Racism,Trauma and Positive Aspects of Exposure to Race-Related Experiences

ABSTRACT

Ex po sure to race-re lated ex pe ri ences, such as race-hate as sault and dis crim i nation, are not rou tinely and sys tern at i cally ad dressed in as sess ment and treat ment in ter ventions or in so cial work prac tice formulations. A psychodynamic, ethnocultural, and strengths-ori ented conceptual framework is presented to describe exposure to stressful, traumatic, and positive race-re lated experiences. Criteria are identified for con ducting an in quiry about race-re lated ex pe ri ences to help as sess pos-si ble en vi ron men tal stress ors re lated to pre senting symp toms of Adjustment, Acute Stress or Post-Trau matic Stress Dis or ders. Also, there is an identification of obstacles and factors to consider when in ter viewing about ex po sure to race-re lated ex pe ri ences, and aspe cific in ter view format to guide sys tern atic in quiry about such ex po sure. Finally, sa lient im pli cations for as sess ment, treat ment and re search are de scribed.     

Revamping Family Preservation Services for Native Families

ABSTRACT

FamilyPreservationServices(FPS) have become widespread among child pro tection agencies to pre vent the un nee es sary removal of chil dren from their fam i lies and fam ily homes. Native chil dren, who are over-rep re sented in pub lie care sys terns, are largely ab sent from re ports eval u ating the ef feetive ness of FPS. This pa per ex am ines the FPS philosophy and pro gram structures in the con text of Native culture. The authors provide practical sug gestions for changing FPS in hopes that such pro grams will im prove sue cess in serving and pre serving Native fam i lies with child pro tection concerns.     

Binge Drinking Among Undergraduate College Students in the United States: Implications for Other Substance Use

Abstract

The authors examined the relationship between binge drinking and other substance use among US college students, using nationally representative data from the 1995 National College Health Risk Behavior Survey implemented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Compared with nonbinge drinkers, current binge drinkers were significantly more likely to report “ever” using and current use of cigarettes, marijuana, cocaine, and other illegal drugs. The researchers also found that the more often students binge drank, the more likely they were to have ever used cigarettes, marijuana, cocaine, and other drugs, and the more likely they were to report current use of cigarettes and marijuana. Those who design programs to prevent binge drinking and use of other substances should take into account the reality that many students use more than one substance and that the more frequently students report binge drinking, the more likely they are to be using other substances as well.     

Predictors of Alcohol Use among College Students in New York State

Abstract

The prevalence and correlates of alcohol and other drug use were determined for students attending colleges in New York State. The New York State Division of Substance Abuse Services selected a representative sample of approximately 7,700 undergraduate students randomly selected from 22 colleges. Students were given a 10-page questionnaire dealing with patterns of alcohol and other drug use. The vast majority of both males and females reported alcohol use in the past 30 days; however, males (28%) were twice as likely as females (15%) to be classified in the heavier drinking category. White college students (25%) are far more likely to be heavier drinkers than are black students (5%) even after other factors are taken into account. Students attending colleges in Upstate New York areas (24%) have higher rates of heavier drinking than do those in New York City (15%). Multivariate statistical analyses were done to determine the relative importance of various social factors in determining drinking behavior.     

What Neurobiology has to Say About Why People Abuse Alcohol and Other Drugs

Abstract

Four major hypotheses have been formulated to address the issue of why some people develop compulsive use of particular drugs. These hypotheses include: (1) Drugs that are abused sensitize the motivational systems of the brain such that the behavioral routines for acquisition of the drug become compulsive, (2) Drugs that are abused stimulate the pleasure centers in the brain, (3) People who abuse drugs are naturally in an aversive state that their drug use enables them to escape, and (4) Drugs of abuse are associated with aversive withdrawal phenomena which can be elicited by conditioned stimuli, therefore people continue to take drugs to avert conditioned withdrawal states. This paper examines each of these hypotheses in light of research findings from neurobiology.     

