Effectively addressing psychological needs of refugees is a challenge for service providers operating within an expensive health care system based on Western constructs of mental health. In response to this challenge, refugee resettlement agencies throughout the United States use community gardens to promote psychological healing, self-sufficiency, community engagement, and a return of human dignity. Although the success of these programs has been reported in the popular press, they have not been studied systematically. The present exploratory mixed methods study drew upon quantitative and qualitative data to explore perspectives on participating in a community garden among Nepali Bhutanese refugees ( N = 50; 62% female). Participants self-selected to engage in gardening prior to research ( n = 22), or were part of the nongardening comparison group ( n = 28). Results revealed no significant group differences in regard to symptoms of depression, anxiety, somatic complaints, or adjustment to life in the United States. Quantitative results indicated that community gardening was significantly positively associated with social support, a key contributor to optimal functioning within communal cultures. Qualitative data provided additional context within which to understand these results, and further supported the role of social support in community gardening. Implications for clinical research, advocacy, and community care are discussed and suggestions for further research are provided.

Presented herein is a comparative study of group treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In this study, an emerging intervention, memory specificity training (MeST), was compared with cognitive processing therapy (CPT) using standardized outcome measures of target symptoms (i.e., anxiety and depression from client perspective; memory specificity from independent rater perspective) and global functioning (independent rater perspective), as well as a process measure of expectancy (client perspective). Clients were assessed on 3 separate occasions: at baseline, posttreatment, and 3 months posttreatment. Adherence and treatment fidelity (independent rater perspective) were monitored throughout the course of both treatment conditions. Improvement in PTSD symptoms, depressive symptoms, and global functioning were similar between MeST and CPT; an increase in ability to specify memories upon retrieval was also similar between MeST and CPT. Positive reliable change was observed in both groups on all outcome measures. With respect to the primary target of PTSD symptoms, 88% of participants in both treatment groups moved into the functional distribution by posttreatment and maintained these gains at follow-up. Notably, compared with CPT, MeST required only half the dosage (i.e., number of sessions) to accomplish these gains. Illustrative vignettes from client-therapist exchanges are provided, and results are discussed in terms of the potential mechanisms of action. Implications for both clinical practice and clinical research are also included. (PsycINFO Database Record

No abstract

A significant innovation in the training of doctoral level professional psychologists, attention to diversity, was implemented nearly 3 decades ago and swept across all accredited programs. Regardless of training model, degree type, or theoretical orientation, attention to diversity became a requirement for program accreditation with the intention of fostering important competencies in the emerging workforce who would be serving an increasingly diverse population during their professional careers. However, to date, whether that is what occurred has not been examined. The current study used archival data to examine the association between client racial/ethnic minority (REM) status and early termination from adult individual psychotherapy (N ϭ 638). Multilevel modeling analyses (MLM) revealed that REM clients were more likely to terminate treatment after 1 session than non-REM clients. However, REM status did not account for the total number of sessions attended, nor was it a significant predictor of symptom change during treatment. The findings suggest that training focused specifically on first session competencies, such as treatment engagement, with REM clients is strongly needed. More broadly, the findings underscore the importance of examining innovations following implementation to determine whether the intended effects are observed or if refinements may be needed. Clinical Impact StatementRacial/ethnic minority (REM) clients terminate psychotherapy after the first session significantly more often than non-REM clients. However, if REM clients are retained beyond that critical first session, neither the length of treatment (i.e., number of sessions) nor overall change in symptom distress across the course of treatment significantly differ from non-REM clients. The findings suggest need for innovation in developing needed skills and competencies to effectively engage REM clients during the very first session.