Fatal tradeoff? Toward a better understanding of the costs of not evacuating from a hurricane in landfall counties

Given the significant population increases in United States hurricane-prone coastal areas since 1970, we empirically model U.S. coastal hurricane fatalities from 1970 to 2007. The findings suggest that an apparent decline in hurricane fatality risk since 1970 may be overstated, especially considering the impact of evacuation levels achieved, and that various factors believed to affect the rate of hurricane fatalities have divergent outcomes. The research also illustrates the necessity of understanding the impact of a seminal storm such as Hurricane Katrina. In the analyses, we account for the coastal versus inland county location in the raw fatality data, as well as for the role of evacuation using zero-inflated specifications to handle the excessive number of zero fatality county observations. Initial results, with and without the fatalities from Hurricane Katrina, show that the expected count of fatalities increases by a factor of 1.7–3.4 for a one category level increase in storm strength, and begin to provide an understanding of the bias in the fatality data by varying the level of county evacuation achieved. Finally, we find a higher expected count of fatalities for more frequently struck counties, especially those in the Gulf of Mexico; a lower expected count of fatalities for counties with higher percentages of the population over 65, less than 18, and in poverty. We have also found that forecasting technology improvements have had a relatively minor effect on the expected count of fatalities.     

The implications of increased survivorship for mortality variation in aging populations

The remarkable growth in life expectancy during the twentieth century inspired predictions of a future in which all people, not just a fortunate few, will live long lives ending at or near the maximum human life span. We show that increased longevity has been accompanied by less variation in ages at death, but survivors to the oldest ages have grown increasingly heterogeneous in their mortality risks. These trends are consistent across countries, and apply even to populations with record-low variability in the length of life. We argue that as a result of continuing improvements in survival, delayed mortality selection has shifted health disparities from early to later life, where they manifest in the growing inequalities in late-life mortality.     

Interpersonal relatedness and psychological functioning following traumatic brain injury: implications for marital and family therapists

Recovery from a mild-to-moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a challenging process for injured persons and their families. Guided by attachment theory, we investigated whether relationship conflict, social support, or sense of belonging were associated with psychological functioning. Community-dwelling persons with TBI (N = 75) and their relatives/significant others (N = 74) were surveyed on relationship variables, functional status, and TBI symptom severity. Results from this cross-sectional study revealed that only sense of belonging was a significant predictor of postinjury psychological functioning, although interpersonal conflict approached significance. No relevant preinjury or injury-related variables impacted these relationships, except marital status. Our findings suggest that interventions targeting strengthening the injured persons' sense of belonging and lowering interpersonal conflict may benefit those living with TBI.     

Reactions to a partner-assisted emotional disclosure intervention: direct observation and self-report of patient and partner communication

Partner-assisted emotional disclosure is a couple-based intervention designed to help patients disclose cancer-related concerns to their spouses-partners. We previously found that, compared with an education/support control condition, partner-assisted emotional disclosure led to significant improvements in relationship quality and intimacy for couples in which the patient initially reported holding back from discussing cancer-related concerns (Porter et al., 2009, Cancer, 115, 4326-4338). The purpose of this study was to examine the process data from couples who participated in the disclosure sessions including (a) observational ratings of couples' communication during the sessions; (b) couples' ratings of their communication during the sessions; and (c) associations between participants' observed communication and their baseline psychological/relationship functioning. As rated by trained observers, couples' communication was in the moderate range of adaptive skills. Self-report data indicated that participants had positive perceptions of their communication. Observational and self-report ratings were weakly associated. Patients reporting lower levels of relationship quality, higher levels of holding back, and higher partner avoidance at baseline were rated by observers as more expressive during the sessions. Overall, these findings suggest that the intervention was acceptable to couples and was particularly helpful for patients who had difficulty talking with their partners on their own without skills training.     

A prospective study of sexual assault and alcohol use among first-year college women

This study prospectively examined the relation between alcohol use and sexual assault in a sample (N = 319) of first-year college women. Both frequency of drinking and frequency of binge drinking were measured. Over the course of their freshman year, 19.3% reported experiencing at least one sexual assault. Frequent binge drinking and frequent drinking predicted a subsequent sexual assault; however, experiencing a sexual assault did not predict changes in alcohol use. Frequent binge drinking demonstrated a stronger association with sexual assault than did frequent drinking. Findings help clarify the relation between alcohol use and sexual assault in college women and call for continued differentiation in assessment of alcohol use.     

