Mothers and Their Children: An Exploration of the Relationship Between Maternal Mental Health and Child Well-Being.

Introduction: Psychosocial factors and life stressors have an impact on long-term health effects on mothers and their children. Recent studies examining maternal mental health have predominantly focused on identifying maternal experiences with depression; however, there has been minimal research investigating maternal experiences with psychosocial risk factors and its relationship with child well-being.

Methods: Secondary analysis was conducted using data from the Fragile Families and Child Well-Being Study.

Adverse Childhood Experiences and Oral Health Outcomes in U.S. Children and Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Study of the 2016 National Survey of Children's Health.

This study investigated the cross-sectional associations between exposure to nine Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and U.S. children's and adolescent's oral health outcomes.

Distinguishing Characteristics and Disparities in Child Protective Services-Investigated Maltreatment by Fathers.

This study examines distinguishing characteristics of father-perpetrated maltreatment and disparities in Child Protective Services (CPS) investigation outcomes based on perpetrator gender and race. A sample of children ( = 2,017) reported to CPS for maltreatment attributed to their mother and/or father was drawn from the second National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-being (NSCAW II). Measures included perpetrator(s) relationship to the child (mother alone, father alone, mother and father) and race (Black, White, Other), caseworker-reported maltreatment characteristics and co-occurring risk factors, and CPS investigation outcomes (services, substantiation, out-of-home placement, criminal investigation, and criminal charges).

Associations between ethnic-racial identity and alcohol problems among diverse emerging adults.

Excessive alcohol use and problems during college is a major public health concern, and there are health disparities in patterns of drinking and alcohol-related illnesses based on ethnicity and race. Given the prevalence and disparities in excessive alcohol use and problems and associated negative impacts, it is important to examine potential protective factors such as dimensions of ethnic-racial identity (ERI). Thus, the current study examined how multiple dimensions of ERI were associated with alcohol use and alcohol use disorder (AUD) symptoms, and how these relations varied by individuals' ethnic-racial group among 1850 diverse emerging adults ( = 18.

Childhood maltreatment and alcohol-related problems in young adulthood: The protective role of parental warmth.

Background: Alcohol use among young adults is highly prevalent. Individuals exposed to childhood maltreatment are particularly vulnerable to alcohol use and alcohol-related problems. Few studies have examined family protective factors, such as parental warmth, that may mitigate the effects of childhood maltreatment on alcohol-related problems.

Measuring school engagement for child welfare involved youth: Assessing the dimensionality of the Drug Free School Scale.

Background: Research using data from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW) have consistently used the scale developed from the Drug Free Schools and Communities Act (DFSCA) to examine school engagement. Although the DFSCA is widely used, no study has examined the factor structure to determine if the scale is best used as a summative score of all items or as a three-factor variable distinguishing behavioral, emotional, and cognitive school engagement.

Objective: The primary goal of this study was to evaluate the hypothesized factor structure of the DFSCA scale by testing models previously supported in the literature.

Patient Participation in the Development of a Customized M-Health Intervention to Improve Medication Adherence in Poorly Adherent Individuals with Bipolar Disorder (BD) and Hypertension (HTN).

Objective: Individuals living with bipolar disorder (BD) have poorer management of chronic medical conditions such as hypertension (HTN), and worse treatment adherence than the general population. The study objective was to obtain information from patients with both BD and HTN that would inform the development of an m-Health intervention to improve medication adherence for poorly adherent individuals living with both these chronic illnesses.

Methods: Focus group methodology was used to collect information from 13 participants on perceived barriers and facilitators to BD and HTN medication adherence, as well as feedback on the demonstration and use of a bidirectional text messaging system for medication reminders.

A 6-Month, Prospective, Randomized Controlled Trial of Customized Adherence Enhancement Versus Bipolar-Specific Educational Control in Poorly Adherent Individuals With Bipolar Disorder.

Objective: Nonadherence in bipolar disorder (BD) ranges from 20% to 60%. Customized adherence enhancement (CAE) is a brief, BD-specific approach that targets individual adherence barriers. This prospective, 6-month, randomized controlled trial conducted from October 2012 to July 2017 compared CAE versus a rigorous BD-specific educational program (EDU) on adherence, symptoms, and functional outcomes in poorly adherent individuals.

Risk and Resilience Factors for Psychobehavioral Symptom Trajectories Among Child Welfare-Involved Youth.

The primary aim of the study was to investigate the development of psychobehavioral symptoms (internalizing, externalizing, and posttraumatic stress [PTS]) of child welfare-involved adolescents over a 3-year period and to identify predictors of the trajectories. Using three waves of data from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW-II), latent growth curve modeling was conducted on a sample of 350 adolescents who were between 11 and 13 years of age at baseline. Findings indicated that adolescents' internalizing symptoms decreased over time, whereas externalizing symptoms remained stable over time.

The effects of recurrent physical abuse on the co-development of behavior problems and posttraumatic stress symptoms among child welfare-involved youth.

