American journal of community psychology最新文献

This manuscript centers on the experiences of caretakers of minors in Honduran transnational families (TNFs) in which one or both parents emigrated, and of the schoolteachers, professional psychologists, and spiritual leaders working with these families. We report on the participants' knowledge and learned lessons, which we place in dialog with the interdisciplinary literature on TNFs in sociology, psychology, gender studies, and cultural studies. Through a participatory methodology, we collaborated with the participants to develop a series of guidelines based on their experiences. We have structured this manuscript in four intersecting themes: (1) Affectivity related to parental migration and its consequences; (2) Community dimensions and actors; (3) Family arrangements and agreements; and (4) Family communication at a distance. These guidelines and insights may prove helpful to current, prospective, and past TNFs who may see their experiences reflected in this manuscript, and to professionals working with TNFs. The participants' knowledges and suggestions can be instrumental in understanding and professionally supporting these families' well-being, care, and unity.

Research-Practice Partnerships seek to close the research-practice gap through developing collaborative, authentic partnerships between researchers and community members. Our team has leveraged Research-Practice Ambassadors to support socially just and equitable partnership processes in schools. We describe how the Ambassadors can support these types of long-term partnerships by building trusting relationships, uplifting practitioner voice and lived experiences, and strengthening bidirectional communication across research and practice teams. We provide details about the inputs and activities for the Ambassador role, the potential benefits of this role in strengthening partnership processes, and case examples of how our team has used the Ambassador role to strengthen partnerships. Future directions of this work should evaluate the impact of using this Ambassador role and incorporate critical analyses of power.

Health inequalities persist along lines of income and wealth, shaped by unequal access to healthcare, differences in health behaviors, and pre-existing chronic conditions. The COVID-19 pandemic further put families in Korea under health strain and worsened their health outcomes. This study investigates how pre-existing socioeconomic disparities intersect with health outcomes. Using the national administrative health big data provided by the Korean National Health Insurance Service, we employ logistic regression models for 10,459,043 randomly sampled cases from a total of more than 34 million registered positive cases in the country. We specifically examine whether and to what extent individuals from lower income backgrounds with positive cases are more or less likely to experience negative health outcomes. Our findings reveal that individuals from higher income backgrounds are less likely to experience negative health outcomes compared to the lowest income group, including hospitalization (odds ratio [OR] = 0.45, confidence interval [CI] = 0.44, 0.46), severe illness (OR = 0.70, CI = 0.61, 0.81), and fatalities (OR = 0.40, CI = 0.38, 0.41). Furthermore, our subsample analyses based on various demographic characteristics consistently showed that individuals from higher income backgrounds face a lower risk of adverse health outcomes. These results indicate that disadvantaged individuals are disproportionately affected by the health crisis, deepening health inequities. This paper emphasizes the need for targeted public policies.

This study investigates the longitudinal impact of socioeconomic instability on teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection (STI) diagnosis among adolescents and young adults (AYA) living in an agricultural region and examines pathways including supportive family and social structures, decision making autonomy in romantic relationships, health access, mental health and coping behaviors, and perceptions of future opportunities. Data were drawn from A Crecer, an 8-year cohort study in Salinas, California (2015-2023). Outcomes of teen pregnancy (<20 years) and STIs were measured using self-report and biological testing. Socioeconomic instability was defined as experiencing severe crowding, food insecurity, or housing instability at baseline. Log-binomial regression models estimated associations, and causal mediation analyses explored mediation pathways. Among 373 participants (median age 13.7; 96% Latine), socioeconomic instability was associated with teen pregnancy (RR 2.28, 95% CI 1.38-3.75) and STIs (RR 3.25, 95% CI 1.77-5.99). Housing instability, in particular, had strong associations with both pregnancy (RR 2.07; 95% CI 1.23, 3.48) and STIs (RR 2.38; 95% CI 1.33, 4.29). No statistically significant mediators were identified. Findings highlight the need for early economic and housing policy interventions to support AYA and their families early in adolescence to promote sexual health during the transition to adulthood.

