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Sexual assault is a serious problem on college campuses that affects students of all genders. Following sexual trauma, students often report greater mental health problems, substance use, and in some cases revictimization. However, positive disclosure experiences have been shown to facilitate greater positive outcomes for victims. While research has focused extensively on the consequences of sexual trauma, few studies have focused on the process of healing. The current qualitative interview study assessed facilitators and barriers to healing following an unwanted sexual experience (USE) and examined participants' views about their own healing process. The sample was comprised of female (n = 15) and male (n = 2) college students who self-identified as having a history of USEs. Data were transcribed and analyzed using the techniques of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Findings showed that students recognized more barriers to healing than facilitators of the healing process. However, having a positive disclosure experience and good social support were identified as the most beneficial facilitators of healing following a USE, and many of the barriers noted were factors that interfered with positive disclosure experiences and seeking and receiving social support. Finally, participants viewed healing as a highly individual and active process, suggesting that survivors must create their own path for healing and should never give up on the healing process. These findings emphasize the need for education and training to improve interpersonal communication among professionals, families, and peers in order to change conversations and stigma about USEs., Author(s): Julie A. Gameon [sup.1] , Amanda N. Lahiere [sup.1] , Monica C. Skewes [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.41891.35, 0000 0001 2156 6108, Department of Psychology, Montana State university, , [...]

Rural Indigenous communities in Alaska suffer staggeringly high rates of suicide. In close-knit Alaska Native villages, each suicide leaves a trail of affected family and community members in its wake. This research aimed to understand community perceptions of what causes suicide in rural Alaska Native villages and generate recommendations for prevention strategies. In-depth interviews were conducted with 25 Alaska Native university students who moved from rural villages to an urban area to attend college. All had been profoundly affected by others' suicides and shared their beliefs about causal factors and recommendations for prevention efforts. Perceived causes included resistance to seeking help or discussing personal problems, loss of culture, traumatic experiences, geographical and social isolation, lack of opportunity, substance abuse, and exposure to others' suicides. Participants believed that suicide is preventable and recommended multi-level approaches to address suicide disparities. They provided recommendations for potentially effective and culturally appropriate prevention strategies, including increasing cultural and social connections, educating community members about mental health, and increasing accessibility of counseling services/reducing barriers to mental health services utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resulting from generations of historical oppression and systemic racism, American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities experience serious health disparities associated with substance use disorders (SUDs). As part of a longstanding community-based participatory research intervention development project, our partnership of academic and community co-researchers conducted seven focus groups (N = 35) to understand community stakeholders' perspectives on substance use, relapse, and recovery on a rural AI reservation. Participants included cultural leaders (n = 10), SUD treatment providers (n = 5), people with SUD (n = 10), and affected family members (n = 10). Cultural leaders viewed relapse as symptomatic of historical oppression, whereas other stakeholder groups attributed relapse to individual and interpersonal risk factors such as peer influence, lack of family support, and traumatic stress. All participant groups recognized relapse as a normative aspect of recovering from SUD that presents new opportunities for learning and growth. Specifically, regaining humility, learning to ask for help, recognizing one's triggers, and strengthening commitment to change were identified as learning outcomes for people with SUD. For family members, relapse provided the opportunity to practice forgiveness and compassion, two important cultural values. All groups emphasized the importance of grounding interventions in cultural values and traditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In the United States, American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) people suffer health inequities associated with alcohol and other drug use and also experience historical trauma symptoms resulting from colonization. Research suggests that historical trauma may be associated with substance use among AI/ANs.Method: As part of a Community-Based Participatory Research project with tribal partners from a rural AI reservation, our team collected cross-sectional survey data from 198 tribal members who self-identified as having substance use problems. We examined associations between historical trauma thoughts, historical trauma symptoms, and substance use outcomes. We also examined historical trauma symptoms, current trauma symptoms, awareness of systemic discrimination, and ethnic identity as moderators of the associations between historical trauma thoughts and substance use variables.Results: Historical trauma thoughts, controlling for symptoms, were associated with greater abstinent days, fewer heavy alcohol use days, fewer drinks per drinking day, and fewer drug use days; historical trauma symptoms, controlling for thoughts, were associated only with fewer abstinent days. Moderation analyses showed that historical trauma thoughts were associated with better substance use outcomes when historical trauma symptoms were low, current trauma symptoms were low, awareness of systemic discrimination was high, and ethnic identity was high.Conclusion: When distressing trauma symptoms are low, historical trauma thoughts may act as a protective factor or as a marker for other factors associated with better substance use outcomes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities experience notable health disparities associated with substance use, including disproportionate rates of accidents/injuries, diabetes, liver disease, suicide, and substance use disorders. Effective treatments for substance use are needed to improve health equity for AI/AN communities. However, an unfortunate history of unethical and stigmatizing research has engendered distrust and reluctance to participate in research among many Native communities. In recent years, researchers have made progress toward engaging in ethical health disparities research by using a community‐based participatory research (CBPR) framework to work in close partnership with community members throughout the research process. In this methodological process paper, we discuss the collaborative development of a quantitative survey aimed at understanding risk and protective factors for substance use among a sample of tribal members residing on a rural AI reservation with numerous systems‐level barriers to recovery and limited access to treatment. By using a CBPR approach and prioritizing trust and transparency with community partners and participants, we were able to successfully recruit our target sample and collect quality data from nearly 200 tribal members who self‐identified as having a substance use problem. Strategies for enhancing buy‐in and recruiting a community sample are discussed. Highlights: Indigenous communities experience numerous health disparities associated with substance use disorder.Previous unethical research with Native communities serves as a barrier to research participation.Community based participatory research is a framework for overcoming barriers to research.Trust and transparency are crucial for conducting respectful research with Indigenous participants.We discuss effective strategies for recruiting a community sample of American Indian participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

American Indian/Alaska Native and First Nations communities suffer from health disparities associated with multiple forms of trauma exposure. Culturally appropriate interventions are needed to heal current and historical trauma wounds. Although there are evidence‐based trauma interventions for other populations, few have been implemented or evaluated with Native communities. Understanding the extant research on trauma interventions in Native communities is crucial for advancing science and filling gaps in the evidence base, and for meeting the needs of underserved people. In this systematic review of the literature on trauma interventions in Native communities in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, we identified 15 studies representing 10 interventions for historical and/or current trauma. These studies involved the community to some extent in developing or culturally adapting the interventions and suggested positive outcomes with regard to historical and interpersonal trauma symptoms. However, notable limitations in study design and research methods limit both internal validity and external validity of these conclusions. Only one study attempted (but did not achieve) a quasi‐experimental design, and small sample sizes were persistent limitations across studies. Recommendations for researchers include working in partnership with Native communities to overcome barriers to trauma intervention research and to increase the rigor of the studies so that ongoing efforts to treat trauma can yield publishable data and communities can secure funding for intervention research. Highlights: Native communities suffer from interpersonal, childhood, and historical trauma experiences.Although there are effective trauma interventions, few have been tested in Native communities.A systematic review of the literature yielded only 15 studies representing 10 interventions.Research studies were limited by small sample sizes and lack of control groups.Culturally appropriate, evidence‐based interventions are needed in Native communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]