Individual-level Vulnerability Research Articles

The nested hierarchy of urban vulnerability within land use policies fails to address climate injustices in Turkey

ABSTRACT Responsive land-use policy amid climate change in urban settings includes infrastructure transformation and necessitates recognizing community- and individual-level vulnerabilities as well as climate-driven injustices, which are isolated in the existing literature. This paper highlights how climate policies set in the nine cities of Turkey identify vulnerable groups and individuals, and develop land-use policy to address the identified vulnerabilities and climate justice concerns. Employing policy content analysis and expert interviews, we find critical relationships between the identified vulnerable groups, responsive land-use policy, and climate justice. While social-aid municipalism-related vulnerabilities dominate the districts’ climate policies, nature-based solutions (NBS), especially green infrastructure and urban agriculture, emerge as the dominant climate adaptation solutions. The way urban vulnerabilities are prioritized in the climate and sustainability plans put less emphasis on intersectionality and urban infrastructure-related vulnerabilities. With tokenism of justice taking place in policy documents, the plans do not incorporate vulnerable communities in land-use planning. Ultimately, the complexity of responsive land-use policies for cities must cultivate a greater awareness of how to support vulnerable communities practically.

Contributions of Biobehavioral Sciences to the Study and Prevention of Firearm Violence: Perceived Threat, Cognitive Control, and Firearm Culture

The study and prevention of firearm violence are clearly in the realm of psychology, yet the potential contributions of the biobehavioral sciences to the study of firearm violence are underexplored. Most biobehavioral research has identified individual-level vulnerabilities for violence more broadly, with less focus on how biological risk manifests in the context of firearm culture in particular. Reviewing the literature leads to two main insights: first, the nature of firearm acquisition in the United States (easy access, self-protection motives, and exaggerated perceptions of threat) can itself trigger biobehavioral processes (e.g., threat disruptions in cognitive control) representing a risk for firearm violence. Second, cutting-edge research using digital and biological phenotyping represents a potentially useful approach for tracking and forecasting the momentary risk of firearm violence among high-risk firearm carriers. Policy recommendations informed by the reviewed research can help improve prevention and intervention efforts.

Health Research in the Wake of Disasters: Challenges and Opportunities for Sensor Science.

Disaster events adversely affect the health of millions of individuals each year. They create exposure to physical, chemical, biological, and psychosocial hazards while simultaneously exploiting community and individual-level vulnerabilities that allow such exposures to exert harm. Since 2013, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) has led the development of the Disaster Research Response (DR2) program and infrastructure; however, research exploring the nature and effects of disasters on human health is lacking. One reason for this research gap is the challenge of developing and deploying cost-effective sensors for exposure assessment during disaster events. The objective of this commentary is to synergize the consensus findings and recommendations from a panel of experts on sensor science in support of DR2. The NIEHS convened the workshop, "Getting Smart about Sensors for Disaster Response Research" on 28 and 29 July 2021 to discuss current gaps and recommendations for moving the field forward. The workshop invited full discussion from multiple viewpoints, with the goal of identifying recommendations and opportunities for further development of this area of research. The panel of experts included leaders in engineering, epidemiology, social and physical sciences, and community engagement, many of whom had firsthand experience with DR2. The primary finding of this workshop is that exposure science in support of DR2 is severely lacking. We highlight unique barriers to DR2, such as the need for time-sensitive exposure data, the chaos and logistical challenges that ensue from a disaster event, and the lack of a robust market for sensor technologies in support of environmental health science. We highlight a need for sensor technologies that are more scalable, reliable, and versatile than those currently available to the research community. We also recommend that the environmental health community renew efforts in support of DR2 facilitation, collaboration, and preparedness. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP12270.

