Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and intimate partner violence (IPV) are both crimes with high prevalence rates which frequently have females as their victims. Survivors of each are frequently found in psychotherapy, yet to date few studies have examined the interaction between each form of gender violence. The present study looked at several ways in which CSA and IPV interact, including assessing prevalence rates of CSA among female IPV survivors, examining somatic difficulties found among female CSA survivors who are also survivors of IPV vs. female non-CSA IPV survivor controls, and by exploring body image and sexual difficulties found among female CSA survivors who are also survivors of IPV vs. female non-CSA IPV survivor controls. Participants were a sample of 140 women with a history of domestic violence recruited from a variety of settings including community mental health facilities and correctional facilities. Results showed that all three forms of childhood maltreatment studied (CSA, childhood physical abuse (CPA), and childhood witnessing of IPV) were elevated among survivors of IPV; rates of CSA were 51.4% within our sample of female survivors of IPV, rates of CPA were 52.1%, and rates of childhood witnessing of IPV were 67.1% within the same sample. Among various somatic complaints studied (sleep difficulties, depression, eating difficulties, and weight problems), female CSA survivors of IPV evidenced higher rates of childhood sleep difficulties, childhood and adulthood depression, and adulthood eating difficulties than did female non-CSA IPV survivor controls. While participants overall evidenced high rates of problems with body image and sexuality, there were no significant differences between female CSA survivors of IPV and female non-CSA IPV survivor controls within this study. Possible reasons underlying the latter negative findings were discussed. Both groups showed higher rates of body image and sexual dysfunction than would be predicted for normative participants, though given the absence of a normal control group in the present study it is difficult to discern how much higher these rates might be.

Previous research has found that hormone levels change throughout the phases of the menstrual cycle and can affect menstrual distress, however, with inconsistent results. Additionally, research has indicated that stress plays a role in menstrual distress symptoms. There has not been a comprehensive study to date which examines the relationship of reproductive hormone levels (e.g., progesterone, estradiol, LH and PRL) throughout all four phases of the menstrual cycle, while also studying menstrual distress symptoms and indices of stress. Participants include a community sample of women (N = 37) recruited at a university medical center in Mississippi who completed laboratory hormone assays, as well as the Menstrual Distress Questionnaire (Moos, 1968), the Weekly Stress Inventory (Brantley, Jones, Boudreaux, & Catz, 1997), and a global stress measure, throughout four phases of one menstrual cycle. Pearson correlations were conducted to test the potential relationships of hormone levels and indices of stress. The relationships between hormone levels and menstrual distress, as well as the relationships between menstrual distress and stress also were examined. Potential interactions were examined using multiple regressions. The role of menstrual distress in mediating the relationship between hormone levels and indices of stress also were considered and assessed using a series of multiple regression equations.

The purpose of the current study was to determine if the Nova Multilingual Neuropsychological Battery (NMNB) can detect neurological deficits in the traumatic brained injured (TBI) Hispanic sample by comparing subtest mean scores to the normal group mean scores. The NMNB is comprised of 39 subtests and was developed to account for language and cultural factors thought to influence neuropsychological test results. It was hypothesized that significant differences would be found in NMNB measures sensitive to brain damage. A sample size of 100 English-Spanish speaking bilinguals (50 TBI and 50 cognitively intact participants) was tested in Spanish in order to compare cognitive performance across the various NMNB measures. Due to the number of comparisons, the alpha level for this study was set to .01 to reduce Type I error. Results of the ANCOVA's partially supported the hypothesis after controlling for age and education. Findings show that the NMNB measures were able to successfully detect the TBI Spanish group from the normal Spanish group. Significant differences were displayed in the tests measuring nonverbal abilities, memory and learning, visual spatial skills, and executive functioning. More specifically, no significant differences were displayed in the tests measuring crystallized premorbid abilities, while tests measuring more fluid abilities detected problems with abstract thinking and information processing in the TBI sample. A similar deficit pattern was displayed across all measures of higher functioning systems. Deficits were detected in the nonverbal measures that involved complex attention (selective, divided, and alternating forms of attention) and concentration for visuospatial tasks, pattern synthesis and manipulation, but not for simple visuospatial attentional activities. Significant differences were found in motor speed, but not in the number of errors. These findings support previous research indicating that Hispanics tend to favor accuracy over speed. Additionally, results reveal significant differences across all memory measures. Using Cohen's d, large effect sizes were displayed between the groups ranging from 1.5 to 2.3 in the verbal and visual memory measures. Similar effect sizes were also displayed in tests of executive functioning. Preliminary data of this study suggests that the NMNB may be a sound assessment tool for detecting neurological impairments in TBIs. Collectively, the NMNB displayed significant differences in motor and processing speed, memory, visuospatial tasks, and executive functioning commonly documented in non-Hispanic TBIs. This study concluded that culturally sensitive neuropsychological tests that also control for demographic variables such as age and education can provide accurate results for Hispanics with TBI. However, these results should be interpreted with caution as this study was limited to a small sample size with an unequal proportion of TBI severity levels and educational experiences beyond educational levels. Future studies should focus on obtaining larger samples with varying TBI severity levels. Samples should also include bilingual Hispanics tested in English as well as monolingual Spanish speakers in order to develop profiles that may be useful in differential diagnosis.

