Two meta-analyses (Rind, Tromovitch & Bauserman, 1998; Ulrich, Randolph, & Acheson, 2006) have suggested that the long held belief about the inevitable pervasive negative effects of child sexual abuse does not hold for college populations. The meta-analyses suggest that there is other factors in sexual abuse victims' lives that interact with their abuse experience to produce the sometimes-observed minimal long-term effects on psychological adjustment. This research attempted to examine a potential model for explaining the variability in the long-term effects of child sexual abuse by examining both moderator variables and abuse characteristics within the same population. The study examined three potential moderators, attributional style (including abuse specific attributions), family environment, and social support. Abuse characteristics were also entered in the moderator regression analyses, in order to examine the variance accounted for by each variable on long-term outcome beyond any shared variance between variables. It was hypothesized that there would be a significant difference between subjects reporting a history of sexual abuse and those without a history of sexual abuse on their long term psychological adjustment. This difference would be minimal, but would indicate that those without a history of child sexual abuse score better on a measure of trauma psychopathology. The second hypothesis was that attributional style, family environment, and social support would moderate the long-term outcome of child sexual abuse victims, beyond the variance accounted for by the abuse characteristics. The final hypothesis was that the accumulation of the aforementioned risk factors would result in a worse long-term outcome in college populations. This model attempted to provide an understanding of the relationship between each variable with long term outcome of child sexual abuse, as well as the cumulative effect of all these variables on the relationship of child sexual abuse outcomes. Results suggested that social support satisfaction and the victim's attributions about the cause of the child sexual abuse experience were related to trauma outcomes. In addition, the results provided potential indications for what to target in treatment based upon symptom presentation in child sexual abuse victims.

The purpose of this study was to examine the ability of measures of mindfulness to predict the variance of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) avoidance symptom severity above and beyond measures of experiential avoidance. A sample of 378 introductory psychology students completed questionnaire packets in individuals rooms to insure confidentiality of sensitive material. Based on a pencil-and-paper self-report measure of PTSD symptoms, the sample was divided into 3 groups: PTSD group (n = 44); trauma-no PTSD (n = 147); and a control (no trauma) group (n = 123). A fourth traumatized group was subsequently created consisting of individuals who endorsed a criterion A trauma, but who may or may not meet full PTSD criteria. Experiential avoidance measures of alexithymia and thought suppression were the most robust predictors of PTSD avoidance symptom severity, but mindfulness predicted more individual variance than measures of emotional coping, emotional intelligence, and a general measure of experiential avoidance. Although not as a strong a predictor of PTSD avoidance symptomatology as alexithymia and thought suppression, mindfulness appears to uniquely account for a significant amount of the variance of PTSD avoidance symptom severity. Treatment implications are discussed.

The prevalence of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is reported to be comparatively high in child and adolescent populations (Reinherz, Gaiconia, Leftkowitz, Pakiz, & Frost,1993). However, recent research has suggested that there may be differing etiological factors, specifically, Child Traumatic Grief (CTG), that contributes to the development of PTSD symptoms in American Indian adolescents (Morsette, at al., 2007). First this study demonstrated that CTG symptoms predicted PTSD symptoms above and beyond that which was predicted by violence exposure. Second, it was found that CTG predicted depression above and that which was predicted by PTSD symptoms. Third, it found that grief was significantly correlated with PTSD symptoms. Similarly, grief was also significantly correlated with the depressive symptoms. Finally, using a two-tailed Pearson's Product mom$$ent correlation this study found there was no correlation between PTSD symptoms, grief symptoms, depressive symptoms, and American Indian student's Grade Point Average and absenteeism. However, a post-hoc analysis using a one-tailed Pearson's Product moment correlation indicated a statistical significant correlation between GPA and depression. Additional etiological models are explored. This study is the first to examine etiological factors of PTSD in American Indian adolescents. Additional qualitative research is necessary to better understand the contribution of grief in the development of PTSD symptoms.

Although there is an abundance of research in the area of substance abuse, much of it samples people who are already enrolled in treatment. The treatment seeking population may differ from people who are actively using substances. One aim of this study is to describe a sample of individuals who have not sought out treatment, but still actively use substances. Specifically, the investigators assessed 51 county detention facility inmates recently arrested on drug- or alcohol-related charges, examining the factors that both inhibit and promote treatment seeking. We hypothesized that motivation levels for seeking treatment would differ based on several factors: family and social distress, psychological distress, medical problems, severity of drug and alcohol abuse, and primary drug of abuse. Results demonstrated that high levels of psychological distress, as well as distress in one's family/social life, were related to higher levels of motivation for change. We also examined perceived barriers to treatment, which revealed that participants endorsed barriers related to motivation (lack of) and self-perception of drug use. The results of this study have implications for developing brief interventions that could help facilitate the entry of moderately motivated substance users into treatment settings. Shortening the gap between a person's introduction to substance abuse and entrance into treatment could prevent an escalation of substance use that would incur greater consequences, both to the individual user and to society.

Disordered eating (DE) is associated with physical and emotional consequences. Most incidence studies comparing rates in urban and rural regions are international. Only one examined regional differences within the United States, and no significant differences emerged. Additionally, no investigations focus on DE treatment barriers specific to rural regions. In 106 college women with significant DE patterns, this study investigated weight-based prejudices, system-level barriers, and regional status. Despite no significant regional differences in DE or barriers to treatment, results revealed high prevalence of DE and exposed barriers to DE-treatment among college women. Exploratory analyses supplement the dearth of research focusing on DE in rural regions, which may help professionals tailor DE-related services to rural college cultures.

