Perceived Barriers and Facilitators to Treatment for Alcohol Misuse Among Survivors and Victim Service Professionals Following Sexual Assault and Intimate Partner Violence.

Survivors of sexual assault (SA) and intimate partner violence (IPV) report high rates of alcohol misuse and often receive services from community agencies. We conducted a qualitative study to examine barriers and facilitators to treatment for alcohol misuse after experiences of SA/IPV among survivors ( = 13) and victim service professionals (VSPs; = 22) at community-based agencies using semi-structured interviews and focus groups. Survivors discussed seeking treatment for alcohol misuse when alcohol is being used to cope with SA/IPV-related distress and when alcohol use becomes problematic.

Women's Behavioral Coping Responses During Sexual Assault: Association With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms and the Moderating Role of Alexithymia.

We examined the associations between women's behavioral coping responses during sexual assault and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and the moderating role of alexithymia in college women (  =  152). Immobilized responses (  =  0.52,  < .

Early intervention using written exposure therapy for PTSD and AUD symptoms following sexual assault: Description of design and methodology.

The co-occurrence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) is common following sexual assault and associated with more severe symptomology and increased likelihood of sexual revictimization. Integrated interventions aimed at reducing PTSD and AUD symptoms following recent sexual assault are needed and should address barriers to care and early treatment termination. The proposed study will test a novel, brief (5 to 7 sessions) intervention that integrates Written Exposure Therapy for PTSD and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for AUD, and is initiated within the first six weeks post-assault.

Sexual Harassment and Assault During Deployment: Associations with Treatment Outcomes Among Veterans with Co-occurring PTSD and SUD.

Sexual trauma is common and increases risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance use disorders (SUD), and depression among veterans. Limited research has examined the impact of sexual harassment and assault during deployment on treatment outcomes among veterans with co-occurring PTSD and SUD. The current study examined frequency of exposure to sexual harassment and assault during deployment as a predictor of treatment outcomes among a primarily male sample of U.

History of rape moderates the pathways from emotion dysregulation to alcohol and risky sex outcomes among college women.

Objective: Affective and emotional dysregulation are consistently linked to greater alcohol use and related consequences, including risky sexual behavior. Moreover, these associations are even stronger among women with experiences of sexual assault. The current study tested affect, alexithymia, positive urgency, and negative urgency as predictors of alcohol use, alcohol-related consequences, and risky sexual behavior and the moderating impact of rape history on these associations among a sample of college women.

Intimate Partner Violence and Completion of Post-Sexual Assault Medical Forensic Examination Follow-Up Screening.

Sexual assault is a major public health concern associated with significant mental health and medical symptoms. Follow-up screening post-sexual assault medical forensic examination (SAMFE) can be one method of determining needs and providing targeted prevention of mental health and medical symptoms among individuals who experienced a recent sexual assault. However, the factors associated with engagement in post-SAMFE follow-up screening have not been identified.

Effects of Emotion Dysregulation on Post-treatment Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Depressive Symptoms Among Women Veterans With Military Sexual Trauma.

Military sexual trauma (MST), defined as sexual assault or repeated, threatening sexual harassment while in the military, is associated with increased risk of long-term mental and physical health problems, with the most common being symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. In addition to PTSD and depression, MST is linked to difficulties in emotion regulation as well as poor treatment engagement. Thus, it is important to examine these correlates, and how they affect postintervention symptom reduction in this vulnerable population.

Barriers to Accessing Mental Health Care After a Sexual Assault Medical Forensic Examination.

Background: Research indicates low rates of accessing mental health care following sexual assault; however, barriers associated with accessing care are not well understood.

Design: Participants (N = 37) were recruited from a local hospital following a sexual assault medical forensic examination (SAMFE). Hierarchical linear regressions models examined the effects of age, racial identity, student status, insurance status, relationship to perpetrator, time since assault, problematic drinking, and posttraumatic stress symptoms on (a) barriers to accessing care and (b) the likelihood of seeking mental health treatment at no charge.

