The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #67221

Brenda Liz Henry, MPH, Health Behavior/Health Education, University of Michigan, 109 Observatory St, HBHE, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, 734-678-8903, henryb@umich.edu and Marc Zimmerman, PhD, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, 1420 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109.

Increased attention has been placed on the issues of violence and mental health within the adolescent population in the United States. While much of the research linking the two has focused on examining the impact of being victimized on mental health, very little has been done to examine the role that other forms of violence have on mental health. Specifically, little has been done on a national level to examine the consequences that being a witness to violence or perceptions of violence has on mental health. The research that has examined the impact of “non-personal” violence on mental health has been restricted on a geographic and/or racial/ethnic basis. To address some of these gaps, this study examines the unique contribution that witnessing and perception of violence has on mental health indicators on a national sample of adolescents. Multiple regression analyses were conducted using data from the 1995 National Survey of Adolescents (n=4023). Select background (sex, race, age), demographic (income, geographic residence size), and victimization characteristics were regressed on indicators of psychological distress. Preliminary results indicate that, after controlling for background, demographic, and victimization characteristics, witnessing violent events and perceptions of violence in school and community independently increase psychological distress. In addition, the effect of witnessing violent events on psychological distress differs by sex; females experience more distress associated with witnessing violent events as compared to males. Implications for future research and intervention efforts will also be presented.

Learning Objectives:

• Articulate how witnessing violent events and perception of violence in the environment effect mental health outcomes in adolescents.
• Identify the adolescent populations in greatest need of intervention to mitigate the effects of violence on mental health.
• Propose strategies to improve mental health outcomes for adolescents who witness violent events and perceive the environment as violent.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.