The primary aim of the current study was to examine the longitudinal effects of ongoing physical abuse on the co-development of externalizing behavior problems and posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms among child welfare-involved adolescents. Using three waves of data from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being, we performed unconditional and conditional parallel process latent growth curve modeling in a structural equation modeling framework. The study sample included 491 adolescents who were between 11 and 13 years of age at baseline.

Health Literacy (HL) & Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQL) Among Minority Men.

Health literacy remains a key factor in the continuance of health disparities in our society as health related quality of life can be negatively affected by limited health literacy. This study explores how limited health literacy among minority men, attending a community health fair, correlates with their health related quality of life. Findings reflect that minority men who possess lower levels of health literacy experience lower self-reported quality of life.

Educational attainment for youth who were maltreated in adolescence: Investigating the influence of maltreatment type and foster care placement.

Decades of research have consistently shown a link between foster care and low rates of high school completion. Despite the overwhelming knowledge surrounding this association, it remains unclear whether the low rates of high school completion are due to placement in foster care or the maltreatment and other contextual factors that foster care youth have experienced. This study examined the extent to which (a) maltreatment type and (b) foster care placement were associated with the educational attainment of 337 maltreated adolescents.

A 6-Month Prospective Trial of a Personalized Behavioral Intervention + Long-Acting Injectable Antipsychotic in Individuals With Schizophrenia at Risk of Treatment Nonadherence and Homelessness.

Purpose: Long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAI) can optimize adherence for high-risk serious mental illness (SMI). This customized adherence-enhancement approach delivered by social worker interventionists was combined with LAI (CAE-L) of paliperidone palmitate for homeless, poorly adherent individuals with SMI.

Methods: This 6-month prospective, uncontrolled trial of CAE-L in 30 recently homeless individuals with SMI assessed adherence using the Tablets Routine Questionnaire, injection frequency, and SMI symptoms measured by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, and Clinical Global Impressions.

Promoting the development of resilient academic functioning in maltreated children.

This study examined (a) the extent of heterogeneity in the patterns of developmental trajectories of language development and academic functioning in children who have experienced maltreatment, (b) how maltreatment type (i.e., neglect or physical abuse) and timing of abuse explained variation in developmental trajectories, and (c) the extent to which individual protective factors (i.

Barriers and facilitators to epilepsy self-management for patients with physical and psychological co-morbidity.

Objectives This exploratory study identifies barriers and facilitators to self-management to inform future epilepsy self-management interventions for persons who have epilepsy complicated by co-morbid mental health conditions and serious medical events. Methods Focus group methods were used in a series of community advisory board meetings. Analysis was conducted using a thematic, constant comparative approach aiming to describe the range of barriers and facilitators salient to participants.

Dimensions of physical punishment and their associations with children's cognitive performance and school adjustment.

This study examined how a range of physical punishment measures, ranging from mild corporal punishment to physical abuse, are associated with cognitive performance, school engagement, and peer isolation over a 3- year span among 658 children initially observed between the ages of 8 and 14. Physical punishment was captured in three groups: mild corporal punishment, harsh corporal punishment, and physical abuse, and both caregiver- and child-reported punishment measures were considered. After accounting for socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, only Ninitial exposure to physical abuse was significantly associated with declines in cognitive performance.

A Targeted Self-Management Approach for Reducing Stroke Risk Factors in African American Men Who Have Had a Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack.

Purpose: This study compared a novel self-management (TargetEd MAnageMent Intervention [TEAM]) versus treatment as usual (TAU) to reduce stroke risk in African American (AA) men.

Design: Six-month prospective randomized controlled trial with outcomes evaluated at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months.

Setting: Academic health center.

Informing Policy for Reducing Stroke Health Disparities from the Experience of African-American Male Stroke Survivors.

Background: The burden of stroke is severe among African-Americans. Despite overall declines in the rate of stroke since 2000, outcomes are largely unimproved or have worsened for African-American men. Adverse psychosocial challenges may hinder adherence to a regimen of risk factor reduction.

Using focus groups to inform the development of stroke recovery and prevention programs for younger African-American (AA) men.

Objective: To assess perceived facilitators and recommendations for stroke recovery and prevention among younger African-American (AA) men (age < 65 years) in order to inform the development and pilot testing of an intervention for this high-risk group.

Methods: Focus group methodology was used to collect data from 10 community-dwelling AA stroke survivors and seven of their care partners (CPs) (N = 17). Thematic analysis of session transcripts and the constant comparative method were used to generate themes.

Stroke recovery and prevention barriers among young african-american men: potential avenues to reduce health disparities.

Background: African Americans (AAs) who experience a first time stroke are younger and have double the stroke rate and more poststroke complications than other Americans.

Objective: To assess perceived poststroke care barriers among younger AA men and their care partners (CPs) in order to inform the development of acceptable and effective improvements in poststroke care for this high-risk group.

Methods: Ten community-dwelling AA stroke survivors and 7 of their CPs participated in focus groups and advisory board meetings.