Female homeless youths are vulnerable to risky sex and substance use behaviors, yet they have strengths known as psychological capital. A quasi-experimental pre-post research design with repeated measures was used to examine the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a brief intervention to enhance psychological capital, reduce health-risk behaviors, and achieve short-term behavioral goals. Study participants were 80 ethnically diverse homeless women between the ages of 18 and 23 years. Intervention participants had significant improvements in psychological capital, hope, resilience, and self-efficacy to refuse alcohol, social connectedness, and substance use ( p < .05). There was a significant group by time interaction for safe sex self-efficacy; intervention participants had greater self-confidence in negotiating safer sex practices than comparison participants. At the follow-up post-test, 82% of intervention participants who remained in the study had met or exceeded their short-term goals. This brief, street-based intervention was feasible and showed preliminary efficacy.

Our qualitative findings indicated that the respondents valued learning about common stress responses and incorporating coping as part of a daily routine. Team building and normalization of emotions were seen as ancillary benefits that would reduce stress levels in the workplace. In conclusion, the RCHC intervention shows promise and should be investigated further in experimental studies. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2016;page 1 of 8).

Background: Mental health disorders significantly contribute to the global burden of disease, however, prevention and treatment programs are often inaccessible in low- and middle-income countries. Aims: The goal of this qualitative evaluation was to examine participants experiences of the healthy community clinic (HCC-MH), an integrated mental health awareness intervention delivered in primary care clinics to Jordanians and resettled Syrians in a border community in Jordan. Methods: Four focus group discussions (FGDs) with Jordanians and Syrians ( N = 21) who participated in the HCC-MH were conducted. FGDs examined knowledge, acceptability, and applicability of the intervention. Open coding and the constant comparison method were used to identify themes that emerged from the FGDs. Results: Six central themes emerged from the data including : (1) awareness; (2) behavior changes; (3) reduction in stigma; (4) connecting physical and mental health; (5) relationships; and (6) coping. Notably, female participants stated participation in the intervention fostered awareness of their own emotional needs, which led to positive lifestyle and behavior changes. Participants also described how the information provided in the intervention normalized emotional distress and aided understanding of the interconnection between physical and mental health. The amplification of healthy coping strategies to reduce stress and distress was also a prominent theme. Conclusions: Findings are discussed within the cultural and contextual setting of the study, and implications for mental health awareness interventions in complex settings are provided.

Social service providers play a critical role in disaster recovery yet are disproportionately affected by disaster-related distress such as burnout and secondary traumatic stress. Psychosocial interventions designed for social service providers in the aftermath of a disaster are critical to aid in recovery. This article examines the impact of the Caregivers Journey of Hope (CJoH), a psychosocial intervention designed to alleviate stress and amplify coping resources in caregivers after a disaster. Social service providers (N ϭ 722) living and working in New York and New Jersey during Superstorm Sandy were surveyed before and after participation in the CJoH. The surveys examined knowledge, stress, satisfaction, future orientation, and social support. Paired samples t tests illustrated all of the scale items significantly improved across time for the participants following participation in the CJoH. Significant negative correlations existed between current stress, coping knowledge, and perceived ability to handle stress. Results of a regression analysis found that social support was positively related to higher levels of knowledge of community resources, awareness of the signs of stress, and knowledge of coping strategies and mindfulness breathing techniques. Fewer years of work experience and higher satisfaction with the CJoH were also associated with significant gains in several types of knowledge. Implications for ways through which psychosocial interventions such as the CJoH may reduce the negative psychological impact on disaster-affected social service providers are discussed.

Health-care and social service providers affected by climate-related disasters play a pivotal role in response and recovery but yet are at a disproportionate risk for mental health symptoms such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), secondary traumatic stress, anxiety, and burnout. Factors such as social support and resilience may protect these providers from stress related symptoms. To explore providers' responses to recent disasters, this study examined mental health distress, work-related stress, and protective factors in Texas and Puerto Rico-both of which were struck by hurricanes in 2017. This study was conducted with N ϭ 1,101 health-care and social service providers 10 to 12 months after hurricanes Harvey and Maria. Providers completed measures of PTSD, anxiety, burnout, secondary traumatic stress, compassion satisfaction, social support, and resilience. Frequencies were calculated to determine percentages of those who scored above the clinical cutoff for mental health symptoms. One-way analyses of variance explored differences in mental health symptoms between Texas and Puerto Rico. Bivariate correlations examined the relationships between all measures. Puerto Rican participants scored significantly higher on measures of PTSD, anxiety, and compassion satisfaction. Participants in Texas reported significantly higher burnout and resilience. Measures of PTSD, anxiety, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress were positively correlated. Social support, resilience, and compassion satisfaction were inversely correlated with measures of distress. Findings confirm high rates of mental health distress among providers during the disaster recovery. Given our findings, it is critical for accessible, evidence-informed interventions be available for providers.