Lucybel Mendez, Saúl A Padilla, Grace A Parker, Ava R Alexander
{"title":"The Role of Physical Victimization and Mental Health on Adolescents' Gang Membership.","authors":"Lucybel Mendez, Saúl A Padilla, Grace A Parker, Ava R Alexander","doi":"10.1007/s40653-025-00809-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40653-025-00809-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Adolescence is a critical period of heightened susceptibility to gang membership. Given the severe consequences of adolescent gang membership, it has been recognized as a public health concern in need of further investigation. Recent research has adopted a trauma-informed perspective to adolescent gang membership and demonstrated that experiences of childhood trauma exposure are key risk factors propelling youth toward gang participation. The trauma-informed perspective on gang membership has further shown that posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) plays a pivotal role in facilitating the link between trauma exposure and adolescent gang membership. However, a significant limitation of the literature is the scarce information regarding the impact of other mental health difficulties, such as major depressive disorder (MDD) and anxiety disorders, on the path between distinct abuse experiences, such as physical victimization, and adolescent gang membership. The present study used a subsample (<i>n</i> = 6,599, 61% youth of color) of the 2018 National Survey of Youth in Custody data to examine the connections among self-reported physical victimization, mental health problems (i.e., PTSD, MDD, and anxiety disorders), and gang membership. Results from path analysis indicated that PTSD helped explain the positive links between physical victimization and gang membership, whereas MDD helped reduce these links, and anxiety disorders had no significant effects. These findings suggest that certain mental health difficulties may place youth at risk of gang membership (e.g., PTSD), whereas others, such as MDD, may mitigate this risk. Ultimately, the results underscore the need to continue using a trauma-informed lens in youth gang research.</p>","PeriodicalId":44763,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma","volume":"19 1","pages":"159-170"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13004785/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147500216","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Herry Patel, Isabel R Aks, Daria Shariff, Fiona A Ralston, Emily C Kemp, Willam E Pelham
{"title":"Do different types of potentially traumatic events hold different relationships with substance use in adolescence?","authors":"Herry Patel, Isabel R Aks, Daria Shariff, Fiona A Ralston, Emily C Kemp, Willam E Pelham","doi":"10.1007/s40653-025-00813-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40653-025-00813-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Much of prior literature examines potentially traumatic event (PTE) exposure as a cumulative risk, though PTEs may not have an equal impact on substance use (SU). In the current study, we test McLaughlin & Sheridan's (2016) model in a sample of 11,800 community youth (ages 9-15 years old) enrolled in the nationwide, longitudinal Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study to examine the impact of PTE types on SU. We analyze concurrent associations between PTE types (physical abuse, domestic violence, community violence, emotional neglect, poverty, and institutionalization / deprivation) and substance use (pooling alcohol, cannabis, or nicotine) and prospective associations whereby exposure to different PTE types predicts SU one year later (self-medication hypothesis). For concurrent associations, we find emotional neglect and physical abuse were significantly positively related to SU. In terms of prospective associations, institutionalization / deprivation, emotional neglect, and physical abuse significantly positively predicted SU. A majority of associations between PTE types and SU were accounted for by other PTE types and time-varying covariates (e.g., internalizing/externalizing symptoms). The association between PTEs and SU during adolescence varies across PTE types. PTEs categorized as physical abuse and emotional neglect are more likely to lead to SU. Findings suggest that surveillance for SU is especially warranted in youth experiencing emotional neglect and physical abuse relative to other PTEs. Future research should examine more types of PTEs along a wider age span to replicate findings.