Trauma-informed parenting intervention for veterans: A preliminary uncontrolled trial of Strength at Home-Parents.

Trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are highly prevalent in military and veteran populations and are associated with parenting difficulties. Unfortunately, there is a lack of accessible, trauma-informed, and evidence-based parenting support interventions within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Strength at Home-Parents (SAHP) is a trauma-informed psychotherapy group that aims to improve parenting behaviors and overall parent-child and family functioning among U.

Pilot trial of , a trauma-informed parenting support treatment for veterans.

PTSD is associated with compromised parenting which is not adequately addressed in available evidence-based PTSD treatments. is a trauma-informed parenting intervention which aims to improve parenting behaviors and overall parent-child functioning. Here we report pilot data obtained in a sample of veterans (=21) with PTSD and parent-child functioning difficulties.

Military and Veteran help-seeking behaviors: Role of mental health stigma and leadership.

Mental health stigma has been identified as a barrier to help-seeking in the United States. This may be particularly salient for military personnel who tend to report higher mental health stigma than the general population. Evidence suggests that both supportive and destructive military leadership are related to service members' attitudes toward seeking help.

Attachment, coping, and psychological symptoms among military veterans and active duty personnel.

Military service is a stressful occupation, including increased risk for psychological distress. In order to provide the best care for service members and veterans (SMVs), it is important to understand personality and behavioral patterns associated with negative outcomes. This study examined links between attachment processes, coping styles, problematic alcohol use and psychological distress.

The Complex Trauma Inventory: A Self-Report Measure of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

The work group revising the criteria for trauma-related disorders in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) made several changes. Specifically, they simplified the criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and added a new trauma disorder called complex PTSD (CPTSD). These proposed changes to taxonomy require new instruments to assess these novel constructs.

Role of Combat Exposure and Insomnia in Student Veterans' Adaptation to College.

: Since 2002, the number of college student veterans has nearly doubled, although 30-40% of veterans fail to complete their degree. Few research efforts to understand the challenges veterans face transitioning to college in recent years have looked beyond the effects of posttraumatic stress disorder. Insomnia is the most frequently reported symptom of combat veterans and can have serious implications for college students.

The Role of Psychological Symptomatology and Social Support in the Academic Adjustment of Previously Deployed Student Veterans.

Context: Research has indicated that returning Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) veterans are experiencing mental health concerns following deployment. Increasing numbers of veterans are enrolling in higher education institutions; there is a scarcity of empirical research investigating student veterans' experiences as they transition into college.

Objective: To examine the effects of psychological distress and social support on academic adjustment among a sample of student veterans who were previously deployed.

A comparison of White and Hispanic women's stories of adjustment to the birth of a child.

As part of a larger project designed to inform prevention and treatment of postpartum depression and promote positive mother-child relationships in diverse families, this study describes personal stories of postnatal adjustment from 14 White and 9 Hispanic women recruited from prenatal care clinics. Qualitative interviews conducted in the mothers' primary language (English or Spanish) were analyzed using a modified grounded theory content-analysis approach. The coding scheme developed to capture the women's discourse about their experiences included child temperament and health; intergenerational patterns; work demands and job loss; schedule changes; increased responsibilities; difficulties with parenting tasks; emotional distress; social stressors and resources; coping strategies; and changes in work, personal, social, and marital domains.

Attachment and Family Processes in Children's Psychological Adjustment in Middle Childhood.

This study examined the links between parent-child attachment, whole family interaction patterns, and child emotional adjustment and adaptability in a sample of 86 community families with children between the ages of 8 and 11 years. Family interactions were observed and coded with the System for Coding Interactions and Family Functioning (SCIFF; Lindahl, 2001). Both parents and each target child completed the appropriate form of the Behavior Assessment System for Children-2nd Edition (BASC-2; Reynolds & Kamphaus, 2004).

Coping, family social support, and psychological symptoms among student veterans.

With rising numbers of student veterans on today's college campuses, multicultural competence in college counseling centers increasingly includes an understanding of military culture and its relation to the psychological health and functioning of student veterans. Research on interpersonal and intrapersonal factors associated with college student veterans' mental health is scarce. The current study examines the contributions of coping style and family social support on symptoms of anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress in a student veteran sample.