In sickness but not in health: self-ratings, identity, and mortality

Self-rated health as a predictor of mortality has been studied primarily in large, representative populations, with relatively little progress toward understanding the information processing that individuals use to arrive at these ratings. With subsamples of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) Epidemiologic Follow-up Study (NHEFS) data for respondents with circulatory system disease (N = 3,709) and respondents with no diagnosable disorders (N = 1,127) at baseline, we test the idea that individuals with experience of chronic disease of the circulatory system will have more predictive self-ratings of health than healthy individuals. Poor or fair self-rated health increased the adjusted hazard of all-cause mortality for respondents with circulatory system disease, but not for respondents who were healthy. Additional analyses confirm that poor or fair self-rated health is particularly predictive for respondents with self-reported history of circulatory system diagnoses and perception of symptoms, but not for respondents without symptoms or diagnoses prior to the NHANES physical exam.     

Smokeless tobacco use among adult males in India and selected states: Assessment of education and occupation linkages

Abstract

This article is an effort to analyze the influence of education and occupation as critical determinants of smokeless tobacco use among adult males in India and its selected states. Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) India 2009–10 data are used to analyze the prevalence of smokeless tobacco use among adult males aged 15 years and above (N = 33,767) by their different education and occupational status. Bivariate and multivariate (Cox proportional survival model) analyses are carried out to assess the linkages of education and occupation with use of smokeless tobacco among adult males. The study suggests that the majority of Indian men are using khaini (18%) and gutkha (13%) (the local terms used for smokeless tobacco). Further, it is observed that education and occupation remain the two important critical predictors of smokeless tobacco use among men. A greater percentage of young men with no education from rural areas use smokeless tobacco (44.3%) than their counterpart group from urban areas. The socioeconomically disadvantaged states, noticeably the east and central (4.992 and 3.218; p < .001) states, record higher prevalence of smokeless tobacco use than other states. Considering the high prevalence of smokeless tobacco use among illiterate and socioeconomically deprived youths, there is an urgent need to sensitize the issue. More concrete efforts to generate awareness on the ill effects of tobacco use among the illiterate and those who are employed in low-profile occupations are needed.     

Comparisons of Gambling and Alcohol Use Among College Students and Noncollege Young People in the United States

Abstract

Objective: Gambling and alcohol use were compared for college and noncollege young adults in the US population. Participants: Participants were 1,000 respondents aged 18 to 21. Methods: Data were analyzed from a representative household sample of US young people aged 14 to 21 years old. Telephone interviews were conducted between August 2005 and January 2007. Results: After taking into account gender, age, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status, college student status did not predict gambling, frequent gambling, or problem gambling. In contrast, being a college student was associated with higher levels of alcohol use and problem drinking. Being male was the strongest predictor of both problem gambling and problem drinking. Blacks were less likely than whites to drink heavily; yet they were more likely than whites to gamble heavily. Conclusion: Young males should be targeted for prevention and intervention efforts for both problem gambling and problem drinking regardless of college student status.     

Reporting Rape in a National Sample of College Women

Abstract

Background: Studies indicate that a small percentage of rapes are reported to law enforcement officials. Research also suggests that rapes perpetrated by a stranger are more likely to be reported and that rapes involving drugs and/or alcohol are less likely to be reported. College women represent a unique and understudied population with regard to reporting rape. Methods: In the current study, the authors interviewed a national sample of 2,000 college women about rape experiences in 2006. Results: Only 11.5% of college women in the sample reported their most recent/only rape experience to authorities, with only 2.7% of rapes involving drugs and/or alcohol reported. Minority status (ie, nonwhite race) was associated with lower likelihood of reporting, whereas sustaining injuries during the rape was associated with increased likelihood of reporting. Discussion: Reporting, particularly for rapes involving drugs and alcohol, is low among college women. Implications for policy are discussed.     

Intergenerational Transmission of Fathering Roles in At Risk Families

SUMMARY

The purpose of this article is to examine the long-term consequences of paternal involvement for a sample of young men, with the intent being to examine whether patterns of fatherhood are transmitted across generations. Initially, a theoretical framework is discussed that has led researchers to expect that patterns of fatherhood will be produced across generations. Data from the Baltimore Parenthood Study were used, a 30-year longitudinal study that has followed the reproductive patterns of teenage parents and their children. A subsample of 110 males were examined with an occasional reference made to a subsample of females. Results indicated that a strong link existed between the stable presence of a biological father in the histories of the young men and the timing of their own family formation. Early fatherhood, both during the teen years and early twenties, is much more likely to occur if young men did not grow up living with their own fathers. Moreover, early fatherhood is somewhat more likely to occur if the young men did not have a stepfather in the past who was a stable presence in the home. Young fathers also were less likely to be living with their children if their own fathers had not lived in residence with them throughout childhood.     

