Within‐ and Between‐Family Associations of Marital Functioning and Child Well‐being

This study clarifies within‐family and between‐family links between marital functioning and child well‐being. Expanding on existing prospective research, this study tests whether changes in parents' marital functioning are associated with corresponding changes in their children's well‐being, independent from associations that exist when comparing different families. Participants (N = 1,033) were members of married, opposite‐sex couples with children who participated in five waves of a larger study of marriage in the U.S. Army. Spouses' constructive communication, verbal conflict, and marital satisfaction each showed between‐family associations with parent‐reported child internalizing and externalizing problems. In contrast, within‐family associations were significant only for parents' communication behaviors. That is, parents who reported lower levels of marital satisfaction also reported lower child well‐being, whereas change in parents' communication was associated with change in child well‐being over time. Isolating within‐family effects is important for understanding marital and child functioning and for identifying potential targets for effective intervention.     

Predicting impacts of urbanized stream processes on biota: high flows and river chub (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Nocomis micropogon</Emphasis>) nesting activity

This study quantified the impact of high stream flows on reproductive activities of river chub (Nocomis micropogon). Using observed relationships between flow and reproductive activities, the number of predicted damaging flow events was compared between streams with extant river chub populations and urbanized streams. Monitoring the survivorship of river chub nests during 2013–2014 (N = 101) revealed consistent relationships between interval peak flow measured at flow gauges and the integrity of river chub nests within sites. Flow-mediated disruption of nests was frequent, and interval peak flows were significantly correlated with nest erosion rates. Logistic regression between fate of river chub nests and standardized peak flow (Qs) during monitoring intervals identified thresholds of peak flow corresponding to complete and partial destruction of river chub nests. Observed thresholds were used to predict the frequency of potentially damaging flows in urbanized versus river chub study streams, based on archival flow monitoring data. Repeated measures analysis revealed that the frequency of flows predicted to result in the loss of all nests was significantly higher in urbanized streams (F = 122.2; df = 1; P < 0.001 ). While key life history information needs to be determined to fully understand the impacts of high flows on river chub population dynamics, results indicate the disruption of nests through frequent high flows as a mechanism for the reduction of this important species in urbanized areas. Improved understanding of the interactions between stream processes and biota will aid in the design of specific stream protection and restoration strategies.     

Compassion-Focused Therapy as an Intervention for Adult Survivors of Sexual Abuse

Child sexual abuse can have long-term negative impacts across psychological, physical, and interpersonal domains. Some of the common issues for survivors of sexual abuse include shame and self-blame, attachment-based difficulties, avoidant coping strategies, and reduced capacity for self-compassion. Compassion-focused therapy is a transdiagnostic intervention that specifically responds to these concerns. Compassion-focused therapy was originally developed for clients who experience high levels of shame and self-criticism and aims to strengthen the soothing and affiliative system through the cultivation of compassion. This article will highlight the theoretical alignment between some of the common issues and impacts associated with experiences of sexual abuse, with the core underlying principles of compassion-focused therapy. This includes (a) the capacity of the therapy’s evolutionary framework to reduce perceptions of self-blame, (b) the cultivation of compassion to respond to feelings of shame, (c) acknowledgment of the role of early attachment experiences and facilitation of corrective affiliative experiences, (d) regulation of the threat-based system following trauma, and (e) provision of an alternative to avoidant-based coping by responding to distress with compassion. It is proposed that the theoretical framework and core focus and aims of compassion-focused therapy are highly applicable for survivors of sexual abuse and therefore holds significant promise as a treatment option for this client group.     

Economic empowerment or cash‐dependency for orphans and vulnerable children in Kenya: Evidence from an alternative to cash‐only models

Orphan and vulnerable children (OVC) often have worse educational, developmental, nutritional, and behavioral outcomes than non‐OVC. Much of these disparities come from reduced household earnings due to the loss of parental income. The present study used conditional process analysis to evaluate income and savings among OVC households, using cross‐sectional data from 1,060 OVC in a 3‐year Kenyan empowerment program that combined elements of cash transfer, psychosocial support, and small business entrepreneurship. Higher monthly earnings were significantly associated with program participation in a graded fashion. Approximately one‐third of the association was mediated by material inputs, indicating that a substantial portion may be explained by other unobserved program elements. Eighty‐five percent of increased rates of saving money in the past year were mediated by improved monthly income, cash transferred and improved food consumption. Data analysis highlights the need for multisectoral approaches and the need for more research to understand how to improve household economic stability among OVC. Key Practitioner Message: ? Orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) are at risk of greater poverty, leading to multiple developmental and health challenges; ? Current policy in Kenya to offset costs of caring for OVC utilizes monthly cash transfers to households providing care for OVC; ? The present study found that increases in monthly income in an OVC multisectoral empowerment program were largely due to factors beyond the material inputs.     

