American journal of community psychology最新文献

People experiencing homelessness are often described as having "complex needs" for whom various health and housing interventions have been developed. However, there is no consensus on how this and similar terms are defined or measured. A prospectively registered scoping review was conducted to examine how "complexity" is defined and measured with people experiencing homelessness. Six academic databases were searched, along with several techniques for identifying grey literature and articles in unindexed journals. A total of 224 academic articles were included in the review (35 grey literature articles were included in a supplemental review). There were 220 definitions of complexity provided in 203 academic articles, which most commonly included mental illness and/or substance use problems. Physical health problems, multiple health conditions, justice system involvement and offending behaviours, health and social service use patterns, and type and characteristics of homelessness were also common. Three types of approaches for measuring complexity were identified in 29 articles: (1) instruments (primarily vulnerability indices and service prioritization tools), (2) risk adjustment/health resource prediction indices, and (3) study-specific algorithms and processes. Limited validation was common among the methodological approaches, with a few exceptions. Overall, the findings highlight how complexity is often underdefined, with limitations in its measurement.

We explored community-based doulas' perspectives on the acceptability of using formal screening tools to address low rates of mental health screening, diagnosis, and treatment for perinatal anxiety and depression among Black women. Using thematic analysis, we analyzed interview data from 30 community-based doulas who support Black families during pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period. Approximately 57% of community-based doulas supported mental health screening; 23% opposed, and 20% were unsure of whether or not to screen. Four themes emerged from participants' responses, including (1) rethinking screening approaches and procedures; (2) cultural and contextual screening; (3) community-based doula roles; and (4) client mistrust of mental health questionnaires. Additionally, there were four themes that highlighted community-based doulas' perspectives of how they might advocate for this population, including (1) bridge to mental health; (2) identification and normalization of symptoms; (3) systemic issues; and (4) mental health specialization. Partnering with trusted community-based doulas might improve perinatal mental health screening and prevention efforts for Black women experiencing perinatal anxiety and depression.

This paper describes a 3-year community-partnered research initiative focused on advancing early reading, racial equity, and relationships-collectively known as the 3Rs Initiative. The project brought together researchers and community members committed to ensuring that all adults in the county embody a shared "3Rs mindset" to better support literacy development for children in kindergarten through third grade. In Study 1, researchers and community members (The 3Rs team) used thematic analysis of interviews, meeting notes, and group activity and discussion artifacts with community stakeholders to construct and validate a definition of a 3Rs mindset. In Study 2, the 3Rs team created a 36-item scale that could assess an adult's 3Rs mindset. The scale demonstrated excellent content validity, response process, and associative validity. Findings from both studies suggest that community-partnered measure development can be achieved through collaboration, honoring of multiple perspectives, and elevating community partners as "experiential experts" (El Mallah, 2024, p. 984). Measures resulting from such processes have the benefit of community-defined cultural specificity and strong content validity and can be leveraged towards social change.

As young people explore and reflect on the conditions of their neighborhoods and communities, they can forge a critical consciousness-merging their perspectives and analysis to direct both individual and collective actions. Photovoice is a methodological tool that allows participants to document their perspectives and analysis and discuss with peers what is needed for social change. In this study, members of a local government youth program engaged in Photovoice with the ultimate goal of exploring problems and possible solutions from their points of view. Through dialogue of their selected photos, participants name a variety of structural causes of neighborhood neglect and abandonment. However, when encouraged to consider the solutions to those issues, participants predominantly identify individual or community-level actions. We discuss the implications of this discord in the context of literature on critical consciousness and social justice youth development, with the hope of informing policy and practice decisions that can facilitate the empowerment of young people and elevate community well-being.

This study aims to examine the relationship between outdoor environmental quality, trust in neighbors, and social integration among residents of public rental housing in Seoul, South Korea. It also investigates how neighborly relationships moderate this association. The study uses data from the 2016-2021 Seoul Public Rental Housing Panel Survey (SPRHPS) and applies individual fixed effects models to examine how outdoor environmental quality affects trust in neighbors. It also explores the moderating role of dwelling type characterized by apartment and non-apartment (e.g., single detached house and multiunit housing). Poor outdoor environmental quality, characterized by low greenery, inadequate amenities, and unsafe conditions, was linked to diminished trust in neighbors. Interestingly, the negative impact of these outdoor conditions on neighborly trust was less pronounced among residents of apartments compared to those living in non-apartment settings. This trend was also observed in other outcomes, such as attitudes toward social integration. These findings highlight the importance of both physical environmental improvements and fostering social connections in public housing communities to enhance social trust and overall well-being.