Mutual influences in adult romantic attachment, religious coping, and marital adjustment.

In this study, we examined associations among romantic attachment anxiety and avoidance, positive and negative religious coping, and marital adjustment in a community sample of 81 heterosexual couples. Multilevel modeling (MLM) for the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM; Cook & Kenny, 2005) was used to analyze data from both spouses. Romantic attachment avoidance was associated with less positive religious coping, and romantic attachment anxiety was associated with more negative religious coping.

Coping with stressful or traumatic events: what aspects of trauma reactions are associated with health outcomes?

The presence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms has been shown to be related to a number of health outcomes. In the current study, we explored which specific aspects of PTSD are most related to health measures. The associations between the specific DSM-IV-TR PTSD criteria (criteria A-F) and five indicators of health and well-being--physical health symptoms, quality of life, mental health, depression and negative affect--were examined.

Attachment, forgiveness, and physical health quality of life in HIV + adults.

Research aims to help HIV + individuals improve and maintain a healthy quality of life, while managing a chronic illness. Using Lazarus and Folkman's model of stress and coping, we examined the main and interactive effects of attachment style and forgiveness on physical health quality of life of HIV + adults. Participants (n=288, 49% women) were recruited in Dallas/Fort Worth and self-identified as African-American (52%), European-American (32%), Latino(a) (12%), and other (4%), with an average age of 41.

Risk and resilience in military families experiencing deployment: the role of the family attachment network.

Deployment separation constitutes a significant stressor for U.S. military men and women and their families.

Religious commitment, adult attachment, and marital adjustment in newly married couples.

Existing literature on the role of religiosity in marital functioning is often difficult to interpret due to the frequent use of convenience samples, statistical approaches inadequate for interdependent dyadic data, and the lack of a theoretical framework. The current study examined the effects of religious commitment and insecure attachment on marital adjustment. Newly married couples who did not have children (N = 92 couples, 184 individuals) completed measures of religious commitment, adult attachment, and marital functioning.

Childhood emotional abuse and attachment processes in the dyadic adjustment of dating couples.

In an effort to improve understanding of the mechanisms that link early maltreatment to later outcomes, this study investigated the mediation effects of adult attachment processes on the association between childhood emotional abuse and later romantic relationships among heterosexual couples. College students and their dating partners (N = 310; 155 couples) completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Experiences in Close Relationship Scale, and Dyadic Adjustment Scale. Using the Actor–Partner Interdependence Model (Kenny, Kashy, & Cook, 2006), multilevel modeling results indicated that memories of childhood emotional abuse reported by both students and their partners were significantly associated with attachment strategies, as well as romantic relationship quality.

Family environment and adult attachment as predictors of psychopathology and personality dysfunction among inpatient abuse survivors.

The current study explored the role of early family environment and adult attachment style in explaining long-term outcomes among child abuse survivors. Adult patients (N = 80) in a trauma treatment program were assessed for clinical diagnosis and administered a multiscale questionnaire. Hierarchical regression analyses were significant for dissociative identity disorder (DID), substance abuse, anxiety disorder, posttraumatic stress, somatization, and six personality disorder dimensions.

Attachment style, stigma and psychological distress among HIV+ adults.

This study explored the role of adult attachment style in reported experiences of HIV-related stigma, stress and depression in a diverse sample of HIV+ adults. Participants (N = 288) recruited from AIDS service organizations were administered the Experiences in Close Relationships Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, CES-D, HIV Stigma Scale and a health information questionnaire. Adult romantic attachment style was significantly associated with perceived stress, depression and HIV-related stigma.

Attachment, personality, and psychopathology among adult inpatients: self-reported romantic attachment style versus Adult Attachment Interview states of mind.

The present study examined self-reported romantic attachment style and Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) states of mind regarding early attachment relationships, personality dimensions, and psychopathology in a psychiatric sample of trauma survivors. Inpatients (N = 80) admitted to a hospital trauma treatment program were administered the Experiences in Close Relationships Scale, AAI, Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III, Dissociative Experiences Scale, and Dissociative Disorder Interview Schedule. Self-report and AAI attachment classifications were not related, and different results emerged for the two measures.