Risk and Protective Factors Associated with Adverse Childhood Experiences in Vulnerable Families: Results of a Randomized Clinical Trial of SafeCare®

Firearm screening and secure storage counseling among home visiting providers: a cross-sectional study of SafeCare® providers in the U.S

Background

Firearms used in pediatric firearm deaths are most often obtained from the child's home, making secure firearm storage initiatives imperative in prevention efforts. Evidence-based home visiting (EBHV) programs are implemented with over 277,000 families annually, providing an opportunity for secure firearm storage counseling. The purpose of this study was to assess EBHV providers' experiences with firearm screening ("assessment"), secure storage counseling, and their perceptions for related training needs.

Methods

Providers in the U.S. from SafeCare®, an EBHV program often implemented with families experiencing increased risk of child neglect and physical or emotional abuse, were invited to participate in a survey to examine firearm assessment and attitudes toward and experiences with firearm safety counseling. Survey items were primarily Likert scale ratings to indicate level of agreement, with some open-ended follow-up questions. Descriptive statistics (i.e., frequencies and percentages) were used to report item-level agreement. A post hoc analysis was conducted using Spearman correlation to examine the association between assessment and counseling and provider-level factors.

Results

Sixty-three SafeCare providers consented to and completed the survey items. Almost three-quarters (74.6%) agreed/strongly agreed that they assess in-home firearm availability. However, 66.7% agreed/strongly agreed that they have not been adequately trained to discuss firearm safety topics. A substantial proportion (80.6%) indicated they would counsel more if materials and training on this topic were available. Response variability emerged by level of urbanicity. A post hoc analysis found that providers' self-reported frequency of assessment and counseling were associated with their comfort level discussing firearm safety and whether or not they had worked with families impacted by firearm injury.

Conclusion

SafeCare providers report a need for materials and training on secure firearm storage, and a willingness to provide more counseling with proper training to the families they serve. Findings illuminate the need for secure storage initiatives for EBHV programs, which have broad service reach to a substantial number of at-risk U.S. families annually.

The impact of the Russian-Ukrainian war on the mental health of Italian people after 2 years of the pandemic: risk and protective factors as moderators

Objective

This contribution aimed at investigating the moderating role of risk (e.g., the negative influence of COVID-19 on mental health) and protective (e.g., post-traumatic growth) factors on the relationship between the concern for war and stress and anxiety/depression levels among Italian people.

Methods

A questionnaire that included sociodemographic characteristics, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-4), the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-4), the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS), the Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI), and questions formulated ad hoc about concern for war was administered online. A sample of 755 participants (65.4% females, mean age = 32.39, SD = 12.64, range = 18-75) was recruited by convenience and snowball sampling. The researchers spread the link to the questionnaire to their acquaintances asking them to fill it out and to recruit other people.

Results

Results showed that concern for war significantly augmented the levels of stress and anxiety/depression in Italian people. Being a healthcare professional or having a chronic illness negatively moderated the effect of concern for war on stress and anxiety/depression. Instead, the negative influence of COVID-19 on mental health positively moderated the effect of concern for war on stress. Moreover, the overall positive changes after trauma and four of its five scales (i.e., Relating to Others, New Possibilities, Personal Strength, and Spiritual Change), negatively moderated the effect of concern for war on anxiety/depression.

Conclusions

In conclusion, concern about the Russian-Ukrainian war affects the mental health of the Italian population even if they are not directly involved in the conflict.

The relationship between childhood trauma and post-traumatic growth among college students: The role of acceptance and positive reappraisal

Objective

To examine the relationship among childhood trauma, acceptance, positive reappraisal and post-traumatic growth (PTG) among college students.

Methods

Research participants were selected by random cluster sampling. 1,028 college students (62.6% female, 30.5% only-children) from 8 universities were investigated using manuscript-pencil survey versions of Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ-SF), Cognitive emotion regulation questionnaire–Chinese version (CERQ-C) and Post traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI).

Results

Traumatic childhood experience significantly negatively predicts post traumatic growth in college students. Exposure to traumatic experiences in childhood can directly negatively predict post-traumatic growth and indirectly positively predict post traumatic growth via acceptance.

Conclusion

Acceptance plays a mediating role between childhood traumatic experience and post traumatic growth. The mediating effect of acceptance is moderated by the positive reappraisal. When individuals have a lower level of positive reappraisal, the mediating effect between traumatic experience and post traumatic growth is significant. Several clinical implications for clinical psychology and psychological intervention are highlighted. Starting with changing individual cognition and helping individuals adopt positive cognitive emotion regulation strategies can help individuals actively reevaluate traumatic experience, so as to gain better and faster counseling results.