Perceived Stress, Coping, And Adequacy Of Social Support: Implications For Subjective Well-being In College Students

Stress is a widespread concept commonly associated with psychological and medical problems that may impair an individual\u27s functioning and incur costs on society. Alarming rates of depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, and other stress-related problems have been found among college students. This study (N = 241)argues that reducing emotional and financial stress-related costs may be possible through increasing public and professional awareness of moderating variables, such as social support and coping resources. Results indicated that stress, inadequate social support, and escape-avoidance coping were related to higher levels of depression and lower life satisfaction in both males and females. Social support functioned as a moderator of stress in determining negative outcomes, primarily during high stress. Specifically, the interaction between stress and social support predicted depression in the combined sample, anxiety in males, and life satisfaction in females. In addition, the present study highlights the importance of accounting for gender in research concerning stress, social support, coping, and psychological adjustment. Finally, limitations and suggestions for future research will be discussed

Resiliency Factors And Pathways To Incarceration In Female Survivors Of Childhood Sexual Abuse

Studies find consistently that survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) are likely to suffer from depression, post-traumatic stress, and problematic substance use, and may experience also a variety of adjustment difficulties in several emotional, behavioral, and interpersonal domains. Involvement with the legal system is one such outcome to consider, especially given the increasing number of women serving time in correctional facilities with nearly two-thirds of these women being survivors of CSA (e.g., Browne, Miller, & Maguin, 1999). The current literature lacks comparisons between female survivors of CSA who have legal involvement and those who do not; hence, the current study addresses the need for a comprehensive investigation of early victimizations and later adjustment. Data were obtained from 169 female inmates and 420 female college students, a number of whom were survivors of CSA (66% and 35.5%, respectively), so that group differences could be examined and relationships among family environment, abuse disclosure history, coping, perceived social support, adjustment (i.e., trauma symptoms, substance abuse, depressive symptomatology, revictimization), and criminal history could be explored. Results suggested that inmate survivors experience poorer functioning overall relative to student survivors of CSA, including more depressive symptoms, trauma symptoms, and substance abuse. Further, avoidance coping by using substances mediated fully the relationship between trauma symptoms and substance abuse for both groups. Finally, severity of CSA, problematic substance use, and social support emerged as significant predictors of incarceration among survivors of CSA. Findings may aid in the refinement of interventions, prevention efforts, and educational programs regarding CSA, and shed light on pathways to incarceration

Substance Use Coping As A Mediator Of The Relationship Between Trauma Symptoms And Substance Use Consequences Among Incarcerated Females With Childhood Sexual Abuse Histories

Prior research indicates that religiosity is associated with lower levels of substance use in adolescence. The extant research, however, is limited by issues related to data quality and analytic strategy. The current research uses the National Survey on Drug Use and Health to further our understanding of the nature of the relationship between religiosity and substance use during adolescence. Results show that religiosity reduces the odds of tobacco use, heavy drinking, prescription drug misuse, marijuana use, and other illicit drug use. These associations are partially explained by respondent and peer attitudes toward substance use and, to a lesser extent, respondent psychological well-being. The influence of respondent substance use attitude is especially pronounced, explaining between 41% (marijuana) and 53% (tobacco) of the association between religiosity and substance use. In fully adjusted models, all mediators account for between 46% (marijuana) and 59% (tobacco) of the association between religiosity and substance use. © 2012 Informa Healthcare USA, Inc

Comparing incarcerated and college student women with histories of childhood sexual abuse: The roles of abuse severity, support, and substance use.

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is often a risk factor for negative psychological and psychosocial outcomes. For example, some studies find that survivors of CSA are at an increased risk for experiencing involvement with the criminal justice system (e.g., incarceration). To examine the relationship between CSA and incarceration outcomes in women, data were obtained from 169 inmates and 420 college students, a number of whom were survivors of some form of CSA (66.0% and 35.5%, respectively). Results suggested that incarcerated survivors had more severe CSA experiences, more psychological symptoms (e.g., depression, posttraumatic stress), and endorsed more coping difficulties and problematic family functioning relative to college student survivors. In addition, incarcerated survivors were from more impoverished backgrounds and more frequently had experienced involvement with child protective services (e.g., being in foster care) relative to college student survivors. Further, results of logistical regression suggested that the severity of CSA, current social support adequacy, and problematic substance use emerge as significant predictors of incarceration among CSA survivors. Of the many variables that differ between female inmates and college student survivors, findings indicated that more severe abuse, substance use, and lack of social support may be considered especially important risk factors for incarceration. These findings may aid in the refinement of interventions, prevention efforts, and educational programs regarding CSA and shed light on predictors of incarceration among this high © 2012 American Psychological Association

Safer In Jail? A Comparison Of Victimization History And Psychological Adjustment Between Previously Homeless And Non-Homeless Incarcerated Women

