In Mexico, suicide and suicidal behaviors (SB) have increased 275% since 1990. Prisoners constitute a growing population in Mexico and have been identified as high suicide risk. Using a sample of 194 male prisoners, we measure what demographics and mental health symptomology are associated with suicidal ideation (SI) and SB, and identify what demographics and mental health symptomology predict SI and SB. Global Severity and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) were significant predictors of experiencing SI, whereas global severity, ACEs, and age were significant predictors of experiencing SB. Findings support increased identification and comprehensive mental health services addressing suicidality in prisons.

Psychopathic traits and a history of traumatic brain injury (TBI) are common among imprisoned individuals. Although previous research has examined correlates of TBI among juvenile offenders, little research has explored the relationship between psychopathic traits and TBI among this population. Study objectives included: (1) examine the association between the history of a TBI and psychopathic traits among juvenile offenders and (2) determine if the history of a TBI predicts the manifestation of different psychopathic factors among juvenile offenders. Cross-sectional data from the Multidimensional Youth Residential Inventory consisted of 226 juvenile offenders. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted. Results of linear regression analyses showed that history of a TBI significantly predicted callous unemotional and impulsive irresponsible traits. Clinical implications suggest early intervention is needed to treat the potential long-term effects of TBIs and the development of psychopathic traits. Recommendations for further research are discussed.

COVID-19 presented numerous challenges to medical professional's mental, emotional, and physical health, including burnout and secondary trauma. As social workers served as essential and frontline workers during COVID-19, it is important to investigate the effects of the pandemic on professional burnout and secondary trauma responses. A multiracial sample of 163 medical social workers working across four hospital settings responded to a survey addressing burnout and the impact of COVID-19. Medical social workers in this sample reported high levels of emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment and moderate levels of depersonalization. Regression analyses found that hyperarousal scores significantly predicted emotional exhaustion, identifying as Latinx and Black significantly predicted depersonalization, and being older and identifying as White significantly predicted personal accomplishment among medical social workers. Resiliency programs can be developed for medical social workers in direct practice to reduce secondary traumatic stress and increase employee well-being. Future research should employ more rigorous research designs to better understand risk and protective factors for burnout among medical social workers providing direct practice to clients and families.

Background: Afterschool programs (ASPs) funded under the 21st Century Community Learning Center (CCLC) Act were designed to provide a safe environment for students to engage in extracurricular programming. COVID-19 disrupted the school environment leading to numerous negative outcomes for students and parents, as well as teachers and school administration. The effects of COVID-19 continue to be felt as educational disparities persist, creating opportunities for afterschool programming to help lessen the gaps. Methods: Based on the lasting impact of COVID-19 and the lack of literature on ASPs, the purpose of this study is to compare the effectiveness of a 21st CCLC ASP from spring 2019 to spring 2020 to account for the initial effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Our aims were to (1) examine the differences in student ratings of various ASP outcomes the semester before and semester during which COVID-19 began, and (2) determine if student grade level impacts ratings of various ASP outcomes. Findings: Results showed that family involvement significantly increased from before to during COVID-19 and that early adolescents had significantly worse outcomes related to family, friends, grades, and overall opinions of the ASP during the pandemic than those in younger grades. Conclusions and Implications: Recommendations for ways to increase engagement in ASPs for both families and youth transitioning to higher grade levels are discussed.

Health social workers practicing in hospital settings were confronted with numerous personal and professional challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Resiliency among frontline health social workers was important for effective practice, retention, and workforce sustainability during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Transactional Model of Stress and Coping was used to better inform how frontline health social workers responded during the pandemic and to identify risk and protective factors for professional social work resiliency. This study examined 163 health social workers employed across several hospitals in a large metropolitan city in the United States. Health social workers in this research identified with diverse backgrounds including age, race, and length of time in the profession. A multiple linear regression predicted 39.7% of the variance in resilience, with personal distress, coping, grit, and perspective-taking being significant predictors. Clinical, policy, and research implications are presented for promoting resiliency among health social workers in hospital settings.