The present study examines ethnicity as a moderator variable between spiritual well-being (SWB) and psychological and behavioral outcomes. Participants included in this analysis were 88 African American (46.6%) and 101 non-African American (total N = 189) homeless mothers. Through structured interviews conducted at 3-month intervals over a period of 15 months, data were collected on spiritual well-being, mental health, trauma symptoms, substance use, parenting, and child behavior. Hierarchical linear model and general estimating equation results indicated that ethnicity moderates the relationship between SWB and anxiety, trauma symptoms, child behavior, and parenting outcomes. On average, African Americans reported significantly higher SWB than non-African Americans, indicating the relative importance of spirituality in their lives. These findings support previous research indicating a difference in the role that SWB plays in the lives of African Americans compared to non-African Americans.

The present study sought to examine normative dissociation within a racially and ethnically diverse nonclinical sample. In all, 317 undergraduates, including 190 Whites and 127 racial/ethnic minorities from a large research university participated in the current study. Results indicated differences in dissociation as a function of race: African and Asian Americans reported significantly higher rates of dissociation compared to Whites. There were no differences in psychological adjustment indicators as a function of race. The findings indicate that race moderates the relationship between dissociation and psychological adjustment outcomes for Blacks (all models) and Asian Americans (1 model), such that higher rates of dissociation are associated with lower rates of psychological distress as compared to Whites.

Real Life Heroes was developed for use in child and family agencies with children with traumatic stress who may lack a safe home and a caring, non-offending parent/guardian. An activity-based workbook and manual assists practitioners to promote safety, understanding of the impact of traumas, attachments, affect modulation, coping skills, and trauma processing. This pilot study included 41 children, caregivers, and clinicians. Results from data collected after a four month interval indicated significant reduction in child self-reports of trauma symptoms and reduced problem behaviors on caregiver checklists. Results from data collected after a 12 month interval included a reduction in parent reports of trauma symptoms for children who received more of the intervention and increased security/attachment to caregivers over time.

Close relationships are of vital importance to psychological well-being and adjustment. However, all relationships experience periods of conflict. this investigation examines relational health schemas as an individual difference variable that determines cognitive appraisal of conflict and betrayal in close female relationships. Undergraduate female participants were classified into higher or lower relational health schema groups and randomly assigned to read a fictional experimental vignette describing a close friendship between two women. the vignette provided an account of the development of a friendship and concluded in a description of an interpersonal conflict between the two characters. Severity of betrayal (actual/ perceived) and friendship resolution (positive, negative, ambiguous) were varied across the experimental conditions. Free recall of vignette content and reading time were the dependent measures. it was expected that vignettes with severity of betrayal and resolutions congruent with relational health schemas would be processed more quickly and remembered more accurately than those that were incongruent. the results provide support for individual differences in relational health as a determinant of processing biases. the findings also suggest that severity of betrayal and outcome mediate the processing of content and amount of recall for interpersonal conflict vignettes.What personality factors determine responses to conflict within a close relationship? Why do some women maintain relationships

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