Mental Health Beliefs, Access, and Engagement with Military Sexual Trauma-Related Mental Health Care.

Background: Military sexual trauma (MST) is associated with negative mental health outcomes. Mental health beliefs, such as stigma or secondary victimization, have been identified as possible barriers to care; however, it is unclear whether such beliefs impact receiving care.

Objective: To assess if mental health beliefs impact MST-related mental health care access and engagement.

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.

Factors Associated with Sexual Satisfaction among Veterans Who Have Experienced Military Sexual Trauma.

Veterans who have experienced military sexual trauma (MST) report lower sexual satisfaction than veterans without a history of MST. The current study examined the relationship between demographic, physical health, mental health, and trauma variables and sexual satisfaction among a national sample of U.S.

The Relationship Between Provider Gender Preferences and Perceptions of Providers Among Veterans Who Experienced Military Sexual Trauma.

Previous research has demonstrated that most veterans who have experienced military sexual trauma (MST) have provider gender preferences. Although provider gender mismatch, defined as not receiving a provider of the gender of one's preference, may deter veterans from disclosing MST or seeking MST-related care, there is little research that has examined this issue. The current study aimed to explore how provider gender mismatch is related to veterans' comfort with providers, perception of their providers' competency, and their endorsement of perceived provider barriers when communicating about MST.

Sexual Dysfunction Problems in Female College Students: Sexual Victimization, Substance Use, and Personality Factors.

Little empirical information is available on sexual dysfunction (SD) among college women even though college years represent a critical period in the development of sexuality. The current study aimed to identify factors associated with the presence, number, and type of SD problems among 547 female college students in the United States. Racial minority status, problematic drinking behaviors, and past sexual victimization were positively related to the presence of SD problems, whereas hormonal contraceptive use and past sexual victimization were associated with a greater number of SD problems.

Military sexual assault, gender, and PTSD treatment outcomes of U.S. Veterans.

This study examined whether gender and military sexual assault (MSA) were associated with psychiatric severity differences at initiation of treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and whether MSA and gender predicted psychiatric treatment outcomes. Male (n = 726) and female (n = 111) patients were recruited from 7 U.S.

An Examination of the Gender Inclusiveness of Current Theories of Sexual Violence in Adulthood: Recognizing Male Victims, Female Perpetrators, and Same-Sex Violence.

Although the majority of adulthood sexual violence involves a male perpetrator and a female victim, there is also substantial evidence that members of both genders can be victims and perpetrators of sexual violence. As an alternative to viewing sexual violence within gender-specific terms, we advocate for the use of a gender inclusive conceptualization of sexual aggression that takes into account the factors that contribute to sexual victimization of, and victimization by, both men and women. The goal of the current review is to examine the need and importance of a gender inclusive conceptualization of sexual violence and to discuss how compatible our current theories are with this conceptualization.

Impact of gender on reactions to military sexual assault and harassment.

Research has shown that experiences ofmilitary sexual assault and harassment can have a negative impact on veterans' health and functioning, even years or decades later, thus clearly identifying this as an important area of concern for social workers. In addition to understanding the scope and general impact of military sexual assault and harassment, social workers also must thoroughly understand how different cultural factors may intersect with veterans' experiences. To this end, this article reviews the current knowledge base on how veterans' life experiences related to gender can affect their experience of and recovery from military sexual assault and harassment, highlights common gender-specific issues, and discusses implications for practice.

Female Sexual Victimization Among College Students: Assault Severity, Health Risk Behaviors, and Sexual Functioning.

The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between college women's sexual victimization experiences, health risk behaviors, and sexual functioning. A sample of 309 college women at a mid-sized Midwestern university completed measures assessing sexual victimization, sexual risk taking, substance use behaviors, sexual desire, sexual functioning, prior sexual experiences, and social desirability. Severity of sexual victimization was measured using a multi-item, behaviorally specific, gender-neutral measure, which was divided into four categories based on severity (none, sexual contact, sexual coercion, rape).

An examination of the factors related to dating violence perpetration among young men and women and associated theoretical explanations: a review of the literature.

This article provides a review of the literature on dating violence (DV) perpetration, specifically sex similarities and differences in the correlates and predictors of DV perpetration and the utility of current theories to explain young men's and women's DV perpetration. Overall, many of the correlates and predictors of DV perpetration are similar among young men and women (e.g.

Preferences for gender-targeted health information: a study of male veterans who have experienced military sexual trauma.

No prior research has examined men's opinions or preferences regarding receiving health education materials related to sexual violence. The objective of the current study was to investigate whether male veteran patients who have experienced military sexual trauma (MST) prefer gender-targeted versus gender-neutral printed health information and whether receipt of this information increased utilization of outpatient mental health services in the following 6-month period. In-person 45-minute interviews were conducted with 20 male veterans receiving health care services at a large Veterans Health Administration facility to evaluate opinions on a gender-targeted and a gender-neutral brochure about MST.

