Having a secure attachment to God may act as a buffer against stress. Secure attachment to God has been positively associated with adaptive outcomes following stress, such as higher levels of stress-related growth and fewer maladaptive symptoms including depression, prolonged grief, and traumatic distress. However, relatively few studies have empirically tested the relationship between attachment to God and resilience and posttraumatic growth. Thus, the current study explored the potential associations and pathways through which attachment to God is associated with resilience and posttraumatic growth in a sample of 303 suddenly and/or traumatically bereaved individuals. The current study found that (a) God attachment avoidance is a unique negative predictor of resilience and posttraumatic growth even when controlling for adult attachment, (b) self-compassion and meaning-making mediate the association between God attachment anxiety and resilience/posttraumatic growth, (c) secure attachment to God is associated with higher levels of resilience than insecure attachment styles, but not with posttraumatic growth, and (d) an increased number of secondary losses is associated with lower levels of resilience. I conclude by discussing my findings in light of the extant literature on attachment to God, resilience, and posttraumatic growth. By better understanding attachment to God and how it may relate …

The minority stress model provides context to understand the mechanisms by which prejudicial experiences contribute to the disproportionate prevalence of adverse physical and mental health outcomes among LGBT people. The transactional model of stress and coping explains the appraisal processes through which people identify stigma-related stimuli as threatening and how they assess available coping resources to counteract these threats. The Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) were used in this study to measure resilience and stress in a sample of 99 lesbian and gay older adults. Women reported statistically significantly higher levels of resilience and lower levels of perceived stress compared to older gay men. An analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) revealed statistically significant main effects for gender (Cohen's d = .51; ηp2 = .056; F(1,98) = 5.488, p = .021) while controlling for perceived stress (Cohen's d = 1.62; ηp2 = .375; F(1,98) = 55.840, p < .001). An interaction effect between gender and perceived stress was also statistically significant (Cohen's d = .72; ηp2 = .115; F(1,98) = 12.40, p < .001) indicating that the negative relationship between stress and resilience is stronger for older gay men. Clinical implications and relevance to future research are …

Research suggests that non-medical prescription drug (NMPD) use is becoming increasingly prevalent, particularly among adolescents. A critical step towards developing effective intervention efforts requires identifying adolescents who are at risk for NMPD use. An extensive literature suggests that both adolescents and adults with elevated anxiety sensitivity (AS) are at greater risk for problematic substance use, and a small body of work has identified similar links with NMPD use specifically among adults. However, most of this literature combines all prescription drugs into a single category, and no work has evaluated the relation between AS and NMPD use among adolescents. The current study endeavors to further this area of research by examining the relation between AS (overall and subscales) and NMPD use among adolescents. The project evaluated 276 adolescents (age 9-19 years) enrolled in a residential treatment program on level of AS, including sub-dimensions (i.e., cognitive, physical, and social), and NMPD use across three categories of drugs: analgesic (e.g., Vicodin®), anxiolytic (e.g., Xanax®), and stimulant (e.g., Adderall®). A series of logistic regression models indicated that overall AS predicted nonmedical analgesic use, but not anxiolytic/sedative or stimulant use. A closer investigation of the AS subscales demonstrated that only the AS social subscale significantly …

The purpose of the study was to examine whether athletic participation as a child and/or adolescent acts as a protective factor for youth who endure childhood maltreatment. After screening for childhood maltreatment, our 269 participants were separated into either an athlete group or a non-athlete group and compared using two one-way multivariate analyses of covariance (MANCOVA). Emotional neglect served as the covariate due to non-athletes' significantly higher emotional neglect scores than athletes. The first MANCOVA compared athletes and non-athletes on positive outcomes, which included measures of post-traumatic growth, three adaptive coping strategies, and self-compassion. In the second MANCOVA, we assessed for differences between athletes and non-athletes on negative outcomes, which included measures of traumatic, depressive, and anxious symptomology and a maladaptive coping strategy. Neither MANCOVA reached significance, rejecting our hypothesis that athletes would be more resilient than non-athletes to the negative impact of childhood maltreatment. Discussion considers possible reasons for the lack of significance, such as the recency of athletic participation or the specific type of maltreatment experienced, as well as limitations and directions for future research.

