Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic

Multiple studies have demonstrated a relationship between risk factors for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and mental health needs. This "syndemic" phenomenon suggests that while many patients with mental health conditions are at higher risk for STI acquisition, the relationship also works in the opposite direction: Patients diagnosed with STIs are more likely to have mental health issues. The purposes of this review article are to examine the overlap between mental health and STIs, to provide mental health providers the tools to identify individuals with behavioral health concerns who may be at increased risk for STI acquisition, to discuss how STI diagnosis can affect mental health, and to review interventions to mitigate these risks, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy and motivational interviewing-based behavioral interventions...

This special issue of the Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic addresses mental health issues in the field of sexual and reproductive health. The goal is to highlight important overlaps between reproductive and gender health concerns and mental health symptomatology. The issue includes topics around social determinants of health and their effects on reproductive health; the reproductive health sequelae of eating disorders; mental health challenges faced by gender diverse youth and strategies to mitigate these effects; integration of sexual health services and mental health care; and lessons for mental health advocates from the sex education realm...

School-based instruction and services can effectively support both reproductive and mental health for youth, complementing family and community efforts. Though favored by a large majority of families, school-based sex education can engender controversy, and recently, mental health advocates have begun to face similar challenges around topics such as social-emotional learning and school-based counseling services. This article provides an overview of the emerging trend of opposition to school-based mental health instruction and services, which shares many similarities with opposition to sexual health instruction...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Individual cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is the recommended first-line psychological treatment for young people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), with good outcomes. However, because some young people only partially respond to CBT, it is necessary to improve treatment outcomes. This is the first study to explore the acceptability and satisfaction of a new multifamily therapy (MFT). Three groups were attended by 16 young people with OCD, their parents, and siblings. Parents and young people completed questionnaires and focus groups...

Evidence-based psychotherapies (EBPs) for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are efficacious; however, treatment dropout remains high. The delivery of intensive EBPs for PTSD (i.e., sessions three times per week or more) and telemental health may address barriers impacting dropout. Current evidence for intensive EBPs comes primarily from programs specifically designed for this level of care. Therefore, the feasibility of delivering intensive EBPs for PTSD in traditional outpatient clinics remains unclear...

This study was developed to examine sexual risk behavior among patients seeking community-based mental health services, including associations with psychological distress, identity dysfunction, and childhood emotional neglect. A mediation model was examined regarding identity dysfunction mediating the link between emotional neglect and sexual risk behavior. A total of 245 outpatients completed questionnaires regarding perceived risky sexual behavior, psychological distress, identity dysfunction, and emotional neglect...

The authors of this study aimed to determine the effects of coping strategies and conflict resolution styles on postpartum depression in heterosexual mothers in the postpartum period in Turkey. A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted with 369 mothers with babies aged 1-12 months. The study was carried out between October 1, 2021, and December 1, 2021, in the pediatric outpatient clinic of the Medical Faculty Hospital of a province in the Central Anatolian Region of Turkey. Seventy-four (20.1%) mothers had scores above the depression scale cu-off point (>13)...

It is well documented how adverse childhood experiences can inhibit child development and mentalizing ability and lead to high risk of developmental psychopathology. Mentalization-based treatment (MBT) has been established as an effective approach to treatment for a long range of psychopathologies with both in- and outpatient treatment, yet the evidence base for effective clinical interventions that can help guide professionals working in residential care on how to support the development of neglected and traumatized children is underdeveloped...

Trauma-informed care (TIC) as practiced within anti-human trafficking work is still in its early stages, and there is a significant need for specific guidelines concerning how to apply TIC principles along various phases of behavioral health care. Thus, the goals of this article are to (1) provide an overview of the framework of TIC; (2) identify and summarize the literature that specifically highlights the clinical application of TIC principles; and (3) contribute to the existing literature by providing some examples of integrating TIC principles into patient-clinician interactions with trafficked patients...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

People who have been trafficked often have complex medical and psychiatric needs. Integrated care is a treatment approach that may be used to improve the care of this population. The authors describe the integrated care model and how it may be applied to this population. They also describe some of the benefits and challenges of using an integrated care model with this population.