The study sought to examine the influence of differences in perception of the family environment on adjustment following child sexual abuse. Eighty-eight children who had been sexually abused and their caregivers completed self-report measures regarding the Relationship Dimension of the Family Environment Scale (FES). Adjustment was measured by child report of posttraumatic stress and sexual concerns on the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children (TSC-C) and depression on the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI). Parent's report of adjustment was based on endorsement of internalizing and externalizing behaviors on the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Analysis revealed elevated expressiveness for parents and children, higher conflict and lower cohesion reported by adolescents (12- 18), and lower conflict endorsed by children (6-11) as compared to the normative sample. Differences were noted in adolescent perception of conflict as compared to their primary caregiver; however, adolescent discrepancy scores of the family environment did not predict outcome. Caregivers reported higher internalizing and externalizing behaviors for the sample as compared to the normative sample.

There is an abundance of literature that examines the comorbidity of domestic violence and trauma as well as domestic violence and alcohol and/or substance abuse in both community and incarcerated samples of women. There is a paucity of research dedicated to discovering if incarcerated women are significantly more likely to have this triad of domestic violence, trauma, and alcohol and/or substance abuse than their community cohorts. The present study examined this under-researched area by analyzing data from 147 women who participated in an extensive, ongoing research project. Women in this sample were from the United States, Russia, Colombia, Spain, Trinidad, and Greece. Results found that the incarcerated women were significantly more likely to suffer more severe domestic violence and were also more likely to abuse substances. No significant differences were found with respect to witnessing domestic violence or childhood sexual abuse, but both groups reported high rates. There were also no significant differences found between the groups on current symptoms of trauma, but both groups obtained scores that hovered just below the clinical cutoff. Although these variables were not statistically significant, they are diagnostic in that they describe experiences related to being a victim of domestic violence and are therefore, areas of potential intervention.

Limited data are available regarding the clinical utility of the Wechsler Memory Scale-III (WMS-III) Family Pictures (FP) subtest, yet it has received much criticism in the literature. Specific problems of the subtest that have been cited include the lack of clarity regarding the neuropsychological functions that significantly influence successful performance. The current study assesses the extent to which performance on the FP I and FP II subtests can be predicted by memory, visual ability, verbal ability, and executive functioning, in 454 outpatients from a neuropsychology clinic. Data from the Family Pictures I (FPI) and Family Pictures II (FPII) subtests, in addition to scores obtained from commonly used measures of memory, verbal, visual, and executive functioning were analyzed via hierarchical multiple regression analyses, co-varying for age and education. The current study also explores the extent to which the FP's individual components of character, location, and action load on factors of general verbal and visual-spatial abilities in a sample of 193 neuropsychology clinic outpatients. Results were obtained via three separate exploratory factor analyses (one for each FP component examined). Results of the multiple regression analyses indicated that FP I and FP II performance is best predicted by a mixed visual/verbal memory factor. Furthermore, the factor analyses revealed that all three components of location, action, and character load on a mixed general visual ability and general memory factor. These findings expand upon previous research by lending greater understanding of the skills needed for successful FP performance in neuropsychologically impaired populations.

The use of illicit drugs continues to be a problem around the world, particularly in the United States. Many individuals relapse following treatment for substance abuse; however, the role that drug attitude plays in the amount of time between treatment and relapse is not known. Research regarding the relationship between attitude and behavior change, drug use and relapse, gender differences in relapse, ways to measure drug attitude, and the relationship between drug attitude and drug use are discussed. The present study utilized a data set that consisted of one hundred subjects who participated in residential treatment for addiction. All subjects were dually diagnosed with major mental illness and a substance use or abuse disorder. The overall purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between drug attitude at intake and time to relapse following completion of residential treatment. Results indicated that there was no significant relationship between drug attitude and time to relapse following treatment. Results further indicated that there were no differences in scores on Campbell's Drug Attitude Scale for males and females and no difference in time to relapse for males and females. Finally, results demonstrated that scores on the Attitude subscale and the Clinical subscale of Campbell's Drug Attitude Scale did not significantly predict time to relapse.