Enemies of the state? Testing three models of anti-immigrant sentiment

In recent years, instances of nativist, anti-immigrant sentiment have spread beyond traditional border states into “new destination” cities and towns throughout the North and Southeast. Virginia, the site for many of the most reactionary forms of anti-immigrant ordinances, is one case in point. In this paper we use data from the 2007 Virginia Survey of Anti-Immigrant Sentiment (N = 1072) conducted on the eve of the US Senate deliberations over immigration reform. Our analysis uses fixed effects models to evaluate the explanatory power of three of the dominant explanations of anti-immigrant sentiment: group threat, contact, and cultural perspectives. Our findings reveal two key points. First, although we do find scattered evidence in support of the contact and group threat approaches, evidence affirming the cultural approach seems particularly strong. Second, variables emphasized by these separate models interact in significant and interesting ways, suggesting the need to integrate these competing perspectives into fuller and more powerful models that specify how local cultural characteristics moderate the effects of macro-structural conditions.     

Personal and Planetary Well-being: Mindfulness Meditation,Pro-environmental Behavior and Personal Quality of Life in a Survey from the Social Justice and Ecological Sustainability Movement

Employing data from a mailed survey of a sample of ecologically and spiritually aware respondents (N = 829), the study tests the hypothesized relationship between ecologically sustainable behavior (ESB) and subjective well-being (SWB). The proposed link between ESB and SWB is the spiritual practice of mindfulness meditation (MM). In multiple regression equations ESB and MM independently explain statistically significant amounts of variance in SWB, indicating, for at least the study’s sample, that there can be a relationship between personal and planetary well-being. The inter-relationships among SWB, ESB and MM suggest that for specific segments of the general population (e.g., the spiritually inclined) there may not necessarily be an insurmountable conflict between an environmentally responsible lifestyle and personal quality of life. The research reported here also points to the potential for meditative/mindful experiences to play a prominent role in the explanation of variance in SWB, a direction in QoL studies recently highlighted by several researchers (Layard 2005, pp. 189–192; Nettle 2005, pp. 153–160; Haidt 2006).

Peer-Learning Networks in Social Work Doctoral Education: An Interdisciplinary Model

Peer-learning networks (PLN) can be valuable tools for doctoral students. Participation in these networks can aid in the completion of the dissertation, lead to increased scholarship productivity, and assist in student retention. Yet, despite the promise of PLNs, few studies have documented their effect on social work doctoral education. This article explores aspects of an interdisciplinary PLN focused on child welfare. This study used a questionnaire with scaled survey items and open-ended questions to examine the use, benefits, and challenges to participating in the PLN. After a brief review of the literature, this article presents findings from the study, discusses the implications for social work education, and concludes by explicating strategies for developing PLNs in social work education programs.     

Sharing the small moments: ephemeral social interaction on Snapchat

Ephemeral social media, platforms that display shared content for a limited period of time, have become a prominent component of the social ecosystem. We draw on experience sampling data collected over two weeks (Study 1; N?=?154) and in-depth interview data from a subsample of participants (Study 2; N?=?28) to understand college students’ social and emotional experiences on Snapchat, a popular ephemeral mobile platform. Our quantitative data demonstrated that Snapchat interactions were perceived as more enjoyable – and associated with more positive mood – than other communication technologies. However, Snapchat interactions were also associated with lower social support than other channels. Our qualitative data highlighted aspects of Snapchat use that may facilitate positive affect (but not social support), including sharing mundane experiences with close ties and reduced self-presentational concerns. In addition, users compared Snapchat to face-to-face interaction and reported attending to Snapchat content more closely than archived content, which may contribute to increased emotional rewards. Overall, participants did not see the application as a platform for sharing or viewing photos; rather, Snapchat was viewed as a lightweight channel for sharing spontaneous experiences with trusted ties. Together, these studies contribute to our evolving understanding of ephemeral social media and their role in social relationships.