Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Sep 27;7(4):160-166.
doi: 10.32481/djph.2021.09.021. eCollection 2021 Sep.

Post-Traumatic Bio-Behavioral Rehabilitation of Adult Female Victims

Kathleen Brewer-Smyth  1   2   3   4   5   6 ; CRRN; Harold G Koenig  2 , Katherine Kafonek  3 , Tyler Adams  4 , Adrian Raine  1   2   3   4   5   6 , D Phil  5 , Douglas A Granger  6
Affiliations

Post-Traumatic Bio-Behavioral Rehabilitation of Adult Female Victims

Kathleen Brewer-Smyth et al. Dela J Public Health. .

Abstract

Objective: To determine if low resting basal AM cortisol and flat diurnal cortisol slope that has been reported in female abuse victims, which is dysregulated in the same way in female violent perpetrators, could be corrected and if healthier diurnal cortisol patterns are associated with less aggression in adult female victims.

Design and methods: A non-experimental, naturalistic study evaluated if bio-behavioral rehabilitation could occur for females living in a Delaware homeless mission and participating in their programs. Basal salivary cortisol (AM, PM & slope), aggression, neurological conditions, general health, alcohol use, having been a victim of abuse, religion, spirituality and forgiveness were evaluated over one month between 2018 and 2019.

Results: T tests revealed significant improvement in mean cortisol (AM, PM & slope), aggression, emotional/ behavioral dyscontrol, and health over one month while participating in the mission's programs. Paired t-tests however were only significant for aggression and health. Healthier cortisol was significantly correlated with greater time since last alcohol, greater time since last abuse, less aggression, better health and greater religion, spirituality and forgiveness.

Conclusion: Community programs could be cost effective methods of post-traumatic bio-behavioral rehabilitation. Forgiveness may play a critical role for abuse victims. A larger sample and more settings are needed, although these findings are promising.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Salem, B. E., Nyamathi, A., Idemundia, F., Slaughter, R., & Ames, M. (2013, January-March). At a crossroads: Reentry challenges and healthcare needs among homeless female ex-offenders. Journal of Forensic Nursing, 9(1), 14–22. 10.1097/JFN.0b013e31827a1e9d - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Brewer-Smyth, K., Kafonek, K., & Koenig, H. G. (2020, January/February). A pilot study on sleep quality, forgiveness, religion, spirituality, and general health of women living in a homeless mission. Holistic Nursing Practice, 34(1), 49–56. 10.1097/HNP.0000000000000362 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Roy, L., Crocker, A. G., Nicholls, T. L., Latimer, E. A., & Ayllon, A. R. (2014, June 1). Criminal behavior and victimization among homeless individuals with severe mental illness: A systematic review. Psychiatric Services (Washington, D.C.), 65(6), 739–750. 10.1176/appi.ps.201200515 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Torchalla, I., Strehlau, V., Li, K., & Krausz, M. (2011, November 1). Substance use and predictors of substance dependence in homeless women. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 118(2-3), 173–179. 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2011.03.016 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Upshur, C., Weinreb, L., Bharel, M., Reed, G., & Frisard, C. (2015, April). A randomized control trial of a chronic care intervention for homeless women with alcohol use problems. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 51, 19–29. 10.1016/j.jsat.2014.11.001 - DOI - PMC - PubMed