South Asians are the third fastest growing racial/ethnic minority group in the United States with distinct cultural characteristics. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has disproportionately impacted racial and ethnic minorities in the U.S, including South Asians, across several life domains: work, home life/education, social activities, economic, emotional and physical health, infection, quarantine, and positive changes. The COVID-19 pandemic may have critically impacted South Asians with traumatic event experiences and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity across several life domains. Limited work suggests high rates of interpersonal traumas and substantial PTSD symptom severity in the South Asian community. Uniquely, the current study examined which life domains impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic associated with a greater count of traumatic event types, interpersonal vs. non-interpersonal traumas, and PTSD symptom severity. Results revealed that negative experiences in social activities, as well as distress in economic, emotional, and physical health domains, were significantly associated with the count of traumatic event types. Negative social activity experiences, and distress in the economic and emotional health domains, were also significantly associated with PTSD symptom severity. Quarantine and physical health domains significantly associated with the count of interpersonal traumas, while COVID-19-related experiences (in social, quarantine, and infection domains) …

The current project used data from the Health & Retirement Study (HRS) 2016 wave and assesses the relationship between everyday racial/ethnic discrimination and risk factors for cardiovascular disease. The role of acculturation and social support on this relationship was also considered. The sample size consisted of 3,994 non-Hispanic White, 1,140 non-Hispanic Black, and 842 Hispanic older adults. The results suggest that non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic individuals endorse higher perceived everyday racial/ethnic discrimination (p < .001) in comparison to non-Hispanic White individuals. Additionally, non-Hispanic Black adults have higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings (p < .001) than non-Hispanic White and Hispanic adults. Support for the direct and moderating role of certain aspects of social support and acculturation on health outcomes/behaviors related to cardiovascular disease risk among non-Hispanic Black (R2 = .07, F(15, 415) = 2.06, p= .011) and Hispanic (R2 = .30, F(5, 34) = 2.97, p = .025) older adults, respectively, were found. The limitations and clinical implications of the study are further discussed.

Racial trauma is linked to issues such as psychological distress, lower well-being, anxiety, and depression. The present research investigated some of the potential effects of viewing overt instances of racially violent media on trauma and, in general, on the psychological well-being of individuals. Specifically, the present study utilized physiological and psychological measures to explore how different racial groups on college campuses are impacted by exposure to vicariously traumatizing stimuli when the victim is either an in-group or an out-group member. The present study posited that higher ethnic-racial identity can serve as a buffer to the deleterious effects of racial trauma. In addition, this study explored the role that ethnic-racial identity of the perceiver plays in this relationship. Findings indicate that Black students exhibited the greatest level of emotional arousal in response to both the neutral and negative video depicting a police officer. Black students were also more likely to watch or be exposed to vicarious, racially traumatizing content. Additionally, greater ethnic-racial salience was associated with increased physiological response to both neutral and negative, video content depicting police officers.

The current study explored the effects of simulated adjustment domains (i.e., partial denial and social desirability) on specialized substance abuse measures in a sample of 104 inpatient offenders with substance use disorders. Results indicated nearly two thirds (57.9%) of offenders successfully escaped detection on the SASSI-4 and InDUC-2R. Further, subtle approaches employed by the SASSI-4 failed to detect unacknowledged substance use by simulators, and the remaining decision rules were redundant and most likely contributed to the false positive rates for non SU offenders. More promisingly, the current study developed an empirically based validity scale to bolster the SASSI-4's effectiveness in detecting response styles that showed initial promise. Results, a review of detection strategies for SU validity scales, and implications for assessment are further explored.