Social support has long been recognized as an individual and community resource that can reduce stress and promote well-being, both in everyday life and after traumatic events. This study sought to explore the impact of two types of social support-social integration and perceived emotional support-on sexual assault survivors' longitudinal experiences of posttraumatic stress. We built on a previously conducted latent transition analysis to identify whether social integration and perceived emotional support predicted membership in each latent class, in addition to whether varied levels of support predicted transitions between latent classes over 1 year. Based on responses from a community sample of sexual assault survivors in an urban area of the midwestern United States, we found that while both types of social support predicted latent class membership, the impact of each type of support varied between latent classes, such that social integration and perceived emotional support were differently impactful depending on one's experience of posttraumatic stress. Findings contribute to the ongoing discussion of social support as a vital community resource and suggest circumstances in which social integration and perceived emotional support may each be especially useful in reducing distress and promoting health.

Black women face a myriad of challenges that heighten their susceptibility to sexually transmitted infections (STIs), resulting in a disproportionate impact of STIs among this population. Yet, there is a lack of research that explores how women navigate these diagnoses with resilience. Instead, much of the prevention research on Black women's sexual health and wellness reflects a deficit orientation and focuses on risk. In the current study, we adopt a strengths-based approach and use narrative inquiry methodology to identify mechanisms of resilience that support Black women in navigating the social and emotional challenges following an STI diagnosis. Narrative analysis of interviews with 16 Black women who have been diagnosed with an STI at least once in their lifetimes revealed three storylines about mechanisms of resilience that helped them resolve the impact of the diagnosis: (1) support from other women, (2) openness to intragenerational learning and teaching, and (3) self-love and transformative growth. By understanding how women navigate STI diagnoses, researchers and practitioners can move beyond risk-focused interventions for Black women and toward those that capitalize on their assets and strengths.

Social capital, particularly in the form of supportive relationships and mentorship, plays a crucial role in enhancing college students' academic success and retention. However, disparities in access to these resources contribute to inequities in educational and career outcomes. This study examined the long-term effects of a one-credit course, Connected Scholars, which was designed to teach college students a variety of evidence-based skills for building social capital and recruiting mentors. Drawing on longitudinal administrative data from a large, diverse public university, results demonstrated that passing Connected Scholars was associated with improved retention and an increased likelihood of graduating within 4 or 6 years. Connected Scholars was not associated with significant differences in cumulative GPA at graduation. Results highlight the potential long-term impacts of this semester-long social capital intervention. By increasing college retention and timely degree completion, Connected Scholars may help mitigate economic disparities often experienced by students from marginalized backgrounds.

Mobile technologies have become significant resources for crisis communication and social support in recent years. However, despite empirical evidence pointing to the centrality of these technologies for parenthood in everyday life, it is yet unknown how parents' coping resources play a role in the digital environment. In this study, we examined how parents cope with prolonged political violence online, based on Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory and the three levels of coping it encompasses: personal, family, and community. We employed a photo-elicitation technique during in-depth interviews with 21 parents residing in communities near the Israel-Gaza border, to identify digital coping strategies in WhatsApp groups. The data were collected in January 2023, prior to the outbreak of the October 7th Israel-Gaza war, and therefore reflect coping processes during a period that alternated between relative calm and episodes of escalation. Theoretically, our findings contribute to expanding the core concepts of coping theories, traditionally studied in offline environments, to the digital realm. Empirically, our analysis revealed that participants developed digital coping methods at two ecological levels: personal and community. At the personal level, our participants used local WhatsApp parent groups (WPGs) to manage stress by exchanging emotional and instrumental support and venting emotions. At the community level, our participants indicated that local WPGs could help address emergencies collectively through the provision of instrumental support, emotional support, relief through humor, and as a platform for venting. Our study, by identifying how they use local digital settings, indicates the ways residents can potentially increase their personal and community resilience.

Sociopolitical development (SPD)-that is, "the process by which individuals acquire the knowledge, analytical skills, emotional faculties, and the capacity for action in political and social systems necessary to interpret and resist oppression" (Watts et al., 2003, p. 185)-allows young people to engage in their communities in ways that promote justice and collective wellbeing. Participation in supportive adult-child relationships is theoretically and empirically linked to SPD. However, additional research is needed to investigate the mechanisms through which these relationships support SPD, especially during the understudied developmental period of middle childhood (ages 7-11). This paper presents a theoretical literature review with the goal of consolidating existing evidence about SPD and the social and relational forces that shape it during middle childhood. It also expands on the theory of SPD by proposing the related concept of sociopolitical socialization (SPS), which describes the kinds of socialization between young people and their relational partners that promote SPD, and by highlighting imagination as a previously implicit component of SPD with particular significance for middle childhood.