Development of the Resistance and Empowerment Against Racism (REAR) Scale.

Objectives: This study aimed to develop and validate the Resistance and Empowerment Against Racism (REAR) scale.

Method: Fifty items developed through processes adapted from Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR) were administered to a sample of 723 women and 230 men of color (Asian Americans, Black Americans, Latinx, and Native Americans). We employed exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses using stratified subsamples; examined construct validity of the final REAR scale and subscales; and evaluated 2-week test-retest reliability with a subsample.

The role of experiential avoidance in the relation between racial discrimination and negative mental health outcomes.

Racial discrimination has been shown to be associated with negative mental health outcomes among people of color (POC), and students of color (SOC) specifically. The current study examines experiential avoidance (EA) as a potential moderator in the relation between discrimination and mental health outcomes. Two-hundred students of color at a large, public university in Northeastern United States.

Psychosocial Correlates of Medication Adherence among HIV-Positive, Cognitively Impaired Individuals.

Although cognitive impairment has been shown to adversely affect antiviral medication adherence, a subset of cognitively impaired adults nonetheless are able to adequately adhere to their medication regimen. However, little is known about factors that serve as buffers against suboptimal adherence among the cognitively impaired. This study consisted of 160 HIV-positive, cognitively impaired adults (Global Deficit Score ≥ 0.

Mild test anxiety influences neurocognitive performance among African Americans and European Americans: identifying interfering and facilitating sources.

The current study examined ethnic/racial differences in test-related anxiety and its relationship to neurocognitive performance in a community sample of African American (n = 40) and European American (n = 36) adults. The authors hypothesized the following: (a) Test-anxiety related to negative performance evaluation would be associated with lower neurocognitive performance, whereas anxiety unrelated to negative evaluation would be associated with higher neurocognitive performance. (b) African American participants would report higher levels of anxiety about negative performance evaluation than European Americans.

Cannabis use and neurocognitive functioning in a non-clinical sample of users.

Objective: With the recent debates over marijuana legalization and increases in use, it is critical to examine its role in cognition. While many studies generally support the adverse acute effects of cannabis on neurocognition, the non-acute effects remain less clear. The current study used a cross-sectional design to examine relationships between recent and past cannabis use on neurocognitive functioning in a non-clinical adult sample.

The aggregate effects of multiple comorbid risk factors on cognition among HIV-infected individuals.

This study developed and then cross-validated a novel weighting algorithm based on multiple comorbid risk factors (stimulant use, vascular disease, hepatitis C, HIV disease severity, cognitive reserve) to predict cognitive functioning among 366 HIV+ adults. The resultant "risk severity score" was used to differentially weight, as a function of age, the impact and magnitude of multiple risk factors on cognition. Among older adults (≥50 years) the risk severity index was differentially predictive of learning/memory and verbal fluency, whereas among younger adults it was linked to working memory and executive function.