Suchergebnisse

Purpose
This study aims to better understand the socialization process individuals undergo when training to become a conflict mediator.


Design/methodology/approach
This paper presents an analysis of Michigan's state-wide training guidelines, training documents and eight semi-structured narrative interviews from participants of two 40-hour mediation trainings.


Findings
Results are presented with regard to pre-training and post-training beliefs about mediation alongside data gathered regarding mediator tactics, beliefs and potential for transformation. In sum, newly trained mediators often undergo a phase of "unlearning" before returning to a settlement-focused facilitative model of mediation.


Practical implications
The paper presents implications for facilitative mediator training, training materials and role-play activities.


Originality/value
Third-party interventions can impact conflicts both positively and negatively. Currently, many states and municipal districts have engaged individuals through mediation training to act as a positive force for conflict resolution. Thus far, very little is understood about the development of individuals through mediation training.

PurposeThis paper aims to use the theory of planned behavior to evaluate factors that influence openness to participating in a victim-offender conference (VOC).Design/methodology/approachConsistent with theory of planned behavior recommendations, the study uses a vignette-based design to assess participation openness as willingness to participate in a VOC if they were victims of a property crime. It evaluates the goodness of fit of a hypothesized structural model of participation openness to the data and the utility of a theory of planned behavior model as opposed to simply an outcome-driven model.FindingsFindings from a hierarchical linear regression illustrate that a theory of planned behavior model explains a greater percentage of participation willingness than does an outcome-driven model. Analysis using structural equation modeling suggests that participation openness is largely a function of subjective norms, anticipated affect and anticipated outcomes.Research limitations/implicationsLimitations spring largely from sampling method and research design. Research implications pertain to the utility of theory of planned behavior in expanding research of VOC participation openness to include not only outcomes but also relational and contextual factors.Practical implicationsThe manuscript identifies several implications for training facilitators, talking with prospective VOC participants and advocating for restorative justice programs.Originality/valueUse of the theory of planned behavior as a lens for understanding openness to VOC participation gives researchers and practitioners a wider and more nuanced understanding of why people would generally be willing to participate in a VOC if they were the victim of an offense.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To determine whether high-frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV) during sleep differs between those with and without posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a function of sleep type (non-rapid eye movement [NREM] vs. rapid eye movement [REM]), and to explore this relationship across successive sleep cycles. Participants with PTSD were hypothesized to have lower HF-HRV across both REM and NREM sleep. METHODS: Sixty-two post-9/11 military veterans and service members completed self-report measures of sleep quality, insomnia severity, and disruptive nocturnal behaviors. Participants then completed a laboratory-based polysomnographic study night with concurrent HRV assessment. RESULTS: Participants with PTSD (N = 29) had lower HF-HRV in overall NREM sleep relative to those without PTSD (N = 33) (F(1, 54) = 4.24, p = .04). Groups did not differ on overall HF-HRV during REM sleep. HF-HRV increased over the night for the sample as a whole during both NREM and REM sleep. PTSD status did not moderate the association between HF-HRV and sleep cycles. However, the PTSD group had lower HF-HRV in the first t(155) = 2.67, p = .008, and fourth NREM cycles, t(155) = 2.11, p = .036, relative to participants without PTSD. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest blunted parasympathetic modulation during NREM sleep in a young cohort of military veterans and service-members with PTSD. Findings are concerning considering the increased risk of incident cardiovascular events associated with impaired parasympathetic nervous system function. Reduced parasympathetic modulation may be one mechanism underlying the increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) among veterans with PTSD.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with aggressive behavior in veterans, and difficulty controlling aggressive urges has been identified as a primary postdeployment readjustment concern. Yet only a fraction of veterans with PTSD commit violent acts. The goals of this study were to (1) examine the higher-order factor structure of Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) scales in a sample of U.S. military veterans seeking treatment for PTSD; and (2) to evaluate the incremental validity of higher-order latent factors of the PAI over PTSD symptom severity in modeling aggression. The study sample included male U.S. Vietnam (n = 433) and Iraq/Afghanistan (n = 165) veterans who were seeking treatment for PTSD at an outpatient Veterans Affairs (VA) clinic. Measures included the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale, the PAI, and the Conflict Tactics Scale. The sample was randomly split into two equal subsamples (n's = 299) to allow for cross-validation of statistically derived factors. Parallel analysis, variable clustering analysis, and confirmatory factor analyses were used to evaluate the factor structure, and regression was used to examine the association of factor scores with self-reports of aggression over the past year. Three factors were identified: internalizing, externalizing, and substance abuse. Externalizing explained unique variance in aggression beyond PTSD symptom severity and demographic factors, while internalizing and substance abuse did not. Service era was unrelated to reports of aggression. The constructs of internalizing versus externalizing dimensions of PTSD may have utility in identifying characteristics of combat veterans in the greatest need of treatment to help manage aggressive urges.

