Interpersonal Violence & Traumatic Brain Injuries among Native Americans & Women

OBJECTIVES:

This study aimed to assess the odds of experiencing a traumatic brain injury (TBI) as a result of interpersonal violence (IPV) among Native Americans compared to other races controlling for gender, age, socioeconomic status, rurality and intoxication at the time of the injury.

METHODS:

A secondary data analysis of the Arizona Trauma Database consisting of 18 944 cases of TBI between 2008-2010 throughout the state of Arizona was conducted. There were 312 patients who experienced injuries caused by IPV in the sample. Descriptive statistics, cross-tabulations, bivariate analyses and a logistic regression model were used for analyses.

RESULTS:

The logistic regression model found that Native Americans (OR = 1.15), patients from the other race category (OR = 1.18), females (OR = 1.35) and those who were insured (OR = 1.26) had higher odds of experiencing a TBI as a result of IPV. Rurality and intoxication were mediators of the correlation between Native American race and TBI as a result of IPV.

CONCLUSIONS:

Native Americans are more likely than Whites and females are more likely than males to experience TBIs as a result of IPV.

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By:  Linton KF1.

• 1School of Social Work, University of Hawaii at Manoa , Honolulu, HI , USA. 
• Brain Inj. 2015;29(5):639-43. doi: 10.3109/02699052.2014.989406. Epub 2014 Dec 17.

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Frequency, Nature, and Correlates of Hate Crime Victimization Experiences in an Urban Sample of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Community Members

The present study examines two central research questions. First, we sought to add to current knowledge on the frequency and types of hate crime experiences in an urban sample. Also, drawing on existing frameworks for sexual minority specific (SMS) stress, we examined internalized SMS stress (defined by internalized homophobia and acceptance concerns regarding one's minority status) as a mediator of the association between hate crime victimization (i.e., objective or social SMS stress) and mental health symptoms (i.e., symptoms of depression, anxiety, and general stress). 

Participants were 336 self-identified lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) community members who elected to participate in research at a community health agency in an urban southwestern United States jurisdiction. 

Results suggested:

• approximately one third of the sample reported lifetime hate crime victimization, with the most common types characterized by interpersonal, as opposed to property, crimes;
• approximately half of participants reported their most recent victimization to law enforcement; and
• internalized SMS stress mediated the relation between hate crime victimization and overall mental health symptoms. 

Findings are discussed with respect to implications of the unique nature of hate crimes in an urban setting, as well as theoretical and practical implications of SMS stress findings.

Via: http://ht.ly/Sso9n Purchase full article: http://goo.gl/fueq7H

By: Burks AC1, Cramer RJ2, Henderson CE3, Stroud CH3, Crosby JW3, Graham J4.

• 1Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX, USA acb038@shsu.edu.
• 2University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, USA.
• 3Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX, USA.
• 4University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, USA.
• 
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