The number of female prisoners is increasing, and many of these women report a history of sexual assault. The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of sexual assault on adjustment to incarceration. Females with a history of childhood and adult sexual assault were expected to show greater initial reaction and slower adjustment to incarceration than women with no history of sexual assault or a history of adult assault exclusively. Female minimum-security inmates ( N = 92) at a state prison participated in interviews and completed questionnaires on initial incarceration and 2 weeks later. Results indicated that type of sexual assault history influences adjustment to prison for female inmates initially and after 2 weeks of incarceration.

Risk of alcohol use problems is an important clinical concern for women who have been sexually assaulted and experience PTSD symptoms. This study explored this risk by testing a factor structure of an alcohol expectancy questionnaire that assesses beliefs about alcohol's effects on posttraumatic stress symptoms (P-AEQ). Symptom-specific expectancy scores were then tested as predictors of alcohol consumption. Subjects were 96 female undergraduate women who reported being forced to have sex, 68 who experienced pressure to have sex, and 149 who denied any forced or pressured sex. Alternative factor models were tested using Confirmatory Factor Analysis. A four-factor model reflecting posttraumatic stress symptom domains (Intrusions, Avoidance, Arousal, and Numbing) was found. The numbing factor was correlated with drinking among assaulted women; however, no support was found for symptom-specific expectancies to moderate between assault and drinking. Findings supported a role for posttrauma symptom-specific alcohol expectancies as a potential link between sexual assault and alcohol consumption.

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The original Self-Administered Alcoholism Screening Test (SAAST; Swenson and Morse, 1975) is a self-report alcoholism screening measure intended for use with adult medical patients. However, the SAAST does not indicate the recency of alcohol use-related problems, not all items use the appropriate verb tense for assessing lifetime experience of alcohol use-related problems, many of the items contain out-dated language, and the diagnostic criteria for alcohol dependence and alcohol abuse are not fully represented. The SAAST was revised to address these issues. This paper describes the rationale for revision and the process through which the SAAST was revised. Preliminary information about comparability of the original SAAST and the revised version (SAAST-R) was obtained. Data are presented from two intervention trials for smokers in which both the SAAST and SAAST-R were administered. One sample was comprised of participants in recovery from alcoholism (N = 60; 82% male) and the other sample consisted of participants not meeting criteria for alcohol abuse or dependence within the previous year (N = 98; 45% male). The results suggest that the SAAST-R is highly correlated with the original SAAST, has a similar factor structure, good internal consistency, and correctly identifies those in recovery from alcoholism. Areas for refinement in the format and items of the SAAST-R were identified and suggestions for further validation studies are presented.

Hard copies of monographs and back issues (Volume 1, Issue 1 through Volume 8, Issue 3) are available for purchase. Prices and ordering information can be found at http://www. uchsc.edu/ai/ncaianmhr/journal/pdf_fi les/Journal_Order_Form.pdf. American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations are affl icted disproportionately with a number of chronic illnesses (Indian Health Service [IHS], 2001). Specifi cally, the rates of Type 2 Diabetes, alcohol abuse, and suicide have consistently been higher in these populations for many years (IHS). To date the majority of research has focused on these three disorders alone or in dyads; little attention has been given to the co-occurrence of all three simultaneously in AI/AN populations. The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) provides annual data on estimates of risk factors and health-related behavior in state populations across the nation. This article reports an analysis of the prevalence and correlates of diabetes and associated risk factors for depression and alcohol abuse in AI/AN adults sampled in the fi fty states as part of the 2003 BRFSS survey.