This study is the first randomized controlled trial of the postraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) motivation enhancement (PME) Group, a brief intervention based on Motivational Interviewing and designed to enhance combat veterans' engagement in PTSD treatment by increasing awareness of the need to change PTSD-related problems. Outpatients in a year-long, group-and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)-oriented Veterans Affairs PTSD treatment program were randomly assigned to 4 sessions of the PME Group (n ϭ 60) or a Psychoeducation Group (n ϭ 54) in the 2nd month of treatment. Hypotheses about the proposed impact of the PME Group on PTSD treatment engagement (i.e., readiness to change, perceived treatment relevance, and PTSD program attendance) were all supported, although predicted differences were not found on all measures. These results support the need to address readiness to change in combat-related PTSD treatment.

Adolescence is a period when many youth are subjected to close scrutiny by peers. Acting white is one of the most negative accusations one African American adolescent can hurl at another. The accusation has been documented as early as elementary school; however, the research indicates it is most salient and first likely to occur during early adolescence. In this paper, the assessment of adolescents' experience of the acting white accusation is sought. A series of studies are presented that explore both qualitative and quantitative approaches to assessing the acting white accusation wherein the qualitative data and findings guide the formation of a quantitative assessment of the acting white accusation experience. Based on the results, a mixed methods approach is recommended to facilitate further understanding of the accusation.

Research on anxiety treatment with African American women reveals a need to develop interventions that address factors relevant to their lives. Such factors include feelings of isolation, multiple roles undertaken by Black women, and faith. A recurrent theme across treatment studies is the importance of having support from other Black women. Sister circles are support groups that build upon existing friendships, fictive kin networks, and the sense of community found among African Americans females. Sister circles appear to offer many of the components Black women desire in an anxiety intervention. In this article, we explore sister circles as an intervention for anxious African American women. Culturally-infused aspects from our sister circle work with middle-class African American women are presented. Further research is needed.

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