The convergence of multiple social determinants is thought to increase an individual's vulnerability to exploitation by forcing reliance on precarious opportunities and dependence on potentially harmful individuals and groups. Determining which individual, interpersonal, and systemic factors contribute to an individual's vulnerabilities can be key to preventing the person from experiencing human trafficking. In this article, the authors closely examine the social determinants of health to better understand how they can contribute to a person becoming trafficked...

Human trafficking training is crucial for victim identification and appropriate service provision in health care settings. Over the past decade, the health care profession has made significant strides in the education and training of health professionals. However, access to quality training is still varied, and a unified education program has not been established. At best, educational programs are uneven in their goals and standards. Further complicating matters, amid the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing regulations, in-person training has been less optimal...

Although the evidence base regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children has been growing, descriptions of their experiences remain scarce. In this cross-sectional study, the authors used the Child-Reported Spence Children's Anxiety Scale to collect data from 91 children visiting a pediatric emergency center in Qatar during the pandemic. Around 25% of the children reported elevated levels of overall anxiety. Obsessive-compulsive symptoms were the most common, with 59.3% of children reporting elevated symptoms...

The present study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the Chinese Inventory of Personality Organization (IPO-CH). The IPO-CH was administered to a sample of 336 Chinese undergraduates, and, among them, 125 participants completed the survey 2 months later. Results showed that the IPO-CH has adequate internal consistency (Cronbach's α = .95) and test-retest reliability (r = .60). Exploratory factor analysis did not replicate the original five-factor model but suggested a four-factor model. The IPO-CH manifested good concurrent validity and convergent validity concerning the severity of the pathological personality disorder symptoms...

Compulsive joint cracking is a body-focused repetitive behavior (BFRB), which often results in negative social feedback due to its characteristic sound. While behavioral techniques are recommended in BFRBs, no published studies or case reports exist specifically for compulsive joint cracking. The authors report the case of DZ, who engaged in severe joint cracking of his knuckles and, at times, his back. The individual was assessed with an adapted version of the Generic BFRB Scale (GBS). DZ was instructed on how to perform decoupling, a technique that has shown efficacy in other BFRBs...

Although long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARC) remain the most effective method of contraception for teenagers, most adolescents continue to use less reliable methods. The purpose of this study was to investigate possible psychological factors that may lead to this low uptake rate by studying the LARC decisionmaking process among teenagers. In-depth, semistructured, open-ended interviews of sexually active teenagers who had LARC devices placed prior to 18 years of age were conducted. Four key themes emerged from the interviews: (a) the influences of peers (friends and family members) on LARC decision-making; (b) the lack of awareness about obtaining LARC devices; (c) the fear of weight gain as a driving force during contraceptive and LARC decision-making; and (d) the disproportional anxiety about pain from LARC insertion...

Mindfulness and forgiveness can contribute to decreased rumination, which in turn has been found to play an important role in sleep problems, such as insomnia and poor sleep quality. The authors explored rumination as a potential explanatory variable underlying the association of mindfulness with insomnia and sleep quality, with a model encompassing different mindfulness facets and controlling for interpersonal dispositional forgiveness. One hundred adults (74% females, Mage = 27.62, SD = 8.11) completed measures of Mindfulness, Forgivingness, Rumination, Sleep Quality, and Insomnia...

Individuals with comorbid obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) experience more severe OCD symptoms and poorer treatment response. Despite some evidence linking OCD symptom domains to trauma, only one study to date has examined typical OCD and PTSD presentations in individuals with OCD+PTSD, and findings were based on a nonclinical sample. The current study sought to replicate findings in a clinical sample of 1,014 patients diagnosed with OCD ( n = 928), PTSD ( n = 40), and OCD+PTSD ( n = 46) in specialty OCD and anxiety treatment programs...