Gender Differences in Silencing Following Childhood Sexual Abuse

ABSTRACT

The clinical literature commonly asserts that males are less likely than females to disclose child sexual abuse at the time it occurs and take longer to discuss their experiences. These hypotheses were tested in this study. This study included 145 men and 151 women. Participants were asked about disclosure at the time of the abuse and the length of time it took for them to discuss the experience. Comparison across these two studies found that boys were significantly less likely than girls to disclose the abuse at the time it occurred and also took significantly longer to discuss their childhood experiences later in life.     

ADHD,depression, and substance abuse risk among beginning college students

Abstract

Objective: This study examined differences in substance use, depression, and academic functioning among ADHD and non-ADHD college students. Participants: Included 1,748 students (ages 18–25; women 68.4%; Caucasian 71.3%) with and without history of ADHD. Methods: We assessed the relationship of ADHD to substance use variables, controlling for depressive symptoms and examined relationships with GPA. Results: ADHD students were more likely to have engaged in frequent alcohol use, binge drinking, regular marijuana use and to have used other drugs in the last year. They reported higher depression symptoms than non-ADHD students, although substance abuse risk remained high even when controlling for depressive symptoms. ADHD students had lower overall GPA than those without ADHD. However, this difference was no longer significant when controlling for depression and marijuana use. Conclusions: College campuses should consider programing aimed at identifying ADHD students at risk for developing substance abuse problems and emotional difficulties.     

Searching for Love in all the “Write” Places: Exploring Internet Personals Use by Sexual Orientation,Gender, and Age

ABSTRACT

Few researchers of Internet sexual exploration have systematically compared variance of use across sexual orientations, with even fewer surveying bisexual respondents. In 2004, 15,246 individuals responded to an online survey of their use of Internet personals and adult websites. Gay men, lesbians, and bisexuals (GLBs) were more likely than heterosexuals to have exchanged correspondence, met others offline, and had sex with someone they met through personal ads. Whereas gay men and lesbians of all ages were most likely to have established a long-term relationship as a result of personals, heterosexuals over age 40 were more likely to have established a long-term relationship than younger heterosexuals. Further, compared to men, women were approximately two times as likely to have established a serious relationship as a result of personals. Qualitative findings suggest that the Internet functions not only as a means of screening for desired characteristics, but also as a shield against prejudice in real-life encounters. GLBs and heterosexuals alike used online venues as a means of sexual identity development, sexual exploration, and community building.     

Predicting Well‐Being and Internalizing Symptoms in Late Adolescence From Trajectories of Externalizing Behavior Starting in Infancy

This study aimed to examine the long‐term prediction of well‐being and internalizing symptoms from trajectories of externalizing behavior problems in 921 children from a population‐based sample. We found that a high stable trajectory of externalizing behavior from infancy (age 1.5) to mid‐adolescence (age 14.5) predicted lower scores on life satisfaction and flourishing for both girls and boys (age 18.5). The high stable trajectory also predicted higher levels of depressive symptoms in boys and anxiety symptoms in girls (age 18.5). The findings are noteworthy as they document how a person‐oriented study of externalizing behavior problems starting in infancy can predict well‐being and internalizing in late adolescence. The findings underline the importance of early health promotion and problem intervention efforts.     

Testosterone level in aging male with different glucose tolerance state and its association with osteocalcin

Objective: To investigate the relationship of testosterone and different glucose tolerance state, and its association with osteocalcin.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted of 1176 males aged 60–97?years who were arranged for an annual regular checkup from March to May 2012 in Chinese PLA general hospital in Beijing.

Results: Individuals categorized as having prediabetes or diabetes were more likely to have lower osteocalcin, testosterone, and SHBG levels compared to those with normal glucose tolerance (p?Conclusions: It showed that serum osteocalcin and TT were closely related with BMI, blood glucose, and TG, which supported the hypothesis that regulation of bone remodeling, energy metabolism, and reproduction are linked.