Canadian Correctional Officers’ Experiences of Workplace Safety and Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic

This research examined the experiences of Canadian correctional officers (COs) in providing essential services during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study applied theoretical models of stress to explore correlates of COVID-related stress in the correctional setting. Provincial COs (N = 596) took part in an online survey at the end of 2020. Only a quarter of participants reported they felt safe at their workplace during the pandemic. Participants also reported high levels of work stress typified by significant changes to their job responsibilities and role confusion stemming from pandemic-related policies. While most participants agreed that their workplace successfully implemented safeguards, they indicated key downstream considerations were lacking and perceived low levels of certain types of support. Several individuallevel, situational workplace stressors, and coping resources were revealed to be significant correlates of COVID-19 stress. In estimating a hierarchical linear regression model, COVID-19 stress was found to be primarily driven by perceived safety precaution implementation when controlling for individual-level vulnerabilities. Findings examine the impact of COVID-19 among frontline workers in forgotten sectors such as corrections to contribute knowledge that can be used to support COs’ well-being in the face of future infectious disease planning, as well as implications for policy planning.

The Associations Between Gang Membership and Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking: Findings From a Nationally Representative Study.

Adolescent gang membership has been proposed as a risk factor that creates individual-level vulnerability for domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST) and/or a context in which DMST may occur. This study investigates the gang membership-DMST association using data from The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, a nationally representative sample of adolescents in the United States (n = 12,605). Bivariate results found gang-involved minors had 4.39 greater odds of experiencing DMST compared to non-gang-involved peers. Multivariable results found gang membership, violence victimization, delinquency, and certain demographic characteristics to be significantly associated with DMST. These findings emphasize the need to consider the context in an adolescent's life beyond DMST when designing policies and programs, and highlight the need for additional research into the gang membership-DMST association.

Development and Application of Individual and National Opportunity to the Experience of Intimate Partner Violence among Married Women in the Global South

Objectives: Building on the ecological model, multicontextual opportunity theory, and southern criminology, the study developed individual- and country-level indicators of opportunity to understand the experience of intimate partner violence (IPV) among married women in the Global South. Opportunity-related indicators considered the impact of globalization and variability across nations categorized as part of the Global South. Methods: Relying on data from the Demographic and Health Surveys and open-source country indicators, mixed effects logistic regression examined opportunity-related indicators on a sample of married women ( N = 239,554) from the Global South ( N = 41). Results: Exposure to motivated offenders was associated with higher odds of IPV. Individual-level vulnerability was associated with higher odds of IPV. Isolation and interviews that were interrupted, indicators of guardianship, were associated with higher odds of IPV while the number of people in the household was associated with lower odds. More Parliamentary seats held by women was associated with higher odds of IPV. Nine cross-level interactions were significant. Conclusions: National-level factors moderated the influence of individual-level opportunity, reinforcing the Global South is not monolithic. The traveling of IPV programing from the Global North to the Global South is likely ineffective. Programs must consider how context shapes individual experiences.

Mitigating negative livelihood impacts of no-take MPAs on small-scale fishers

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) have the potential to support small-scale fishers in managing their resources. However, a general failure to consider the varying levels of vulnerability of fishers has resulted in MPAs that, often unintentionally, adversely impact small-scale fishers. Furthermore, when fishers lack the capacity to adapt to MPA-related changes, MPAs may fail to meet conservation objectives because fishers do not comply with MPA regulations. In this study, we developed a systematic method to identify individuals who are most vulnerable to being negatively impacted by no-take MPAs through an index that represents individual-level vulnerability. We designed a method for identifying these individuals based on four socioeconomic factors pertaining to vulnerability to MPA changes: livelihood diversity, education, age and wealth, then applied this method in two socially and economically heterogeneous communities in Myanmar's Myeik Archipelago. We used empirical data collected from 80 small-scale fishers in this area to represent each factor, then generated a local-level ‘Livelihood Impact Potential Index’ (LIPI) that reflects the degree to which a no-take MPA would impact an individual fisher's ability to support his or her livelihood. When attributed to each fisher's most frequented fishing ground, the LIPI can identify locations where no-take MPAs would be most detrimental to small-scale fishers' livelihoods based on their levels of vulnerability. The LIPI can thus be used alongside ecological and commercial fishing data to support planners in designing local-scale MPAs that maximise positive impact on biodiversity and minimise adverse impacts on the most vulnerable fishers in a community.