OBJECTIVE: Chronic pain is common in military veterans with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Neurofeedback, or electroencephalograph (EEG) biofeedback, has been associated with lower pain but requires frequent travel to a clinic. The current study examined feasibility and explored effectiveness of neurofeedback delivered with a portable EEG headset linked to an application on a mobile device. DESIGN: Open-label, single-arm clinical trial. SETTING: Home, outside of clinic. SUBJECTS: N = 41 veterans with chronic pain, TBI, and PTSD. METHOD: Veterans were instructed to perform "mobile neurofeedback" on their own for three months. Clinical research staff conducted two home visits and two phone calls to provide technical assistance and troubleshoot difficulties. RESULTS: N = 36 veterans returned for follow-up at three months (88% retention). During this time, subjects completed a mean of 33.09 neurofeedback sessions (10 minutes each). Analyses revealed that veterans reported lower pain intensity, pain interference, depression, PTSD symptoms, anger, sleep disturbance, and suicidal ideation after the three-month intervention compared with baseline. Comparing pain ratings before and after individual neurofeedback sessions, veterans reported reduced pain intensity 67% of the time immediately following mobile neurofeedback. There were no serious adverse events reported. CONCLUSIONS: This preliminary study found that veterans with chronic pain, TBI, and PTSD were able to use neurofeedback with mobile devices independently after modest training and support. While a double-blind randomized controlled trial is needed for confirmation, the results show promise of a portable, technology-based neuromodulatory approach for pain management with minimal side effects.

OBJECTIVE/BACKGROUND: Despite a well-established role of guilt cognitions in the maintenance and treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), relationships of guilt cognitions to nightmares are not well understood. This study investigated the ways in which guilt cognitions related to traumatic events influenced the relationship between combat exposure and trauma-related sleep disturbance in military Veterans with PTSD. PARTICIPANTS: We recruited a sample of 50 Veterans with PTSD who completed study measures at a screening session. METHODS: Participants completed self-report measures of exposure to potentially traumatic events, trauma-related guilt (hindsight bias, wrongdoing, and lack of justification) and trauma-related sleep disturbance as measured by a self-report scale and clinician ratings of nightmare severity. RESULTS: Bivariate regression analyses established a relationship of combat exposure to wrongdoing (β = .31, p = .031), and a relationship of wrongdoing with self-reported trauma-related sleep disturbance (β = .27, p = .049) and clinician-rated nightmare severity (β = .36, p = .009). Bootstrapping analysis that included years of education as a covariate found a significant overall indirect effect of combat exposure on clinician-rated nightmare severity exerted through wrongdoing (β = .10, 95% CI [.004, .246]). CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest the association of combat exposure with trauma-related sleep disturbance is significantly influenced by perceived wrongdoing related to a traumatic event. Targeting cognitions related to wrongdoing and moral injury during a traumatic event in PTSD treatment may help ameliorate trauma-related sleep disturbance.

Military sexual trauma (MST) has been linked with increased rates of mental health disorders among veterans. Few studies have addressed how military sexual trauma is related to use of VA and non-VA health care. The purpose of the current study was to (1) examine the association between MST, combat experiences and mental health outcomes (i.e., PTSD and depression) and (2) examine the association of MST and use of VA and non-VA health care services among female veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Female respondents to a survey assessing OEF/OIF veterans' needs and health (N=185) completed measures of demographic variables, military history, combat exposure, MST, PTSD and depression symptoms, and use of VA and non-VA healthcare. Overall, 70% of the sample experienced one or more combat-related experiences and 15.7% endorsed MST during deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan. MST and combat exposure were both positively associated with PTSD and depression symptoms even after controlling for the effects of demographic and military history variables; the interaction between MST and combat exposure was not a significant predictor of PTSD or depression symptoms. MST was associated with increased use of VA mental health services in bivariate results but was not independently related to VA service utilization after accounting for PTSD and depression symptoms. MST and combat exposure are significantly related to PTSD and depression symptoms among female OEF/OIF veterans, but there was not a synergistic effect of these two types of trauma in the current study. Approximately half of women who report MST have not used VA healthcare. Continued outreach and education initiatives may be needed to ensure veterans understand the resources available to address MST related mental and physical health problems through the VA.

OBJECTIVE: Previous studies of military veterans have produced mixed findings regarding whether combat exposure is directly related to suicidal ideation or is indirectly related to suicidal ideation via its influence on other factors. The present study used a longitudinal design to test the hypothesis that posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity mediates the effect of combat exposure on suicidal ideation in veterans METHOD: Participants included 319 post-9/11 Veterans (83.4% male; 42.1% White/52.1% Black; M(age) = 39.7) assessed at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months. Structural equation modeling and bootstrapped confidence intervals were employed to examine the direct and indirect relationships between combat exposure, suicidal ideation, and PTSD symptom severity. RESULTS: Results from the mediation model, in which demographic variables and non-combat trauma were included as covariates, revealed that the indirect effect of combat exposure on suicidal ideation via PTSD symptom severity was statistically significant, accounting for 64.1% of the covariance between combat exposure and suicidal ideation. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides longitudinal evidence that the effects of combat exposure on suicidal ideation are mediated by PTSD symptom severity, suggesting the importance of targeting such symptoms in treatment to mitigate suicide risk among veterans with combat exposure.