</p>","PeriodicalId":44763,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12928760/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147285517","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Adverse Childhood Experiences and Mortality at Old Age: A Longitudinal Study from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study.","authors":"Iwao Chishima, Chie Koga, Kazushige Ide, Katsunori Kondo","doi":"10.1007/s40653-025-00732-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40653-025-00732-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with undesirable adulthood health outcomes. However, studies investigating the effect of ACE components and cumulative number of ACEs on mortality in older adults are scarce. To examine the association between ACE components or cumulative number of ACEs and mortality in physically and cognitively independent older adults, separately by sex. We conducted a longitudinal study on 11,734 older adults aged ≥ 65 years who responded to the self-administered mail survey of the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study in 2013. We adjusted for 20 confounders, including demographic and psychosocial factors. Modified Poisson regression models were used for calculating the risk ratio (RR), 95% confidence interval (CI), and p-value for mortality approximately 6 years later, separately by sex. A total of 1,498 (12.8%) participants died during the observation period. Parental mental illness (RR, 1.84; 95% CI: 1.08-3.12; p = 0.024) and physical abuse (RR, 1.60; 95% CI: 1.13-2.26; p = 0.008) in men and parental loss (RR, 1.24; 95% CI: 1.03-1.49; p = 0.021) or cumulative number of ACEs (RR, 1.21; 95% CI: 1.01-1.44; p = 0.035) in women were associated with higher RR for mortality. Men who had experienced physical abuse or parental mental illness and women who had lost their parents or experienced one ACE had a higher RR for mortality than those who had not. Further efforts to accumulate prospective studies and implement interventions are warranted.</p><p><strong>Supplementary information: </strong>The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40653-025-00732-y.</p>","PeriodicalId":44763,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma","volume":"19 1","pages":"259-272"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13004767/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147500209","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Envisioning the Future of the Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma.","authors":"Patricia K Kerig","doi":"10.1007/s40653-025-00807-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40653-025-00807-w","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":44763,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma","volume":"19 1","pages":"1-4"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13004774/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147500228","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Pilot Evaluation of Safe First Steps: Implementing Trauma-Informed Practices in a Hispanic School Community.","authors":"Athena B Thai, Lynda Gibson","doi":"10.1007/s40653-025-00794-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40653-025-00794-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Minority youth are disproportionately exposed to traumatic experiences but face barriers in accessing treatment. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has identified six key principles for creating a trauma-informed environment, but these principles have been inconsistently implemented in schools serving diverse communities. The current study is a pilot evaluation of Safe First Steps, an initiative to implement trauma-informed practices based on SAMHSA's key principles, in a majority-Hispanic school population. 63 staff members from a school in Chicago participated in a training initiative, followed by group consultation meetings over two years. Data were collected concerning educators' progress in implementation of trauma-informed principles and barriers experienced. Improvements were found in five of SAMHSA's principles, although no improvement was made in Cultural Humility. Heavy teacher workload, lack of family engagement, family stressors, and newcomer status were the most frequently-reported barriers. Findings support Safe First Steps as a promising framework for implementing trauma-informed care in schools serving minority youth. Results underscore the importance of support from families, school administrators, legislators, and community members.</p>","PeriodicalId":44763,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma","volume":"19 1","pages":"125-133"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13004791/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147500182","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Esther Deblinger, Elisabeth Pollio, Julie P Harrison, Beth Cooper, Francesca L Martelli, Nicole Schuler, Robert Steer
{"title":"Refining the PRACTICE Course for Trauma Professionals Across Organizational Roles to Enhance well-being and TF-CBT Competency.","authors":"Esther Deblinger, Elisabeth Pollio, Julie P Harrison, Beth Cooper, Francesca L Martelli, Nicole Schuler, Robert Steer","doi":"10.1007/s40653-025-00787-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40653-025-00787-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Burnout and secondary traumatic stress (STS) are commonly experienced by mental health professionals working in the trauma field, which can have individual and organizational impacts. Protective factors against burnout and STS include using evidence-based treatment, having positive relationships, and focusing on self-care. This investigation sought to assess the impact of a self-care and relationship-care course for mental health professionals previously trained in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT). To enhance their personal well-being, competency, and empathy for clients, participants were encouraged through