The use of Bayesian networks for realist evaluation of complex interventions: evidence for prevention of human trafficking

Complex systems and realist evaluation offer promising approaches for evaluating social interventions. These approaches take into account the complex interplay among factors to produce outcomes, instead of attempting to isolate single causes of observed effects. This paper explores the use of Bayesian networks (BNs) in realist evaluation of interventions to prevent complex social problems. It draws on the example of the theory-based evaluation of the Work in Freedom Programme (WIF), a large UK-funded anti-trafficking intervention by the International Labour Organisation in South Asia. We used BN to explore causal pathways to human trafficking using data from 519 Nepalese returnee migrants. The findings suggest that risks of trafficking are mostly determined by migrants’ destination country, how they are recruited and in which sector they work. These findings challenge widely held assumptions about individual-level vulnerability and emphasize that future investments will benefit from approaches that recognise the complexity of an intervention’s causal mechanisms in social contexts. BNs are a useful approach for the conceptualisation, design and evaluation of complex social interventions.

Factors associated with burnout amongst healthcare workers providing HIV care in Malawi.

ContextHigh rates of burnout have been reported in low and medium income countries and can detrimentally impact healthcare delivery. Understanding factors associated with burnout amongst health care workers providing HIV care may help develop interventions to prevent/treat burnout.ObjectivesWe sought to understand factors associated with burnout amongst health care workers providing HIV care in Malawi.MethodsThis was a sub-study of a larger cross-sectional study measuring burnout prevalence amongst a convenience sample of healthcare workers providing HIV care in 89 health facilities in eight districts in Malawi. Burnout was measured using the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Anonymously administered surveys included questions about sociodemographics, work characteristics (work load, supervisor support, team interactions), depression, life stressors, assessment of type D personality, and career satisfaction. We performed univariable and multivariable regression analyses to explore associations between variables and burnout.ResultsWe received 535 responses (response rate 99%). Factors associated with higher rates of burnout on multivariable regression analyses included individual level factors: male gender (OR 1.75 [CI 1.17, 2.63]; p = 0.007), marital status (widowed or divorced) (OR 3.24 [CI 1.32, 7.98]; p = 0.011), depression (OR 3.32 [CI 1.21, 9.10]; p = 0.020), type D personality type (OR 2.77 [CI 1.50, 5.12]; p = 0.001) as well as work related factors: working at a health center vs. a rural hospital (OR 2.02 [CI 1.19, 3.40]; p = 0.009); lack of a very supportive supervisor (OR 2.38 [CI 1.32, 4.29]; p = 0.004), dissatisfaction with work/team interaction (OR 1.76 [CI 1.17, 2.66]; p = 0.007), and career dissatisfaction (OR 0.76 [CI 0.60, 0.96]; p = 0.020).ConclusionThis study identified several individual level vulnerabilities as well as work related modifiable factors. Improving the supervisory capacity of health facility managers and creating conditions for improved team dynamics may help reduce burnout amongst healthcare workers proving HIV care in Malawi.

Individual-Level Predictors for Becoming Homeless and Exiting Homelessness: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Homelessness remains a societal problem. Compiled evidence of predictors for becoming homeless and exiting homelessness might be used to inform policy-makers and practitioners in their work to reduce homeless-related problems. We examined individual-level predictors for becoming homeless and exiting homelessness by searching PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and Web of Science up to January 2018. Becoming homeless and exiting homelessness were the outcomes. Observational studies with comparison groups from high-income countries were included. The Newcastle Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale was used for bias assessment. Random effects models were used to calculate pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We included 116 independent studies of risk factors for becoming homeless and 18 for exiting homelessness. We found evidence of adverse life events as risk factors for homelessness, e.g., physical abuse (OR 2.9, 95% CI 1.8-4.4) and foster care experiences (3.7, 1.9-7.3). History of incarceration (3.6, 1.3-10.4), suicide attempt (3.6, 2.1-6.3), and psychiatric problems, especially drug use problems (2.9, 1.5-5.1), were associated with increased risk of homelessness. The heterogeneity was substantial in most analyses (I2> 90%). Female sex (1.5, 1.1-1.9; I2= 69%) and having a partner (1.7, 1.3-2.1; I2= 40%) predicted higher chances whereas relationship problems (0.6, 0.5-0.8), psychotic disorders (0.4, 0.2-0.8; I2= 0%), and drug use problems (0.7, 0.6-0.9; I2= 0%) reduced the chances for exiting homelessness. In conclusion, sociodemographic factors, adverse life events, criminal behaviour, and psychiatric problems were individual-level predictors for becoming homeless and/or exiting homelessness. Focus on individual-level vulnerabilities and early intervention is needed. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42014013119 .

