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Objectives: The primary aim was to assess the factor structure and establish measurement invariance across sex for the Perceived Vulnerability and Hardiness Scale. Participants: Sample 1 (N = 377) and Sample 2 (N = 401) were volunteers from six large southern universities. Methods: Iterative and collaborative survey-based focus groups were used to create the final version of the PVHS. Results: A two-factor model was identified through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. The psychological hardiness subscale was found to positively correlate with hardiness and resilience, and negatively correlate with psychosocial functioning, depression, and anxiety. The vulnerability subscale was found to positively, strongly correlate with the anxiety, psychological vulnerability, and psychosocial functioning, and negatively correlate with the hardiness and resilience. Men and women interpreted the PVHS in an equivalent manner. Conclusions: This brief measure provides researchers, counselors, and administrations a method for general assessment, intervention effectiveness, and evaluation of campus climates.

Research indicates that Black communities experienced disproportionately higher numbers of confirmed cases and fatalities throughout the COVID-19 pandemic with Black men experiencing marked reductions in life expectancy. Inequities were further magnified by known COVID-19 such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and higher prevalence of cardiovascular disease. The current project aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to COVID-19 among Black men with chronic conditions. Specifically, we sought to determine whether COVID-19-related perspectives and behaviors impacted cross-sectional health outcomes. A national sample of Black men (N = 312) who self-reported at least one chronic disease responded to survey questions about their knowledge, attitude, and preventative behaviors (KAP) related to COVID-19. Analyses suggest that unique latent profiles based on COVID-19-related KAP differentially impacted participants' self-reported health and well-being for those low on KAP items. The discussion includes considerations on viral hygiene interventions, misinformation, stigma, and perceptions of discrimination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has outlined evident disparities in the prevalence of chronic conditions among African Americans compared to other groups, with low-income African American men disproportionately affected by almost every disorder. Self-management programs are useful tools for managing chronic disorders beyond the doctor's office. This monograph provides a detailed looking into the current state of the research on low-income African American men with chronic health conditions. An intersectional approach is used to provide a nuanced synthesis of relevant literature. The project outlines the need for programs designed to engage low-income African American men with skills, resources, and tools for managing chronic conditions. Authors argue that improvements to traditional self-management programs can be realized by emphasizing culture, including end-users in the creation of programs, and offering culturally tailored strategies to improve health. Thus, any targeted program must include culturally detailed information about nutrition, exercise, stress, mental health, and leveraging social support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Helping student service members and veterans (SSM/Vs) earn a college degree is central to supporting them post-service. Yet, this generation of SSM/Vs faces challenges in higher education, including problems adapting, poor health, and administrative constraints, contributing to worsened academic outcomes and a sense of isolation on campus. This monograph synthesizes research on the challenges facing SSM/Vs. It also frames common aspects of successful programs aiding SSM/Vs as three areas for intervention: how administrators and faculty can create a welcoming campus for SSM/Vs; ways universities can create support systems for SSM/V social, health, and academic success; and engaging community partnerships to enable these efforts. Whether SSM/Vs overcome their challenges and unlock their strengths is contingent on opportunities provided within the school itself, and by its faculty, administrators, students, and community. Central to these efforts should be the goal of inclusivity enhancement, community building, and reduction of health-related dysfunction among SSM/Vs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this research was to examine children's story preferences as a function of age and cultural orientation. Using Hofstede's (1984) distinction between individualism and collectivism, we examined the extent to which younger (6-8 years old, n = 47, M = 6.94, SD = 0.94) and older (9-12 years old, n = 57, M = 10.35, SD = 1.14) children preferred stories that reflected their cultural orientation. Participants were children (N= 104) of various nationalities enrolled in a summer camp on the island of Mallorca, Spain. Children were classified as either individualist or collectivist using the Children's Self-Construal Scale. Each child was read six stories, three of which reflected individualist values and three of which reflected collectivist values. Older children preferred stories that were consistent with their cultural orientation while younger children did not. The results suggest that the outcomes of culturally relevant socialization are not readily apparent until the later stages of middle childhood.

