Stress, Hypertension, and Young Black Americans: The Importance of Counseling

The cost of minority stress: Risky alcohol use and coping-motivated drinking behavior in African American college students

A motivational drinking framework is utilized to understand the relationship between minority stressors (e.g., race-related stress and acculturative stress) and alcohol use behaviors (risky alcohol use and coping-motivated drinking) among a large sample of Black American college students. Six hundred forty-nine Black college students from 8 colleges and universities in the United States were recruited as part of a large, multiwave, cross-sectional study investigating the stress and coping experiences of Black emerging adults. Results from the current investigation provide support for the independent contributions of acculturative stress and race-related stress to the risky alcohol use behavior of Black college students, while acculturative stress significantly predicted coping-motivated drinking behaviors in the sample. Findings underscore the need to better understand the unique relationships between minority stress and risky alcohol use behaviors of Black college students, namely, relationships not shared by their nonminority peers that increase their risk of problem drinking.

Blight Abatement of Vacant Land and Crime in New Orleans

OBJECTIVES

In 2005, Hurricane Katrina caused damage in New Orleans, Louisiana, and much of the land in low-resource neighborhoods became vacant and blighted. In 2014, New Orleans launched a program, Fight the Blight, which remediated properties in 6 neighborhoods. Our objective was to examine changes in crime rates near lots that were remediated (ie, debris removed and vegetation mowed).

METHODS

We used a quasi-experimental design to test whether crime rates changed from preremediation (January 2013-October 2014) to postremediation (July 2016-March 2017) near 204 vacant lots that were remediated compared with 560 control vacant lots that were not remediated between October 2014 and July 2016. We also examined differences between remediated lots that received 1 treatment (n = 64) and those that received ≥2 treatments (n = 140).

RESULTS

We found no significant differences between remediated and control lots in levels of violent, property, and domestic crimes from preremediation to postremediation. However, the number of drug crimes per square mile decreased significantly near all remediated lots (5.7% lower; P < .001) compared with control lots, largely driven by the significant decrease (6.4% lower; P < .001) in drug crimes found near lots that received ≥2 treatments.

CONCLUSIONS

Investing in programs that improve neighborhood environments affected by high rates of physical disorder and vacancy may be a way to decrease violence. However, routine remediation may be needed to increase the public health impact of blight abatement programs in warmer climates, where weeds and vegetation grow rapidly.

Neighborhood Interventions to Reduce Violence

Violence is a widespread problem that affects the physical, mental, and social health of individuals and communities. Violence comes with an immense economic cost to its victims and society at large. Although violence interventions have traditionally targeted individuals, changes to the built environment in places where violence occurs show promise as practical, sustainable, and high-impact preventive measures. This review examines studies that use quasi-experimental or experimental designs to compare violence outcomes for treatment and control groups before and after a change is implemented in the built environment. The most consistent evidence exists in the realm of housing and blight remediation of buildings and land. Some evidence suggests that reducing alcohol availability, improving street connectivity, and providing green housing environments can reduce violent crimes. Finally, studies suggest that neither transit changes nor school openings affect community violence.

Models and theories in studies on educating and counseling children about physical health: a systematic review

The aim of this review is to gain a comprehensive view on the theories and models referred to in studies on educating and counseling children about physical health. A computer search was conducted using PubMed Medline, and Silverplatter Webspirs Psycinfo. Original studies, reviews, and theoretical papers published between 1992-2003 were included. The review presents the results of the 35 studies in which the majority of the subjects were between 0 and 12 years of age. A classification system is proposed that helped grouping the models, and the interrelationship between this classification and the characteristics of the reviewed studies is explored. The classification could function as an introductory guide and help to select appropriate theories and models when defining future research agenda's. The results of this review may attribute to the refinement of the theoretical underpinning of child education and counseling in physical health.

The relationship between exposure to violence and blood pressure mechanisms

Although previous research has indicated a link between environmental stress and essential hypertension, little is known about the role of violence exposure on risk for developing essential hypertension. Violence exposure, defined as experiencing, witnessing, or hearing about violence in the home, school, or neighborhood, is a serious societal problem. Approximately 70% of inner-city youth have been victims of violent acts, and approximately 85% of these youths report having witnessed violent acts. In this review, several possible paths are proposed to explain the link between exposure to violence and cardiovascular health outcomes (eg, physiologic and psychosocial). Several contextual models are outlined, and a review of the empirical evidence suggests that chronic environmental stress (eg, violence exposure) might play a role in the development of essential hypertension. The mechanisms underlying the effects of violence exposure on blood pressure are unknown, although preliminary evidence suggests that elevated sympathetic nervous system activity may be involved. Several possible psychosocial mechanisms are outlined that might also link violence exposure to physiologic blood pressure-related mechanisms. Prevention and intervention efforts to reduce community violence are reviewed, and a call is made for encouraging further research on this critical topic.