Homelessness and incarceration are closely linked among women, and rates of these marginalizing circumstances are increasing. Nonetheless, few studies have examined differences between female inmates who were previously homeless and female inmates who were not homeless prior to incarceration. Results indicated that women who were homeless prior to incarceration were more likely (relative to their non-homeless counterparts) to have experienced childhood molestation, adult sexual assault, and arrests for prostitution and to have been in treatment for substance misuse. Homeless and non-homeless women did not differ significantly on measures of psychological adjustment. Implications, limitations, and suggestions for future research will be discussed

Comparing Incarcerated And College Student Women With Histories Of Childhood Sexual Abuse: The Roles Of Abuse Severity, Support, And Substance Use

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is often a risk factor for negative psychological and psychosocial outcomes. For example, some studies find that survivors of CSA are at an increased risk for experiencing involvement with the criminal justice system (e.g., incarceration). To examine the relationship between CSA and incarceration outcomes in women, data were obtained from 169 inmates and 420 college students, a number of whom were survivors of some form of CSA (66.0% and 35.5%, respectively). Results suggested that incarcerated survivors had more severe CSA experiences, more psychological symptoms (e.g., depression, posttraumatic stress), and endorsed more coping difficulties and problematic family functioning relative to college student survivors. In addition, incarcerated survivors were from more impoverished backgrounds and more frequently had experienced involvement with child protective services (e.g., being in foster care) relative to college student survivors. Further, results of logistical regression suggested that the severity of CSA, current social support adequacy, and problematic substance use emerge as significant predictors of incarceration among CSA survivors. Of the many variables that differ between female inmates and college student survivors, findings indicated that more severe abuse, substance use, and lack of social support may be considered especially important risk factors for incarceration. These findings may aid in the refinement of interventions, prevention efforts, and educational programs regarding CSA and shed light on predictors of incarceration among this high © 2012 American Psychological Association

Perceived Stress, External Locus Of Control, And Social Support As Predictors Of Psychological Adjustment Among Female Inmates With Or Without A History Of Sexual Abuse

Given the growing number of women who are incarcerated across the United States, the current study investigated the relationships among female inmates\u27 perceptions of their own stress, external locus of control (LOC), social support adequacy, and various aspects of psychological functioning. Generally, female inmates with a self-reported history of childhood sexual abuse did not differ from their nonabused counterparts on the variables of interest. Results suggested that female inmates\u27 perceptions of higher stress, a higher degree of external LOC, and inadequate social support correlated with greater symptoms of depression and hopelessness as well as lower self-esteem. In regression analyses, stress and social support were significant predictors for depression and anxiety. In contrast, stress was the only significant predictor of hopelessness and self-esteem. Finally, none of the predictors examined here was significant in the prediction of traumatic stress. Overall, findings suggested the importance of stress and social support in the prediction of female inmates\u27 adjustment, specifically their symptoms of depression and anxiety. © The Author(s) 2012

A Structural Equation Modeling Approach To The Study Of Stress And Psychological Adjustment In Emerging Adults

Today\u27s society puts constant demands on the time and resources of all individuals, with the resulting stress promoting a decline in psychological adjustment. Emerging adults are not exempt from this experience, with an alarming number reporting excessive levels of stress and stress-related problems. As a result, the present study addresses the need for a comprehensive model of emerging adult adjustment in the context of stress and coping variables and highlights the importance of accounting for differences between males and females in research concerning stress, social support, coping, and adjustment. Participants for this study are 239 college students (122 males and 117 females), the majority of whom are Caucasian. Results of structural equation modeling suggest that stress, social support, coping, and adjustment show unique patterns of relationships for males versus females. For both males and females, stress and social support show similar relationships to adjustment. In contrast, social support is related only to coping behaviors in females. Finally, social support appears to be a more important variable for female adjustment, whereas other coping behaviors appear to be more pertinent to male adjustment. Limitations and suggestions for future research will be discussed. © 2008 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

Perceptions Of Ambiguously Unpleasant Interracial Interactions: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

Despite a general consensus in the United States that overtly racist acts are unacceptable, many ambiguous situations in everyday life raise questions of whether racism has influenced a person\u27s behavior in an interracial encounter. The authors of the present study sought to (a) examine simultaneously an array of variables thought to be related to perceived racism and (b) investigate how the contribution of these variables may differ with respect to the asymmetry hypothesis, which suggests that acts of discrimination from a dominant person toward a subordinate person will be viewed as more biased than if the situation were reversed. The authors used a dual structural equation modeling approach. Results indicated that ethnic identity significantly predicted perceived racism. In addition, the extent to which cognitive interpretation style significantly predicted perceived racism depended on the ethnicity of participants involved in the interaction. Copyright © 2007 Heldref Publications