Trauma and stressor-related behavioral health conditions are prevalent in military populations and have become a major public health concern in recent years. Individuals who commonly report suicidal ideation often have comorbid mental health diagnoses (i.e., posttraumatic stress disorder; PTSD). However, the mechanisms associated with stress, suicidal ideation, and PTSD are unclear. The present study examined the moderating role of dysfunctional and recovery cognitions between (i) PTSD and suicidal ideation, and (ii) stress and suicidal ideation in two distinct samples. Sample 1 was composed of civilians and military personnel (N = 322). Sample 2 was composed of (N = 377) student service members and veterans (SSM/Vs). In Study 1, we found that low recovery cognitions at higher and moderate levels of PTSD symptoms were significantly associated with increased suicidal ideation. High dysfunctional cognitions were significantly associated with suicidal ideation at higher levels of PTSD symptoms. In Study 2, we found no differences in any level of recovery cognitions at low and moderate stress levels with suicidal ideation. Higher levels of stress were associated with high dysfunctional cognitions and suicidal ideation. Promoting higher levels of recovery cognitions and reducing dysfunctional cognitions are important in addressing stress, suicidal ideation, and comorbid conditions such as PTSD. Future research should focus on examining the clinical utility of the Dispositional Recovery and Dysfunction Inventory (DRDI) in other populations (i.e., firefighters and paramedics). This could contribute to efforts of suicide prevention and the promotion of the well-being of individuals experiencing suicidal ideation. Promoting recovery cognitions may serve as a protective factor against stress. Dysfunctional cognitions contribute to worsening behavioral health conditions. Suicide prevention efforts should target dysfunctional and recovery cognitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The professionalization of addressing conflict creates a field filled with specialists highly trained to apply modularized and manualized, often evidence-based solutions. But how effective are these professionalized conflict management strategies in Indigenous and localized cultural contexts compared to homegrown Indigenous approaches? While instances of these Indigenous peacebuilding and conflict management strategies are routine throughout the world, to date, no one has attempted to test which conflict management approaches are most effective empirically, nor has the literature sufficiently addressed the contexts in which strategies are most helpful. Using multi-dimensional scaling and chi-square tests of independence applied to a similarity matrix of co-occurrences from select Outline of Cultural Materials subjects from the Human Relations Area Files cultural database, this study tests the hypothesis: Indigenous conflict management strategies are more effective (i.e., less associated conflict) than non-Indigenous conflict management strategies in Indigenous contexts. We show that Indigenous conflict management approaches co-occur with conflict less often than non-Indigenous strategies. From an applied perspective, when we break conflict into four discreet types—sociocultural/interpersonal, political, legal/judicial, and economic—Indigenous conflict management strategies co-occur most often with socio-cultural types of conflicts. The results suggest that Indigenous approaches are more effective in Indigenous contexts overall, while they are most often applied to socio-cultural and interpersonal conflicts. Based on our findings, homegrown solutions effectively manage, resolve, and transform localized conflicts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Sense of purpose serves as a psychological resource for late-life health. Limited research has examined how purpose changes across chronic illness diagnoses, including a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD).Method: This study leverages data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS; N = 831) to establish trajectories of purpose across ADRD diagnosis using three-year (pre-diagnosis, year of diagnosis, post-diagnosis) timespans and two comparison groups (heart disease diagnosis, no diagnosis). Results: We observed a longitudinal decrease in purpose in the ADRD diagnosis group, t = 3.85, p = .003, d = −0.258. This contrasts with heart disease diagnosis and no diagnosis groups, where purpose did not change over time. Discussion: Older adults who receive an ADRD diagnosis may be vulnerable to a decreasing sense of purpose across their diagnosis experience. We consider social, psychological, and clinical antecedents for this trend. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Examine incidence rates of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) in a military population over a tenyear period and whether demographic characteristics differ within the same population., Methods: Diagnostic data and demographic variables from 23,821 active duty service members between 2006 and 2015 were analyzed from the Defense Medical Epidemiological Database., Results: The incidence rates of new onset cases ranged from .22 (per 1,000 service members) in 2015 to a high of 1.46 (per 1,000 service members) in 2006 for T2DM without complications and .00 (per 1,000 service members) in 2007 to a high of .29 (per 1,000 service members) in 2015 for T2DM with complications. The one-sample chi-square test showed the observed, and expected frequencies differed significantly for all demographic variables tested., Conclusions: Although there was a significant increase in the diagnosis of T2DM with complications in 2015, the overall downtrend is similar to that of the general US population. Older age and higher rank were more likely to be associated with the diagnosis of T2DM with and without complications, again suggestive of similar trends with the general US population. Continued efforts towards early diagnosis and treatment of these service members are needed to address this problem regarding military readiness.