Predictors of College Students' Likelihood to Report Hypothetical Rape: Rape Myth Acceptance, Perceived Barriers to Reporting, and Self-Efficacy.

Rape myth acceptance (RMA), perceived barriers, and self-efficacy were examined as predictors of likelihood to report different types of rape to law enforcement among 409 undergraduates. Participants had lower likelihood to report incapacitated compared to physically forced rape. Men had lower reporting likelihood than women for rape perpetrated by the same and opposite sex, and were more likely to perceive several barriers.

A Latent Class Analysis of Mental Health Beliefs Related to Military Sexual Trauma.

Military veterans with histories of military sexual trauma (MST) are at risk for several negative mental health outcomes and report perceived barriers to treatment engagement. To inform interventions to promote gender-sensitive access to MST-related care, we conducted an exploratory, multiple-group latent class analysis of negative beliefs about MST-related care. Participants were U.

Tailoring Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Trauma-Exposed Persons Living With HIV.

This Treatment Development Report describes the need for evidence-based psychosocial trauma-focused treatment for people living with comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and HIV. Individuals with HIV have higher rates of exposure to traumatic events and PTSD than the general public, and they also experience additional consequences of PTSD on the management of their chronic disease (e.g.

Acute Stress Symptoms After Forcible and Substance-Involved Rapes.

In the early aftermath of a sexual assault, survivors often experience symptoms of distress including reexperiencing, avoidance, and hyperarousal symptoms. However, less is known about associations between rape characteristics and the nature of early reactions. We designed the current study to examine the unique and combined associations between force and substances during rape on acute stress symptoms.

The Association Between Type of Sexual Assault and Post-Assault Alcohol Misuse Is Moderated by Avoidance Among Recipients of a Sexual Assault Medical Forensic Examination.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the association between the type of sexual assault (intoxicated vs. non-intoxicated) and post-assault avoidance on post-assault alcohol misuse among people who experienced a recent sexual assault.

Method: The sample included 72 adults aged 18-58 who completed a follow-up phone screen within 30 days of completing a sexual assault medical forensic examination.

Gender differences in subjective stress and neuroendocrine response to a stress task among individuals with opioid dependence: A pilot study.

Background: Opioid dependence is a significant public health problem in the United States and the number of opioid overdose deaths among women has increased dramatically in comparison to men in the last few years. In this context, understanding the biological mechanisms underlying gender differences in vulnerability to opioid dependence is essential.

Methods: The current pilot study examined gender differences in subjective stress, heart rate (HR), and cortisol/dephydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) response to a laboratory stressor (Trier Social Stress Test; TSST) or a no-stress condition, and drug cue paradigm among men (n = 21) and women (n = 18) with opioid dependence.

Women's Perceived Likelihood to Engage in Sexual Risk Taking: Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms and Poor Behavioral Regulation.

Sexual abuse prior to age 18 may put some women at risk for engaging in sexual risk taking. This association could exist, in part, as a result of the impact of posttraumatic stress symptoms on behavioral regulation. The current study utilized a path analysis to investigate the association between severity of sexual abuse before age 18, posttraumatic stress symptoms, poor behavioral regulation, and expected engagement in sexual risk taking among college women.

Perinatal Intimate Partner Violence.

This article reviews the prevalence and outcomes of perinatal intimate partner violence (IPV). Reported rates of perinatal IPV range from 3.7% to 9.

Gender moderates the association between distress tolerance and alcohol use among individuals with opioid use disorder.

Background: Alcohol use among individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) can be dangerous, and understanding factors contributing to alcohol use in this population is important. The current study examined alcohol use among individuals with prescription OUD based on distress tolerance. It was hypothesized that individuals with greater distress tolerance abilities would have a lower frequency and quantity of alcohol use compared to individuals with less distress tolerance.