and policy implications of these findings are discussed.

Understanding processes that support the well-being of the unprecedented numbers of forcibly displaced people throughout the world is essential. Growing evidence documents post-migration stressors related to marginalization as key social determinants of refugee mental health. The goal of this RCT was to rigorously test a social justice approach to reducing high rates of distress among refugees in the United States. The 6-month multilevel, strengths-based Refugee Well-being Project (RWP) intervention brought together university students enrolled in a 2-semester course and recently resettled refugees to engage in mutual learning and collaborative efforts to mobilize community resources and improve community and systems responsiveness to refugees. Data collected from 290 Afghan, Great Lakes African, Iraqi, and Syrian refugees at four time points over 12 months were used to test the effectiveness of RWP to reduce distress (depression and anxiety symptoms) and increase protective factors (English proficiency, social support, connection to home and American cultures). Intention-to-treat analyses using multilevel modeling revealed significant intervention effects for all hypothesized outcomes. Results provide evidence to support social justice approaches to improving refugee mental health. Findings have implications for refugees worldwide, and for other immigrant and marginalized populations who experience inequities in resources and disproportionate exposure to trauma/stress.

This paper provides a methodological description of a multi-site, randomized controlled trial (RCT) of a cognitive-behavioral intervention for enhancing employment success among unemployed persons whose employment efforts have been undermined by social anxiety disorder (SAD). SAD is a common and impairing condition, with negative impacts on occupational functioning. In response to these documented employment-related impairments, in a previous project, we produced and tested an eight-session work-related group cognitive-behavioral therapy provided alongside vocational services as usual (WCBT + VSAU). WCBT is delivered by vocational service professionals and is designed in a context and style that overcomes accessibility and stigma-related obstacles with special focus on employment-related targets. Our previous project found that WCBT + VSAU significantly improved social anxiety, depression, and a range of employment-related outcomes compared to a control group of socially anxious job-seekers who received vocational services as usual without WCBT (VSAU-alone). Participants in this study were all homeless, primarily African American job-seekers with high levels of psychiatric comorbidity and limited education and employment histories. The present, two-region study addresses whether WCBT + VSAU enhances job placement, job retention and mental health outcomes in a larger sample assessed over an extended follow-up period. In addition, this trial evaluates whether the effects of WCBT + VSAU generalize to a new population of urban-based, racially diverse job-seekers with vocational and educational histories that differ from our original sample. This study also investigates the system-effects of WCBT + VSAU in a new site that will be informative for broad implementation of WCBT + VSAU. Finally, this project involves a refined, technology-assisted form of WCBT + VSAU designed to be delivered more easily by vocational services professionals.

Objective: Sexual assault and intimate partner violence are problems on college campuses, yet few studies have examined campus-level factors that may be associated with their prevalence. This study examines campus-level factors that influence rates of sexual assault and intimate partner violence among college students. Method: Data are from 474 campuses that participated in the National College Health Assessment survey between 2011 and 2015. We used linear regression models to assess the impact of campus-level variables on campus rates of sexual assault and intimate partner violence. Results: Significant campus-level predictors of sexual assault rates included rates of binge drinking, proportions of sexual minority students, lower student mean age, and higher proportions of students reporting experiences of discrimination. The strongest campus-level predictors of intimate partner violence rates included greater average number of sexual partners, lower rates of binge drinking, older student mean age, and lower proportions of full-time students. Conclusions: Campus-level factors associated with rates of sexual assault and intimate partner violence provide intervention targets for college administrators and student support staff. Colleges should address both individual and college-level factors in their efforts to prevent and reduce sexual assault and intimate partner violence.

Purpose: Incarcerated women serving life sentences are a growing subpopulation with multiple mental health needs. However, no existing interventions have been designed for or tested with this population. Method: This study tested a gender-responsive, trauma-informed intervention (Beyond Violence) and examined changes in incarcerated women's mental health and anger expression. Pre-, post-, and follow-up surveys were administered to two treatment groups with women with life sentences (n = 26). Multilevel modeling was conducted to assess changes over time for women's mental health and anger expression and to compare outcomes for women based on time served. Results: Significant positive outcomes were found for all women for some anger measures, and women who had been in prison for less than 10 years started with higher scores on multiple measures and showed significant changes over time. Discussion: This study offers insight into social work practice, policy advocacy, and research for this population of women.

This study examines rural residents' depressive symptoms, helps seeking preferences and perceptions of a church-based group depression intervention, informing feasibility of adapting evidence-based treatment for delivery in rural churches. A cross-sectional survey was administered to 100 members of 2 churches in a rural Midwestern community; 63 congregants responded. Depression was assessed via the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Descriptive analyses were performed, and 12.9% of respondents screened positive for depression. Another 25% reported mild symptomatology. Respondents preferred informal help seeking, although reported more openness to formal providers to address others' depression. Results suggest receptivity to church-based treatment. Almost two-third of respondents reported they would consider attending a church-based group depression intervention, 80% would recommend it to a friend in need, and 60% indicated it would benefit their community. Delivering evidence-based depression treatment within church settings may provide a viable option for increasing access to care in this rural community.

