Publications by authors named "Vivian Khedari-DePierro"
The Gaza Strip is a notoriously high-conflict area, but few large-scale studies have examined the rates of psychiatric distress and emotional/behavioral problems among Gaza youth, and there are few trauma-informed, scaleable intervention options. Studies in existence have used smaller samples or have examined focal problems such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or aggression. Here, we examine the mental health burden of young individuals (ages 8-13) in Gaza across a broad range of symptoms, and demonstrate the impact of a community-based, trauma-informed program, Eye to the Future.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUnlabelled: Self report measures have been widely used in research to illustrate high rates of exposure to violence among youth in trauma-saturated regions, such as Cape Town, South Africa. To better understand the risk and resilience factors of youth who have been exposed to, witnessed, or directly experienced violence, the current study used a multi-method assessment in a naturalistic setting that included heart rate variability (an index of regulatory flexibility and cardiovascular health), a computerized risk-taking task, and self report measures. Youth (N = 83) from Cape Town, South Africa, participated in a psychobiological assessment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- - The study explores how some individuals use physical pain, like massages or hitting a punching bag, as a way to cope with negative emotions, despite cognitive reappraisal being a widely accepted strategy.
- - It tests two main ideas: (1) people might choose to inflict pain as a means to manage their emotional distress, and (2) that short-term relief from negative emotions can indeed come from physical pain.
- - The findings suggest that using physical pain as a coping method can be equally effective as cognitive strategies, prompting a reevaluation of traditional views on emotion regulation approaches.