This research involves an examination of the olfactory ability of individuals with Frontotemporal Dementia, Alzheimer's disease, and geriatric individuals with cognitive complaints owing to Major Depressive Disorder or Generalized Anxiety Disorder. The purpose of this study was to determine if olfactory differences were useful in differentiating between demented and non-demented individuals. Due to the pathway of the olfactory tract, it can be expected that there would be equal olfactory deficits in those diagnosed with Frontotemporal Dementia and Alzheimer's disease, and that these deficits would be worse than those found in geriatric individuals with Major Depressive Disorder or Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Five hypotheses were investigated. The first utilized an ANCOVA and found that the olfaction of the demented group was worse than that of the non-demented, psychiatric group. The second utilized a series of Discriminant Function Analyses and F-tests and determined that olfaction best classified demented and non-demented individuals. The third implemented a Mixed Model ANOVA to assess for lateralized smell deficits within the demented group and between the demented and non-demented groups and found no main effects of lateralization or interaction effects. The fourth hypothesis investigated the relationship between smell and commonly used neuropsychological tests in a Frontotemporal Dementia sample, and found that there was no difference between the relationship of tests measuring the frontal and temporal lobes to those measuring other cerebral areas. The fifth hypothesis replicated Hypothesis 4 in an Alzheimer's disease sample and found that there was a significant difference between the relationship of tests measuring the frontal and temporal lobes to those measuring other cerebral areas. Primarily, this study demonstrated that dementia patients present with significantly more olfactory deficits than a psychiatric sample with subjective cognitive complaints. Additionally, olfaction correctly distinguished the Dementia Group from the Psychiatric Group with 81.6% accuracy, 90.2% sensitivity and 67.6% specificity. Alone, these classification statistics are quite impressive, appearing equivalent, or possibly superior to the classification statistics of commonly used neuropsychological tests of memory, executive functioning, and visuospatial ability. This study concluded that adding an olfactory measure to an assessment battery provides clinically relevant data, and enhances the diagnostic accuracy of the battery. However, though this study found the Alberta Smell Test was a valuable addition to a test battery, the absence of lateralized findings demonstrated the unirhinal format, by which the Alberta Smell Test is administered, does not provide diagnostically relevant information above and beyond the information a clinician will gain from birhinal assessment.

The aim of the current study is to understand the health trajectory of female veterans who participated in a VHA sponsored weight management program and explore possible barriers to sustained weight loss and improved metabolic functioning over time. Obesity is a major health concern for discharged service members and women veterans in particular are faced with an increasing prevalence of obesity at a younger age with obese ethnic minorities posing the greatest health risk over time. The current study measured body mass index (BMI), triglycerides, and total cholesterol in female participants enrolled in the MOVE! ® Weight Management Program for Veterans at the Miami VAHS from 2005-2008 (N = 170). The sample was derived from an archival data set and participants were predominantly non-Hispanic Black (NHB) (n = 93, 54.7%), with a mean age of 48.26 (SD = 11.77) and BMI of 34.97 (SD = 6.61) at program entry. Medical information was gathered as part of routine primary care and participants were not asked to provide additional information. Multilevel modeling was utilized to measure change in BMI, triglycerides, and total cholesterol across seven time points before and after MOVE! ® participation. For the piecewise model, results showed a positive linear growth pattern in BMI prior to program enrollment, SE = .12, p < .001, and a negative linear pattern post-intervention, SE = .08, p = .05. For the continuous models, significant differences in triglycerides were observed between ethnic groups at program entry, but overall triglycerides did not significantly change over time. A significant negative linear effect was found for total cholesterol, SE = 1.08, p < .001. Age was found to be a significant negative predictor of triglycerides, SE = .003, p = .008, and total cholesterol, SE = .27, p = .003. VA user status, small sample size, and other extraneous lifestyle factors not directly measured in the current study may explain the lack of significant differences in BMI found between ethnic groups relative to literature on weight loss outcomes. Additionally, BMI in women may underestimate their total fat, which for the present study may explain why larger improvements in metabolic functioning were not observed. Future designs may consider measuring waist circumference to understand the complex relationship between total fat distribution and markers for poor health and utilizing a tailored approach to weight management.

The Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-Third Edition (MCMI-III) currently ranks among the most commonly utilized personality tools. A review of the literature revealed that ethnic minorities tend to score higher on certain scales of the MMPI and MCMI compared to their White counterparts. The literature also indicated that acculturation level can serve as a moderator variable on overall performance on these measures. Most of the studies that examined racial/ethnic differences on the MCMI were conducted using the MCMI-I and MCMI-II. While many MCMI studies have explored racial differences, few studies have examined the impact of cultural factors on MCMI-III performance. To date, there is no empirical data on the impact of culture on the MCMI-III scores of Blacks from different cultural backgrounds. Given the significant increase in the number of Black immigrants to the United States especially from the Caribbean and Africa, Black Americans are becoming an even more diverse group, representing different cultures and nationalities. In the current study, the performance of African Americans (n = 52) and Caribbean Blacks (n = 77) were compared on the Antisocial, Narcissistic, Paranoid, and Delusional Disorder scales of the MCMI-III. Attempts were also made to compare Blacks in the current sample to the MCMI-III's development sample. Additionally, the impact of cultural variables was examined using the African American Acculturation Scaled-Revised (AAAS-R). Multivariate Analysis of Variance procedure revealed no significant difference in performance between the two groups on the select scales of the MCMI-III (p =.883). Additional analyses revealed significant difference between the two groups on the Compulsive scale: Caribbean Blacks obtained a higher mean (Cohen's d =.-50. F= 6.663, p = .011). Analyses comparing the Blacks in the current sample to the MCMI-III's development sample indicated the following: a) a significant difference between the two groups on the Antisocial, Narcissistic, and Delusional Disorder Scales and b) no significant difference between the two groups on the Paranoid scale (p = .559). Supplemental analysis revealed moderate association between the Paranoid and Delusional Disorder Scales of the MCMI-III and certain scales of the AAAS-R, implying both a degree of item overlap and similar item content.