The recent inclusion of complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) within the International Classification of Diseases, eleventh edition (ICD-11) prompted scholars to re-evaluate treatment guidelines for traumatic disorders. The present study aimed to conceptualize dyadic, community, and systemic connections within the context of ICD-11 traumatic disorders and investigate unique associations between factors capturing relational quality. The current study additionally utilized a novel network modeling approach to explore the CPTSD symptom network structure using a college sample of trauma survivors. Consistent with generations of theory and research, relational quality factors associated with the disturbances in self-organization (DSO) symptom cluster, and anticipated discrimination associated with both relational disturbance and sense of threat. Affect dysregulation, re-experiencing, and relational engagement emerged as most central within the CPTSD symptom network, providing evidence towards the role of affect regulation in relational functioning, while intersectional discrimination associated with both the PTSD and DSO symptom clusters. Findings from the present study provide context to the potential application of a relational and systems focused intervention.

Associations between greater perceived racial discrimination and both higher levels of depressive symptomology and higher blood pressure have been established in the literature. Research has found that depression is often comorbid with diabetes and individuals with type 2 diabetes are at an increased risk for depression as the prevalence of depression is 2 to 3 times higher in people with diabetes when compared to the general population. Additionally, individuals with type 2 diabetes are also at an increased risk for high blood pressure. Although these associations are present in the literature, no studies have been found that examine all of these variables in conjunction. The current study used data from the 2014 Health and Retirement Study to examine the associations among perceived racial/ethnic discrimination, depression symptoms, and blood pressure for older Latinx adults (ages 50+) with type 2 diabetes (n = 303) and without type 2 diabetes (n = 521), while controlling for sex, age, partner status, and education. Findings indicated diabetes status was positively associated with both depression symptoms (t(790) = 5.32, p < .001) and systolic blood pressure (t(703) = 2.74, p = .006). Racial/ethnic discrimination was positively associated with depression (r(206) = .14, p = .045); however, …

Prior research has established a relationship between playing video games containing stereotyped representations of traditionally marginalized groups and resulting negative attitudes towards those groups. Yet, very little work has examined video games containing more positive, non-stereotyped representations and whether these diverse casts have inverse effects resulting in positive attitudes following exposure, an effect demonstrated in television media. The current study makes use of two paradigms, one based on short-term priming theory concerning immediate exposure to media, and one on long-term cultivation theory dealing with the overall media diet, and the relation to attitudes towards Blacks including symbolic racism, colorblindness, and implicit bias. In Study 1 (n = 31), Black and White participants reported how much time weekly they spent playing a popular game with positive representations of People of Color before completing measures. In Study 2 (n = 91), Black and White participants were exposed to one of three games, one with positive representation, one with negative representation, and a control game before completing study measures. Findings suggested that participant race was related to pro-Black attitudes (p = .009), but that direct exposure to a game with positive representation (p = .13) as well as playing the game during the …

Elevated social anxiety is a well-documented risk factor for developing problematic alcohol use behaviors. Adolescents with high social anxiety often report drinking for coping-related reasons, and drinking to cope has been linked to both acute and chronic alcohol use problems. Research further suggests that parenting is a primary socialization domain in terms of adolescent alcohol use onset and trajectory; however, no work has yet examined the role of parenting factors in the relation between social anxiety and coping motives for drinking. The current study investigated the role of two parenting dimensions, rejection/warmth and psychological control, on the link between social anxiety and problematic drinking motives. Drawing from an ongoing assessment of an inpatient program, the sample consisted of 94 girls and boys (ages 11-17 years). Regression analyses evaluated main effects of social anxiety, rejection, psychological control, the interactive effects of the parenting dimensions, and the three-way interaction of both parenting dimensions with social anxiety on coping motives for alcohol use. As expected, social anxiety was positively and statistically significantly related to coping motives when examined via raw scores, proportional values, and in the final model. Further, zero-order correlations indicated a positive, statistically significant relation between proportional coping motives and both …