Marital Therapy, Retreats, and Books: The Who, What, When, and Why of Relationship Help-Seeking

When doubts creep in and marriages begin to falter, where do couples turn for assistance? In a longitudinal study of 213 couples over the first 5 years of marriage, results indicated relationship help‐seeking was relatively common, with 36% of couples seeking some form of outside help during this period. Individual and relationship difficulties predicted increased use of relationship books and marital therapy in the following year; therefore, these behaviors appear to be important outlets for relationship assistance. In contrast, attending marriage retreats/workshops was related only to demographic variables. Results of the present study suggest that the most common types of relationship help‐seeking by community couples are understudied and likely underutilized in the dissemination of empirically based marital interventions.     

Family Reunification of Youth in Foster Care with Complex Mental Health Needs: Barriers and Recommendations

This study presents findings of a formative evaluation of an innovative pilot program designed to reunify and reintegrate foster youth with complex mental and behavioral needs in residential treatment centers or therapeutic foster care with their families in the community. Data collection methods included in-depth structured case file reviews and semi-structured interviews with the youth, as well as their caregivers, Child Protective Services caseworkers, and pilot program staff. The participants provided important insights regarding system, program, and case-level barriers to the successful reunification of these youth back into the community. Training, practice, and policy recommendations are discussed.     

Urbanization is not associated with increased abundance or decreased richness of terrestrial animals - dissecting the literature through meta-analysis

The widely accepted consensus is that urbanization increases abundance but reduces species richness of animals. This assumption is the premise for empirical tests and theoretical explanations. We studied the association of urbanization with abundance and species richness of different animal taxa in 20 and 26 published articles reporting abundances and richness, respectively via meta-analysis. Because some articles had multiple estimates, we analyzed 40 and 58 estimates of abundance and richness, respectively. Contrary to conventional wisdom, the overall abundance of terrestrial animals was not higher in urban areas, but instead actually lower, while we failed to confirm the conventional thinking of lower species richness with urbanization. These findings cannot, however, be generalized across all cities and animal species, as conflicting differences were reported among geographical regions, animal taxa. Our results question the conventional wisdom that urbanization generally increases abundances while reducing species richness, and highlights the variability of urbanization effects on diversity among taxa and geographic regions.     

Determinants and Long‐Term Effects of Attendance Levels in a Marital Enrichment Program for African American Couples

Although most efficacious marital enrichment programs are multisession, few studies have explored whether outcomes differ according to session attendance, particularly among minority groups with lower than average participation in prevention programs. This study therefore investigates attendance levels and long‐term improvements in couple functioning among 164 couples participating in the Promoting Strong African American Families program. Structural equation models indicated session attendance predicted 2‐year changes for men's reports of communication, commitment, and spousal support (marginally) but not for women's. Individual and couple characteristics that predicted attendance levels were also identified. Results highlight distinct gender differences in the effects of sustained attendance as well as characteristics that provide early identifiers for African American couples at increased risk of low program attendance.     

Racial inequality and the recognition of racial discrimination in Jamaica

A growing body of literature posits that a population’s denial of the salience of racial discrimination acts as a mechanism of its perpetuation. Moreover, scholars locate a population’s propensity to deny racial discrimination in contemporary ideologies of racial mixing or ethnic fusion. Most quantitative studies of public opinion on these issues are limited to Latin America and the Spanish-speaking Caribbean. This study examines the case of Jamaica. We first (1) examine the extent of Jamaica’s contemporary racial inequality using national census data. We then (2) use nationally representative data from the AmericasBarometer social survey to determine the extent to which a recognition of racial discrimination characterizes Jamaican public opinion. Finally, we (3) explore the salience of an ideology of racial mixing in Jamaica and (4) test whether that ideology affects the likelihood that Jamaicans acknowledge contemporary racial discrimination. Our findings document dramatic social inequality by skin colour in Jamaica and suggest that a majority embrace an ideology that racial mixing is negatively associated with Jamaicans’ recognition of racial discrimination. We discuss our findings and their implications for understanding ideologies of racial mixing and racial inequality in the Americas.     

CONSTRAINED DECISION CRITERIA1

The choice of a suitable decision criterion is a difficult decision for many decision makers. In general, each criterion selects a different optimal act, each having its own appealing features. This paper proposes an approach allowing the decision maker to incorporate multiple criteria into an easily solved mathematical programming model whose solution is the optimal act. Optimality is defined by the objective function used in the model. The constraints embody the decision maker's anxieties and minimal desires.