This research examined whether videotaped self-observation of drinking behavior combined with a one-session motivationally-based interview resulted in higher levels of motivation to change drinking behavior, lower levels of quantity and frequency of alcohol consumption, decreases in alcohol-related problem behaviors, and expectations of the positive effects of alcohol for individuals mandated to treatment for alcohol-use disorders. DUI offenders (n = 8) and heavy drinking college students (n = 13) mandated to treatment were randomly assigned to receive treatment as usual at their respective agencies or an experimental video intervention in addition to their regular treatment requirements. Participants were assessed at baseline and at one-month following treatment. Participants in both conditions self-reported significantly fewer alcohol-related problem behaviors at the one month follow-up. A non-significant trend was found between the groups over time for alcohol-related problem behaviors; participants assigned to treatment as usual reported fewer alcohol-related problem behaviors at follow-up relative to participants assigned to the experimental video intervention. An additional non-significant trend was found for movement along the stages of change. Two participants who received the video intervention regressed to previous stage levels and one participant who received treatment as usual moved forward one stage. Most participants assigned to the video intervention reported increased insight into their own drinking behavior following the video viewing. Results from this study suggest that aside from increasing awareness about drinking behavior, the data do not support the use of video self-monitoring of drinking behavior as a treatment intervention for individuals with alcohol-use disorders. Future research may want to incorporate some modified components of the video intervention into existing motivationally-based treatments as a way to increase awareness about drinking behavior.

Sexual minority youth have been found to be at-risk for engaging in negative health behaviors and for experiencing at-school victimization (Bontempo & DAugelli, 2002). Specific benefits of attending a high school with a gay-straight alliance (GSA) have recently been published (e.g., fewer suicide attempts; Goodenow, Szalacha, & Westheimer, 2006). However, it is unclear whether GSAs have any impact on substance use behaviors. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of attending a school with a GSA on sexual minority youths high school experiences, mental health, and substance use behaviors. A total of 103 heterosexual and 145 sexual minority participants were recruited for this study. Analyses of covariance (ANCOVA) were used to compare sexual minority youth who attended a high school with a GSA (GSA+), sexual minority youth who did not attend a high school with a GSA (GSA-), and heterosexual youth (HET) to determine if differences in high school experiences, mental health, and substance use were present. Overall, the results indicated that GSA+ youth reported more positive school experiences, less problematic substance use, and less emotional distress when compared to GSA- youth. HET youth in this study had more positive outcomes compared to the sexual minority sample, with the exception of problematic substance use and high school GPA. The findings support considering high school GSAs as protective factors for sexual minority youth. The implications of these findings are discussed in further detail, along with the limitations of this research. Future directions for studying the potential benefits of attending a high school GSA for sexual minority youth are also provided.

There are an estimated 5.3 million U.S. citizens living with disabilities caused by traumatic brain injury (Thurman, Alverson, Dunn, Guerrero, & Sniezek, 1999). Research has focused on identifying the factors that influence the likelihood and type of disability following a traumatic brain injury (TBI). One factor that has not been examined is hope, as defined by Snyder, Irving, and Anderson (1991). The purpose of this study was to explore hope and the problems commonly experienced by individuals with TBI. Participants were 1 female and 9 males who were recruited over a 4-month period from a brain injury rehabilitation program in Missoula, MT. Data from 5 of these participants were included for analysis. Participants completed a demographic and injury information questionnaire, the Adult Dispositional Hope Scale (Snyder, Harris, et al., 1991), and the Problem Checklist (Kay, Cavallo, Ezrachi, & Vavagiakis, 1995). Descriptive statistics were used to describe the demographic, injury, and treatment characteristics of the sample. Case analyses in which basic information regarding each participants TBI, Adult Dispositional Hope Scale scores and PCL scores were presented. Overall, participants reported slightly higher than average hope levels, and mild to moderate symptoms on the Problem Checklist. Results of this study suggest that further research is needed to explore the relationship between hope and problems that are commonly experienced by individuals with TBI.

Foraging theory has been studied extensively in non-human animals. Using models developed through animal-study, researchers have recently begun to examine how humans make decisions with regard to resource-expenditure. Using a computer-based task, the proposed study investigated risk-sensitive decision-making, in humans. Participants were asked to "spend" a most valuable resource, time, in order to complete a computer-based task. Participants were asked to choose between two computer-generated selection boxes, each yielding a different delay-value. However, participants were given different feedback as to how each session progressed (i.e. whether ahead or behind) depending on the budget condition to which he was assigned. It was found that both males and females were sensitive to budget condition such that participants were more risk-averse under the positive budget condition and all participants were less risk-averse under the negative budget condition. A questionnaire on participants' financial situation and goals was also included.

<P>The study assessed change in self-efficacy, self-esteem, and problem behaviors from pre-treatment to post-treatment and at 6-month follow-up for adolescent girls enrolled in an outdoor adventure program. Family security and previous program experience were also considered. Participants included 62 girls (ages 10 - 18) from diverse ethnic and SES backgrounds (the majority were Euro American from middle class backgrounds). As expected, problem behaviors were negatively correlated with self-esteem throughout the trip; they were negatively correlated with self-efficacy at 6-month follow-up. Girls from "higher security" families reported significantly higher levels of self-esteem (p < .05) and fewer problem behaviors (p < .01) than girls from "lower security" families. A principal components analysis (PCA) was run to review test properties of one of the study measures, the modified General Self-Efficacy Scales. Limitations of the study, including low power and few statistically significant results, are discussed.</P>