didactics, interactive activities, and assignments to personally utilize the PRACTICE skills clients are taught in TF-CBT. This refined iteration of the course had a greater focus on TF-CBT competency, and included supervisor and senior leader breakout groups that addressed organizational issues. Forty-five mental health professionals (32 clinicians, 7 supervisors, 6 senior leaders) participated in the study; 41 completed both pre- and post-course surveys, 27 of whom also answered a qualitative prompt. From pre- to post-course, participants across roles reported significant increases in PRACTICE skills usage (<i>p</i> < .001) and significant decreases in burnout (<i>p</i> < .001). Participants actively implementing TF-CBT (<i>n</i> = 34) reported significant increases in self-reported TF-CBT competency (<i>p</i> = .004). Reductions in STS were observed but were not significant. Qualitative findings also described benefits from the course and highlighted some differential responses to the course based on participants' organizational roles. These results support the potential benefits for trauma professionals (clinicians, supervisors, and senior leaders) of participating in the PRACTICE course.</p>","PeriodicalId":44763,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma","volume":"19 1","pages":"5-15"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13004778/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147500157","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Aline F Bastos, Leticia de Oliveira, Mirtes G Pereira, Mauro V Mendlowicz, William Berger, Aline R Cardoso, Eliane Volchan, Fatima S Erthal
{"title":"Blunted Brain Reactivity To Mutilation Pictures in Patients with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Exposure To Childhood Sexual Abuse: An fMRI Study.","authors":"Aline F Bastos, Leticia de Oliveira, Mirtes G Pereira, Mauro V Mendlowicz, William Berger, Aline R Cardoso, Eliane Volchan, Fatima S Erthal","doi":"10.1007/s40653-025-00788-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40653-025-00788-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study investigated the impact of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) on brain responses to aversive stimuli in patients with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Whole-brain and regions-of-interest analyses revealed that participants who reported higher severity of CSA had smaller brain reactivity to mutilation versus neutral pictures in the right postcentral and supramarginal gyrus, and in the left midcingulate, suggesting that CSA may blunt brain reactivity to aversive stimuli in areas involved in sensory and emo-motoric processing. This study adds evidence for long-lasting effects of CSA on brain processing and attests the need for specific diagnosis and treatment for the affected patients with PTSD.</p><p><strong>Supplementary information: </strong>The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40653-025-00788-w.</p>","PeriodicalId":44763,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma","volume":"19 1","pages":"301-309"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13004775/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147500231","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Breaking the Cycle: Investigating Family Resilience as a Pathway to Better Adolescent Mental, Emotional, Developmental, and Behavioral Health Outcomes.","authors":"Mounika Polavarapu, Shipra Singh, Mohini Adhikari","doi":"10.1007/s40653-025-00792-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40653-025-00792-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Over 20% of children aged 3-17 in the U.S. have at least one diagnosed mental, emotional, developmental, or behavioral health (MEDBH) condition. Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are linked to poor MEDBH outcomes. While family resilience has been examined as a protective factor for specific mental health outcomes, few studies have investigated its role as a distinct mediator in adolescent MEDBH. This study investigated the relationship between ACEs, family resilience, and MEDBH outcomes in adolescents aged 12-17 years. This analysis utilized cross-sectional data from the 2022 National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH). Logistic regression models assessed the association between ACEs, family resilience, and MEDBH outcomes. A generalized structural equation model tested the mediating role of family resilience in this relationship. Among adolescents aged 12-17 years, 34.22% were reported to have experienced MEDBH condition. Adolescents with one or more ACEs had significantly higher odds of experiencing MEDBH issues (aOR = 2.59, 95% CI: 2.56-2.96), while family resilience was protective (aOR = 0.78, 95% CI: 0.66-0.92), after adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics. Mediation analysis confirmed that family resilience partially mediated the association between ACEs and MEDBH outcomes (β = 0.0100, <i>p</i> < 0.001). Specifically, ACEs were negatively associated with family resilience. Our findings emphasize the significant negative association of ACEs on adolescent MEDBH, both directly and indirectly. While family resilience may serve as a protective factor, it is weakened by ACEs. Enhancing family resilience may mitigate the adverse consequences of ACEs.