A Critique of the Adverse Childhood Experiences Framework in Epidemiology and Public Health: Uses and Misuses

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have emerged as a major research theme. They make reference to an array of potentially harmful exposures occurring from birth to eighteen years of age and may be involved in the construction of health inequalities over the lifecourse. As with many simplified concepts, ACEs present limitations. They include diverse types of exposures, are often considered cumulatively, can be identified using prospective and retrospective approaches, and their multidimensional nature may lead to greater measurement error. From a public health perspective, ACEs are useful for describing the need to act upon complex social environments to prevent health inequalities at a population level. As the ACEs concept becomes popular in the context of policy interventions, concerns have emerged. As a probabilistic and population-level tool, it is not adapted to diagnose individual-level vulnerabilities, an approach which could ultimately exacerbate inequalities. Here, we present a critique of the ACEs framework, discussing its strengths and limits.

The Interplay of Familial and Individual Risk in Predicting Clinical Improvements in Pediatric Anxiety Disorders

Bioecological models of developmental psychopathology underscore the role of familial experiences of adversity and children’s individual-level characteristics in heightening risk for pediatric anxiety through direct, combined, and interactive effects. To date, much of the existing research dedicated to pediatric anxiety disorders has largely been examined in bioecological models of diathesis-stress using community samples. This study extends our understanding of children’s differential responsiveness to familial adversity by examining the diathesis-stress interaction of cumulative risk and children’s individual-level vulnerabilities (negative affectivity and coping efficacy) within a clinic-referred treatment study for pediatric anxiety disorders. A cumulative risk index assessing exposure to familial adversity (e.g., socioeconomic status [SES], parent psychiatric illness) and self-reported measures of children’s negative affectivity and coping efficacy were each measured at the intake of a randomized controlled clinical trial for the treatment of pediatric anxiety disorders (N = 488; 7–17 years of age). Trajectories of interviewer-rated anxiety symptoms were assessed across 12 weeks of treatment at baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks. Consistent with models of temperamental risk for mental health problems, negative affectivity predicted higher anxiety symptoms at intake. A significant diathesis-stress interaction between cumulative risk and coping efficacy emerged, as high risk and perceptions of lower coping efficacy attenuated declines in anxiety across 12 weeks. These patterns did not differ across treatment conditions. The results indicate that for youth experiencing high levels of stress, additional treatment efforts targeting familial stressors and coping efficacy may be important in maximizing treatment outcomes.

The Impact of Natural Disasters on Domestic Violence: An Analysis of Reports of Simple Assault in Florida (1999–2007)

Abstract Natural disasters are increasing in frequency and severity worldwide. Associations between individual-level vulnerability to natural disasters and social stratification have been widely de...

Spatially Representing Vulnerability to Extreme Rain Events Using Midwestern Farmers' Objective and Perceived Attributes of Adaptive Capacity.

