Western literature provides an array of information regarding resilience within at-risk youth. Resilience research within non-Western contexts, and more specifically with exploited youth, is more limited. Despite exploitation, some youth develop a hardy ability to overcome adversity, allowing them more mastery over their environments and even increased psychological steadfastness. This project involved exploring the protective factors of resilience and psychological functioning in Cambodian youth, specifically a group of 24 survivors of sexual trafficking and another group of 24 rural youth without reported exploitation. The ages of participants ranged from 13 to 22 years, with the average age being 15.62 years [standard deviation (SD=2.68)]. Results indicated resilience constructs (mastery and relatedness) correlated with psychological functioning (anxiety and depression), as expected. The sense of relatedness was moderately associated with age. Also, as predicted, the trafficked young women demonstrated more resilience and less pathology. Consistent with previous research, earlier trauma is believed to inoculate survivors of trauma against further stress, mobilize them to better confront adversity and reduce psychological disruptions. Understanding these issues can help in understanding the relationship between resilience factors and psychological functioning as well as the strengths of many trauma survivors. Their strengths are particularly useful for developing effective treatment protocols for traumatized youth from non-Western backgrounds.
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced couples to navigate illness-related stressors and unique public health responses, including extended lockdowns. This study focused on under-resourced North Carolina residents (n = 107) who self-reported changes in relationship conflict (Increased, Decreased, Stayed the Same) and intimate partner violence (IPV) during the pandemic. We expected high rates of increased conflict and IPV since the start of the pandemic. We then sought to determine the associations between dyadic changes in conflict and reports of IPV and pandemic-related experiences and responses. Participants completed a brief online survey assessing their demographics, COVID-19 exposure/stressors, and pandemic responses. As expected, reports of increased couple conflict were related to difficulties getting needed social support, loss of health insurance, more fear and worry, stress, pain, and greater use of alcohol and/or illicit drugs, related to the coronavirus. Participants reporting increased conflict were also more likely to be unemployed. Conversely, reports of decreased conflict were associated with being ill from the virus (48.9%), having health insurance, and working part time. Substantial amounts of IPV were reported (62.2% of the sample); however, increased conflict and IPV were unrelated. Those reporting No IPV were less likely to be receiving public assistance but more likely to have home responsibilities due to the virus. They also reported increased social interactions and less use of alcohol than those reporting IPV perpetration. Findings highlight key associations among pandemic experiences and responses, IPV, and couple functioning in an under-resourced sample. Efforts to facilitate coping, resilience, and tolerating uncertainty may facilitate cooperative and safe couple functioning throughout the pandemic.
The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has substantially impacted psychological health in the U.S and has disproportionately impacted underresourced individuals. Despite the higher need for mental health services during this time, service availability and access were disrupted due to increased demand, social distancing recommendations, and stay-at-home orders. Thus, it is crucial to understand factors that predict the desire for psychological services for underresourced individuals. The present study examined factors at multiple levels of Bronfenbrenner’s socioecological model (Bronfenbrenner, 1994) to determine which factors best predicted the desire for mental health services including individual, group, in-person, and online services. The sample consisted of 155 underresourced adults in North Carolina. Participants completed an online survey of mental health symptoms, coping strategies, COVID-19 related stressors, and provided demographic information including ZIP code, which was used to classify urban-central and urban-outlying dwellers. Results from univariate general linear models demonstrated that depression symptoms, venting as a coping strategy, COVID-related stress, and living in more rural regions were all significant predictors of the desire for psychological services. Venting as a predictor of the desire for services may signify a general misunderstanding regarding the purpose of psychotherapy as well as the need for individuals to gain social support and connectedness during a pandemic. This study helps to clarify individual-level and contextual factors that impact the desire for psychological services during a global pandemic.
This study focuses on identifying COVID-19 related exposure, stress, and mental health concerns in the larger Charlotte, North Carolina region, an area with many low-income and under resourced communities. A community-academic partnership conducted a regional COVID-19 needs assessment. Low-income adults (N = 156) completed an online-administered survey of demographic information, COVID-19 exposure, stress, coping-related factors, and mental health. Frequency data showed that common COVID-19 related stressors included job exposure, lost job/income, and increased home responsibilities. Frequency data further showed elevated screening risk rates for mental health concerns were observed for post-traumatic stress (83.3%), depression (52.2%), problematic drinking (50.0%), generalized anxiety (43.0%), and suicide (40.4%). Bivariate correlation and multivariate regression models identified robust mental health risk factors including COVID-19 related stress affecting close persons, fear/worry reaction to the pandemic, and use of venting as a coping strategy; protective factors included active coping and problem-focused coping beliefs. Findings are discussed with respect to informing regional public health efforts during the pandemic.
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