</p>","PeriodicalId":44763,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma","volume":"19 1","pages":"59-66"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13004799/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147500234","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Exploring the Concept of Blocked Care in a Young Forensic Population.","authors":"Bianca Jeacock, Ioan Ohlsson","doi":"10.1007/s40653-025-00773-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40653-025-00773-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study aimed to explore blocked care (compassion fatigue and burnout) within secure and non-secure children's residential settings by examining how blocked care relates to therapeutic parenting (a sensitive parenting style that incorporates empathy) and how those employed to care for children in these settings typically cope with blocked care. Using a quantitative design, 73 adults completed three measures via Qualtrics assessing their compassion fatigue, burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and empathy within the previous 30 days, and tendency to use problem-focused, emotion-focused, and/or avoidant coping strategies. Multiple regression analyses showed that burnout and secondary traumatic stress significantly predicted compassion fatigue (R<sup>2</sup> = 0.208), and that burnout, compassion fatigue, and empathy significantly predicted secondary traumatic stress (R<sup>2</sup> = 0.474). Empathy did not significantly predict compassion fatigue or burnout. Avoidant coping significantly predicted compassion fatigue (R<sup>2</sup> = 0.108), burnout (R<sup>2</sup> = 0.270), and secondary traumatic stress (R<sup>2</sup> = 0.352), while emotion-focused coping also significantly predicted secondary traumatic stress (R<sup>2</sup> = 0.352). Problem-focused coping did not significantly predict any outcome. This study contributes towards the limited literature on blocked care with consideration of the importance of understanding blocked care and secondary traumatic stress. It also suggests how blocked care and secondary traumatic stress could be managed. However, this study has several limitations, including the use of self-reported measures, which are discussed along with proposals for future research.</p>","PeriodicalId":44763,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma","volume":"19 1","pages":"187-194"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13004796/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147500243","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Anna Norlén, Charlotte Bäccman, Karin Lindqvist, Jakob Mechler, Agneta Thorén, Kjerstin Almqvist
{"title":"Long-Term Effects and Predictors of Outcome of Child-Parent Psychotherapy for Traumatized Young Children and their Caregivers: A 6-Month Follow-Up of a Swedish Clinical Sample.","authors":"Anna Norlén, Charlotte Bäccman, Karin Lindqvist, Jakob Mechler, Agneta Thorén, Kjerstin Almqvist","doi":"10.1007/s40653-025-00779-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40653-025-00779-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Children under the age of six are disproportionately exposed to traumatic experiences and seem especially vulnerable. Trauma often affects both children and caregivers and their relationships. Trauma-focused treatment and its long-term effects for young children are of prime interest, but research is limited and lacks follow-up data. The current study explored the long-term effects of Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) treatment and potential predictors of outcome. The sample included 37 traumatized young children, aged 2-6 years, who had received the dyadic treatment together with their caregiver in a multi-site clinical setting. The majority had been exposed to several potential traumatic events, including interpersonal trauma. The study was a naturalistic one-group, pre-post design study with a 6-month follow-up. Outcome measures comprised child and caregiver post-traumatic stress symptoms and signs of caregiving disorganization reported by caregivers. Piecewise Linear Mixed Models were applied to explore long-term treatment effects. Within-group effect sizes were calculated using model-estimated differences in mean values. Possible predictors of outcome were analyzed by adding them as covariates in the model and interacting them with time. The outcomes remained consistent six months after treatment. Positive effects were reduced child and caregiver post-traumatic stress symptoms (<i>d</i> = 0.62; <i>d</i> = 0.57, respectively) and signs of caregiving disorganization (<i>d =</i> 0.64). A higher degree of child trauma symptoms predicted less reduction in caregiver traumatic stress. The results indicate that children, caregivers, and their relationship benefit from CPP and that results are sustainable. The naturalistic design strengthens the applicability of CPP.</p>","PeriodicalId":44763,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma","volume":"19 1","pages":"31-43"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13004797/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147500226","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}