Potential climate-change-related impacts to agriculture in the upper Midwest pose serious economic and ecological risks to the U.S. and the global economy. On a local level, farmers are at the forefront of responding to the impacts of climate change. Hence, it is important to understand how farmers and their farm operations may be more or less vulnerable to changes in the climate. A vulnerability index is a tool commonly used by researchers and practitioners to represent the geographical distribution of vulnerability in response to global change. Most vulnerability assessments measure objective adaptive capacity using secondary data collected by governmental agencies. However, other scholarship on human behavior has noted that sociocultural and cognitive factors, such as risk perceptions and perceived capacity, are consequential for modulating people's actual vulnerability. Thus, traditional assessments can potentially overlook people's subjective perceptions of changes in climate and extreme weather events and the extent to which people feel prepared to take necessary steps to cope with and respond to the negative effects of climate change. This article addresses this knowledge gap by: (1) incorporating perceived adaptive capacity into a vulnerability assessment; (2) using spatial smoothing to aggregate individual-level vulnerabilities to the county level; and (3) evaluating the relationships among different dimensions of adaptive capacity to examine whether perceived capacity should be integrated into vulnerability assessments. The result suggests that vulnerability assessments that rely only on objective measures might miss important sociocognitive dimensions of capacity. Vulnerability indices and maps presented in this article can inform engagement strategies for improving environmental sustainability in the region.

Effects of State-Level Tobacco Environment on Cigarette Smoking are Stronger Among Those With Individual-Level Risk Factors.

To better understand the impact of the state-level tobacco environment (eg, tobacco control policies, attitudes towards smoking) on cigarette smoking, we examined whether the relationship of state tobacco environments to smoking is modified by individual-level vulnerability factors. In a nationally representative sample of US adults (N = 34 638), past-year smoking and heavy smoking were examined. State-level tobacco environment was defined by tobacco-related control policies and attitudes, ranging from permissive to restrictive; individual vulnerability was defined by childhood maltreatment and/or parental substance problems. Additive interaction tested differences in state-level tobacco environment effects on smoking and heavy smoking by individual-level vulnerability. Significant interactions (P values < .01) indicated that the state tobacco environment had the strongest relationship to smoking outcomes among individuals with greatest individual vulnerability. For example, among respondents with childhood maltreatment and parental substance problems, those in states with permissive tobacco environments had 13.3% greater prevalence of smoking than those in restrictive states. Among respondents with neither individual-level risk factor, those in permissive states had 2.8% greater prevalence than those in restrictive states (interaction P value = .0002). Further restricting states' smoking environments could help reduce the prevalence of smoking and heavy smoking, particularly among those at increased individual risk in the general population. This study shows that the protective effect of restrictive state-level tobacco environments on smoking or heavy smoking was stronger among those especially vulnerable due to individual-level risk factors (parental substance problems, childhood maltreatment). Thus, public health campaigns to influence attitudes towards smoking or legislation to strengthen tobacco control could have a broad effect, particularly impacting those with vulnerability to smoking, which may help decrease smoking prevalence and reduce the massive public health burden of tobacco-related morbidity and mortality.

Suicide in the U.S. army: stressor-strain hypothesis among deployed and nondeployed Army National Guard soldiers