Betrayal trauma theory (BTT) explains the relationship between a victim and perpetrator to be an especially critical factor for predicting adverse trauma outcomes; however, to date, there is no adequate measure to assess this relationship. We aimed to create a measure of reliance, here defined as dependence on another for food, clothing, finances, emotional support, and more. We utilized a new scale, the Reliance on Perpetrator Scale, to measure this construct. 397 participants completed a battery of questionnaires to measure reliance and 4 primary outcomes of interpersonal trauma exposure: PTSD symptoms, depression, event centrality, and dissociation. A series of exploratory principal components factor analyses provided evidence for a 3 factor solution for this scale, though visual examinations of scree plots and a parallel analysis indicated 2 factors. We ultimately chose to retain 2 factors: practical reliance and emotional dependence. We expected and achieved predictive validity such that practical reliance and emotional dependence were both highly positively correlated with all outcomes. We expected and achieved convergent validity such that positive affect and secure attachment were highly positively correlated with emotional dependence as measured by an existing scale. The current study replicated previous findings that high betrayal events—as opposed to low betrayal …

Petrie and Greenleaf's sociocultural model proposes that athletes experience unique sport environment pressures regarding weight, body size/shape, eating and appearance that increases their risk of developing disordered eating (DE) attitudes and behaviors. Although research in cross-correlational studies has looked at prevalence of eating disorders (ED) and DE behaviors in different sport types, such pressures are likely to vary by sport depending on its unique environment and performance demands. For instance, female athletes in leanness sports experience more body dissatisfaction and societal appearance pressures compared to those in nonleanness sports. Because these effects have been established primarily with female athletes, I examined ED/DE correlates from Petrie and Greenleaf's model with 695 collegiate male athletes who represented five sport types (endurance, ball game, power, technical, weight-dependent) based on a well-established categorization system. Through a series of one-way MANCOVAs (BMI serving as the covariate), I found that sport types were significantly different from each other on all ED/DE correlates except for negative affect. Follow-up analysis revealed that power, endurance, and weight-dependent athletes showed the greatest number of significantly different group centroids, demonstrating distinct profiles among the sport types in their experiences of the ED/DE correlates. Discussion focuses on possible explanations for the research …

Prevalence of mental health concerns among young adults is high and continues to increase. As a specific subset of young adults, NCAA student-athletes seem to experience these concerns at a similar or greater prevalence than their non-athlete, age-matched peers. Despite the number of college student-athletes who are experiencing mental health concerns, understanding how mental health impacts sport performance has not been robustly studied and has not included the diversity of identities present in the athlete population. Thus, I explored the beliefs of 266 college student-athletes who represented diverse identities and sports regarding how mental health impacts sport performance. Responses were collected using an on-line survey and analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Overall, as well as by gender, race/ethnicity, and sport type, 96.4% to 100.0% of participants believed that mental health impacts sport performance. From thematic analysis emerged three themes and various subthemes: (a) cognitive disruptions (concentration, confidence, self-talk, motivation, mindset, and decision-making), (b) the stress of being a student-athlete (life impact sport, team factors, sport impacts mental health), and (c) a mind-body connection (mind correlates with body, and mental health symptoms impact sport performance). Post-hoc cluster analysis by demographic and sport-type variables did not reveal clustering; these variables …

Black mothers socialize their daughters to embody the strong Black woman (SBW) schema to help them navigate gendered racist oppression. While research indicates that ascribing to the SBW schema offers Black women psychosocial benefits (e.g., increased self-esteem), identifying with the SBW schema has been linked to several negative psychological outcomes (e.g., anxiety, depression, and stress). Considering the evidenced negative implications associated with identifying with the SBW schema on Black women's mental health, the current study had three aims: (1) investigate the socialization messages Black women received about strong Black womanhood, (2) explore the extent to which they identified with these messages, and (3) assess the implications of this socialization on Black women's functioning. To address these aims researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with 11 Black college women (Mage = 20.09; SD = 1.04). For this manuscript, we extracted data pertaining to aim one and analyzed this data using a consensual qualitative research (CQR) data approach. Findings revealed messages Black women were given about strong Black womanhood (i.e., know your worth, depend on yourself, overcome societal barriers, little to no messages about strong Black womanhood, and additional responses) and illuminated behaviors mothers modeled that exemplified strength (i.e., self-sufficient, preserving, caretaking, and additional …