We explored patterns of intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization at the relationship level within a socioeconomically diverse sample of young women who had experienced IPV. We recruited from a university, a 2-year college, and high-risk community settings. Drawing on life course theory and utilizing the life history calendar, we conducted retrospective interviews with 148 young women aged 18–24 about partner victimization (physical IPV, coercive control, and sexual IPV) within each relationship, beginning with their first (up to four relationships; 388 total). We assessed patterns of IPV across participants’ relationship histories: rates of the three IPV types and co-occurrence, by setting and relationship number; relationship length in association with the number of IPV types; and transitions into and out of abusive relationships. Coercive control was the most common IPV type across Relationships 1–4 (46–58% of relationships), followed by physical IPV (42–54%) and sexual IPV (29–34%); the most common co-occurrence patterns were physical IPV plus coercive control and all three IPV types combined. Relationships lasted 15–24 months on average, and relationship length was positively associated with the number of IPV types. Transitions were heterogeneous, with systematic, positive change in physical IPV from Relationships 1 to 2; setting was not associated with transition patterns. In the future, researchers should explore a relationship-level approach; prevention and intervention efforts should integrate sexual assault and partner violence, begin early, and target all youth. Additional online materials for this article are available on PWQ’s website at http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/suppl/10.1177/0361684318795880 .

Consistent evidence documents the negative impacts of family separation on refugee mental health and concerns for the welfare of distant family members and desire to reunite with family members as priorities for refugees postmigration. Less is known about refugees’ emic perspectives on their experiences of family separation. Using mixed methods data from a community-based mental health intervention study, we found that family separation was a major source of distress for refugees and that it was experienced in a range of ways: as fear for family still in harm’s way, as a feeling of helplessness, as cultural disruption, as the greatest source of distress since resettlement, and contributing to mixed emotions around resettlement. In addition to these qualitative findings, we used quantitative data to test the relative contribution of family separation to refugees’ depression/anxiety symptoms, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and psychological quality of life. Separation from a family member was significantly related to all 3 measures of mental health, and it explained significant additional variance in all 3 measures even after accounting for participants’ overall level of trauma exposure. Relative to 26 other types of trauma exposure, family separation was 1 of only 2 traumatic experiences that explained additional variance in all 3 measures of mental health. Given the current global refugee crisis and the need for policies to address this large and growing issue, this research highlights the importance of considering the ways in which family separation impacts refugee mental health and policies and practices that could help ameliorate this ongoing stressor.

The U.S. Department of Justice estimates that between 149,200 and 209,400 incidents of sexual victimization occur annually in prisons and jails. However, very few individuals experiencing sexual victimization during incarceration report these incidents to correctional authorities. Federal-level policy recommendations derived from the Prison Rape Elimination Act suggest mechanisms for improving reporting as well as standards for the prevention, investigation, and prosecution of prison-based sexual victimization. Despite these policy recommendations, sexual assault persists in prisons and jails, with only 8% of prisoners who experience sexual assault reporting their victimization. This review focuses on gaps in the existing research about what factors influence whether adult victims in incarcerated systems will report that they have been sexually assaulted. Using ecological theory to guide this review, various levels of social ecology are incorporated, illuminating a variety of factors influencing the reporting of sexual victimization during incarceration. These factors include the role of individual-level behavior, assault characteristics, the unique aspects and processes of the prison system, and the social stigma that surrounds individuals involved in the criminal/legal system. This review concludes with recommendations for future research, policy, and practice, informed by an ecological conceptualization of reporting.

The crisis intervention team (CIT) is a tool that can be used to foster pre‐booking diversion of individuals with mental illness from the criminal justice system and into community treatment services. Although CIT is often implemented solely as the training of law enforcement officers, the model stipulates that CIT is a vehicle for collaboration with community stakeholders who share a similar philosophy, as well as expanded mental health services offering a 24 hour–seven days per week drop‐off option for law enforcement officers. This case study presents the countywide implementation of CIT and expands previous findings on the prevalence of officer interaction with persons with mental health issues and CIT training outcomes, including changes in officer perception of individuals with mental health issues. Furthermore, analysis of the disposition of calls for officer assistance coded as mental health or suicide found significant increases in officer drop‐offs to the mental health crisis center post‐CIT training. Interrupted time series analysis determined that this change has been sustained over time, perhaps owing to the unique communication between county law enforcement and mental health staff. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.

Sexual victimization during incarceration has been declared cruel and unusual punishment. Although the Prison Rape Elimination Act mandated new standards, the problem persists. Class action litigation is an alternate strategy to ensure prisoners' rights are protected. However, even when such litigation is successful, there is little known about the participants' perceptions of whether justice was attained in the process (procedural) or outcomes (distributive). Neal v. MDOC (1998), a class action settled on behalf of 809 women sexually abused by staff during incarceration, is a landmark case with national implications. Understanding participant perceptions can enhance those implications. Using surveys mailed to participants residing in the community with valid addresses (n =399), 156 women responded (39% response rate). Three scales measured procedural/distributive justice and a path analysis used explanatory variables as multivariate regressors on the scales to determine how individual and contextual factors affected perceptions. Perceptions of justice were positively associated with women's motivations to 'o the right thing' and their feelings of empowerment. Perceptions of prison improvement were positively related to themes that the corrections department was punished; negatively associated with staff retaliation. Predictably, women who were currently unemployed and seeking employment had lower scores on the Financial Benefit Scale whereas those endorsing security from settlement funds rated it higher. Because of the intersections of race, class, gender, and legal status, incarcerated women are rarely heard or validated. This lawsuit provided an opportunity for both. Importantly, women less positive about justice wanted their individual perpetrators punished-an unattainable goal in this class action.