Purpose – Study samples, having responded to similar survey content, allowed examination of suicide risk factors for deployed soldiers relative to nondeployed or home station soldiers. Specific research questions addressed by this study are: First, what is the prevalence of suicidal behaviors among Army National Guard (ARNG) soldiers – deployed or not, and how do these rates compare with known US national and international rates? Second, what are stressful life events associated with suicidal risk? How do these compare between deployed and nondeployed soldiers? Third, what specifically about combat exposure makes soldiers at risk for suicide? And fourth, is there any evidence of stress-buffering effect between risk factors and suicidal behaviors? The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – Three data sources were used. First, the responding sample for the Unit Risk Inventory consisted of 180 company-sized units with a total of 12,567 responding soldiers. Second, the responding sample for the Unit Risk Inventory-Reintegration consisted of 50 company-sized units with a total of 4,567 soldiers. The third data source was all ARNG suicides for calendar years 2007 through 2012. For each calendar year, a random sample of 1,000 ARNG soldiers was drawn to represent nonsuicides. This resulted in a study sample size of 6,523, including the 523 suicides for the years 2007 through 2012 plus 1,000 nonsuicide cases for each calendar year. Findings – Prevalence of suicidal behaviors among soldiers was higher (for thoughts, plans, and attempts, respectively, 4-6, 1.3-2.2, and 0.7-0.08 percent) than among civilian populations (respectively, 2.6, 0.7, and 0.4 percent). Risk was highest among home station than deployed soldiers. Stressful life events associated with suicide risk included personal feelings of loneliness, anger, and frustration, followed by interpersonal behavioral problems, such as aggressive behavior toward a significant other and having committed a crime. Also evident are the beneficial effects (as a main effect and buffering effect) of feelings of cohesiveness, quality leaderships, and job satisfaction on suicidal behaviors. Research limitations/implications – Findings here were consistent with the stressor-strain hypothesis. Stressful life events were associated with suicide risk, especially, personal feelings of loneliness, anger, and frustration, followed by interpersonal behavioral problems, such as aggressive behavior toward a significant other and having committed a crime. Evident, too, were the beneficial effects of feelings of cohesiveness, quality leaderships, and job satisfaction on suicidal behaviors. Soldiers reporting these events were less likely to report suicidal behaviors and social support lessened the cumulative effect of risk factors on suicidal behaviors. Given these findings, it seems that suicide risk in the military is not uniquely different from that observed in civilian populations. The higher prevalence of suicides in the military likely has to do with proportionally more individuals who have historically shown to be at risk for suicide, namely, young males. Practical implications – Strong association of individual-level attributes with suicidal behaviors, such as age, gender, and race, suggest individual-level vulnerability to suicidal behaviors. This expectation is consistent with the stress/suicide vulnerability theory (Bryan, 2014; Nock et al., 2013). Such vulnerabilities may include negative affectivity (one of the Big Five personality dimensions) and early childhood trauma to suicidal behaviors (Griffith, 2012a, 2014). Social implications – Suicide, related constructs, and their underlying processes need to be further examined in future research. Their understanding would be useful in screening individuals most at risk for suicidal behaviors, with referral and treatment, if needed. Practically, such vulnerabilities in relation to what specific experiences could be determined, potentially describing which individuals are suited best to adapt to which environments. Originality/value – There has been much research on the increased suicides in the military, and to date, studies have focussed primarily on traumatic events, such as, deployments and combat exposure associated with suicidal behaviors. Yet, studies have almost exclusively examined the combat-suicide connection without reference to suicide risk factors among nondeployed or home station soldiers. This study fills this gap by examining survey responses to standardized questionnaires administered to ARNG soldiers during calendar year 2010 – one sample of deployed units either to Iraq or to Afghanistan and another sample of nondeployed or home station units.

"It's all about making a life": poverty, HIV, violence, and other vulnerabilities faced by young female sex workers in Kumasi, Ghana.

This study aimed to identify social, economic, structural, and individual-level vulnerabilities of female adolescents who sell sex in Kumasi, Ghana. Twenty-four in-depth interviews and 4 focus group discussions were conducted with female sex workers of age 18-20 years who had been involved in sex work for at least 2 years. Total sample size was 48. One-third of participants started sex work before age 15. Knowledge of HIV was accurate and most reported having intentions to use condoms consistently with clients; however, factors such as higher payments, drug and/or alcohol use, fear of violence, and police harassment affected condom use. They perceived violence and rape at the hands of clients as their greatest risk. They also reported abuse and exploitation by police. Respondents voiced strong concerns that girls and teens involved in sex work are at higher risk of unsafe sex, exploitation, and abuse than their older and more experienced counterparts. Unprotected sex with boyfriends was also common. The pathway to sex work followed a similar pattern for many study participants who left their rural homes for Kumasi in search of economic opportunity. While adolescents who sell sex appear to be abundant in Kumasi, they have been missed by HIV prevention and harm reduction programming. The findings from this study informed the design and implementation of a young female sex worker peer educator pilot program. Key elements of that program are presented, and recommendations for future program evaluation are made.

Comorbidities and continuities as ontogenic processes: toward a developmental spectrum model of externalizing psychopathology.