Military sexual trauma among homeless veterans.

Background: Military sexual trauma (MST) is the Veteran Health Administration's (VHA) term for sexual assault and/or sexual harassment that occurs during military service. The experience of MST is associated with a variety of mental health conditions. Preliminary research suggests that MST may be associated with homelessness among female Veterans, although to date MST has not been examined in a national study of both female and male homeless Veterans.

Perceived barriers to care and provider gender preferences among veteran men who have experienced military sexual trauma: a qualitative analysis.

Research suggests that there may be unique barriers to accessing care among men who have experienced sexual trauma. The primary goal of the current research was to elucidate potential barriers to accessing military sexual trauma (MST)-related care for male veterans. A secondary goal was to explore whether veterans have preferences regarding the gender of clinicians providing MST-related care.

Utilization and intensity of outpatient care related to military sexual trauma for veterans from Afghanistan and Iraq.

Little research has examined factors associated with the utilization of outpatient health care services related to sexual assault experiences. The Veterans Health Administration provides free outpatient treatment services to veterans who report military sexual trauma (MST); this system provides a unique opportunity to examine factors related to the utilization of mental health and non-mental health outpatient services by patients with sexual trauma. The current study examined sociodemographic, military service factors, and primary diagnoses related to utilization and utilization intensity of MST-related care among 4,458 Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom Veterans in a 1-year period after reporting an experience of MST.

Exploring the intention-behavior relationship in the prediction of sexual risk behaviors: can it be strengthened?

Many theoretical models examining health risk behaviors, such as sexual risk taking, assume intentions directly predict behavior, and intentions are sometimes measured as a proxy for behavior. Given that there is often a discrepancy between intentions and behaviors (e.g.

Is risky sexual behavior continuous or categorical? A taxometric analysis of the Sexual Risk Survey.

Risky sexual behaviors are behaviors that involve the possibility of an adverse outcome, such as contracting a sexually transmitted infection or unwanted pregnancy. The question of whether risky sexual behavior exists as a discrete class (i.e.

Working alliance as a mediator of client attachment dimensions and psychotherapy outcome.

Studies that employ multidimensional attachment measures to explore the impact of attachment style on psychotherapy process and outcome are virtually absent in the literature. Further, the role of the working (therapeutic) alliance as a mediator of the influence of attachment on treatment outcome has not been formally investigated. In order to address these gaps in the research, archival data from 66 psychotherapy clients treated at a university graduate program training clinic were used to examine the influence of three adult attachment dimensions (Comfort with Closeness, Comfort Depending on Others, and Rejection Anxiety) on the therapeutic alliance and outcome, as well as to assess whether the alliance mediates the relationship between attachment and therapy outcome.

Parent and adolescent satisfaction with mental health services: does it relate to youth diagnosis, age, gender, or treatment outcome?

Consumer satisfaction with treatment is important information for providers of mental health services. The goal of the current study was to examine the relationship between youth and parent satisfaction ratings and the following youth variables: gender, age, primary diagnosis, and changes in functioning and symptomatology after 6 months of services. Results demonstrated that in a large sample of youth receiving community mental health services satisfaction with services differed as a function of the adolescents' clinician-derived primary diagnosis, age, and reported changes in symptoms and functioning.

Personality, sexuality, and substance use as predictors of sexual risk taking in college students.

Sexual risk taking among college students is common and can lead to serious consequences, such as unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections. This study utilized responses from 310 undergraduate psychology students aged 18 to 23 to examine personality, sexuality, and substance use predictors of sexual risk behaviors over a six-month period. Data were collected from 2005 to 2006 at a medium-sized Midwestern U.

Prediction of sexual assault experiences in college women based on rape scripts: a prospective analysis.

Although script theory has been applied to sexual assault (e.g., H.

Measurement of sexual risk taking among college students.

Current measures of sexual risk taking are either too narrowly focused to be used with college students or do not have adequate psychometric properties. The goal of the current study was to develop a broad and psychometrically sound measure of sexual risk taking. A total of 613 undergraduate students (302 men, 311 women) at a mid-sized Midwestern university in the U.

Factors predicting the type of tactics used to resist sexual assault: a prospective study of college women.

The purpose of the current study was to examine how women's intentions, as well as psychological and situational factors, predicted the actual use of resistance tactics in response to a sexual assault situation over a 2-month follow-up period. Twenty-eight percent of the 378 undergraduate women who participated at the baseline assessment and returned for the follow-up session 8 weeks later were victimized over the interim period. The results suggested that women's reported use of verbally assertive tactics was predicted by the intention to use verbally assertive tactics, concern about injury, greater confidence, and feelings of being isolated or controlled by the perpetrator.