Research on child and adolescent mental health problems has burgeoned since the inaugural issue of Development and Psychopathology was published in 1989. In the quarter century since, static models of psychopathology have been abandoned in favor of transactional models, following the agenda set by editor Dante Cicchetti and other proponents of the discipline. The transactional approach, which has been applied to autism, depression, self-injury, and delinquency, (a) specifies vulnerabilities and risk factors across multiple levels of analysis spanning genes to cultures, (b) identifies multifinal and equifinal pathways to psychopathology, and (c) transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries. However, as noted by Rutter and Sroufe (2000), specific mechanisms of continuity, discontinuity, and comorbidity of psychopathology must be identified if we wish to understand etiology fully. In this article, we present a model of early-onset externalizing behavior in which comorbidities and continuities are viewed as ontogenic processes: products of complex longitudinal transactions between interdependent individual-level vulnerabilities (e.g., genetic, epigenetic, allostatic) and equally interdependent contextual risk factors (e.g., coercive parenting, deviant peer group affiliations, neighborhood criminality). Through interactions across levels of analysis, some individuals traverse along the externalizing spectrum, beginning with heritable trait impulsivity in preschool and ending in antisociality in adulthood. In describing our model, we note that (a) the approach outlined in the DSM to subtyping externalizing disorders continues to obscure developmental pathways to antisociality, (b) molecular genetics studies will likely not identify meaningful subtypes of externalizing disorder, and (c) ontogenic trait approaches to psychopathology are much more likely to advance the discipline in upcoming years.

Extractive workload: a mixed-method approach for investigating the socially differentiated effects of land-use/land-cover changes in a southern Zambian frontier

In rural regions across the globe, local natural resources (i.e., “bush” resources) are central to meeting daily household needs. Culturally-influenced gender- and age-based divisions of labor guide the harvesting of these resources and, as a result, shifts in resource availability will differentially affect women, men, girls, and boys. This research brief presents results of an innovative pilot project designed to assess the socially differentiated effects of land-use/land-cover changes (LULCC) on Gwembe Tonga migrants living in Kulaale, an agricultural frontier in southern Zambia. Integrating existing analyses of remotely sensed imagery with a seasonal resource survey and mapping exercise (n = 20 homesteads), this study finds the average extractive workloads (mean annual distance traveled for the collection of bush resources) of women, men, girls, and boys to be both unequal and contrary to recent speculations about the distinctive vulnerability of adult women to environmental change. Drawing on qualitative ethnographic methods—including semi-structured interviews (n = 101), a homestead labor survey (n = 38), participant observation, and references to over fifty years of anthropological research—the author identifies additional variables—including the demographic structure of Kulaale homesteads and the flexible division of subsistence labor—that color Gwembe Tonga migrants’ aged and gendered experiences of LULCC. The study adds important nuance to our understanding of natural resource practices and individual-level vulnerability, particularly in the face of contemporary environmental change.

An Exploration of Community Reentry Needs and Services for Prisoners: A Focus on Care to Limit Return to High-Risk Behavior

Prisoner reentry is a stressful process and many prisoners return to behaviors that led to incarceration upon community reentry. We assess how individual-level vulnerabilities interact with system-level barriers that impact the community reentry process. An additional area explored was the impact of reentry services on risk behavior (i.e., sexual risk and substance use). Fifty-one (22 men, 29 women) primarily minority adults returning from the county jail or state prison participated in 4 focus groups in Febuary 2010. Participants took part in tape-recorded focus groups facilitated by research staff trained in qualitative research methodology. Participants reported that a lack of discharge planning led to poor community reentry (basic needs such as stable housing and employment were not met). As a result of a difficulty in accessing services to meet basic needs, many participants used drugs or engaged in sex for drugs, money, or transportation early in the community reentry process. Given the individual-level vulnerabilities of prisoners, they are more likely to reengage in risk behavior, which increases the risk of acquiring and transmitting HIV, reengaging in substance use, and recidivism. In summary, discharge planning should focus not only on sexual and substance use risk reduction, but also confirm that basic needs are met soon, if not immediately, upon release and subsequent community reentry.