Loneliness is increasingly recognized as a significant public health issue, particularly among individuals with mental disorders, where it exacerbates symptoms and hinders recovery. This study evaluates changes in perceived loneliness and affective symptoms before and after participation in peer support groups for individuals with mental disorders in Colombia. Employing a quasi-experimental design with pre- and post-intervention assessments, the study utilized a non-randomized sample of 130 participants. The University of California, Los Angeles Loneliness Scale and the Self-Report Questionnaire were employed as assessment tools. The intervention was structured around core components of peer support. The findings revealed a substantial reduction in both loneliness and affective symptoms, with moderate effect sizes (Cohen's d = 0.35, Z = 8.330 for loneliness; Cohen's d = 0.42, Z = 8.634 for affective symptoms). These results underscore the efficacy of peer support groups in community settings for mitigating loneliness and enhancing mental well-being. Additionally, they highlight the potential of incorporating individuals with lived experience as active agents in mental health service delivery.

If sexual assault survivors report the assault to the criminal legal system, they often need informal support from family and friends throughout the long and frequently retraumatizing process of investigation and prosecution. This study is part of a long-term community-based participatory action research project in a predominately Black/African American U.S. city that is facing extended delays in sexual assault prosecution because the police have not been routinely testing medical forensic evidence when sexual assaults were first reported. When police had this evidence tested years later, cases with DNA matches were re-opened, and survivors were asked to re-engage with the criminal legal system. We conducted qualitative interviews with N = 32 survivors who participated in these "cold case" prosecutions and explored how their family and friends supported them throughout this process. Most survivors (94%) disclosed to friends and family that their cases had been re-opened, and 47% received beneficial emotional and tangible support during prosecution. The other half (53%) encountered indifference or blame from their family members and friends. We discuss how victim advocates can prepare survivors for the reactions they may receive from friends and family, and how community services can buffer loss of support.

Despite the heightened mental health challenges amid rising Anti-Asian sentiment, Asian Americans have significantly underutilized mental health services, a trend that persisted even before the COVID-19 pandemic. Although considerable efforts have been made to understand how various factors are related to mental health service use in this population, research integrating these multiple factors in a single study, with a specific focus on ethnic disaggregation, remains limited. Using a cross-sectional Study of Filipino and Korean American young adults (M_age = 21.37, US-born = 65.03%), we examined the combined impact of individual, familial, and ethnic-cultural, immigrant, and racial stereotype factors on their mental health service utilization through hierarchical logistic regressions. Depressive symptoms, being female, and less stigma associated with mental health care were significantly associated with more service use regardless of ethnicity. Notably, primarily speaking English or both English and ethnic language equally at home (as opposed to an ethnic language) was significantly associated with more service use among US-born Filipino Americans. Conversely, the internalized model minority stereotype was significantly associated with less service use among Korean Americans. This study underscores the importance of developing effective mental health interventions tailored to both shared and unique determinants within diverse Asian American populations.

Substance use, specifically opioid and methamphetamine use, is of increasing concern among American Indian (AI) populations in the Great Plains. This community-driven participatory study investigated the impacts of substance use and community-defined needs in treating addiction. It determined the priorities for future research on behavioral health and substance misuse in the Great Plains region. Behavioral health and social services professionals and community stakeholders were identified from eight Great Plains communities and invited to attend eight focus groups (N = 47). Conversations were audio-recorded, transcribed, and coded by the research team. The qualitative data analysis identified four themes: (1) Challenges with Treatment and Recovery, (2) Impact of Substance Use, (3) Reasons for Substance Use, (4) Solutions and Research Priorities. The findings highlight barriers to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment ranging from policy issues to lack of funding. The most significant finding centered on integrating cultural strengths into treatment and recovery programs, including Ceremony Assisted Treatment (CAT). Data reports for each participating organization were provided to disseminate outcomes in their respective communities. Other key findings suggest that addressing the root causes of substance use disorder, along with early intervention and comprehensive counseling services, are essential for long-term success.

One source of support that may help first-generation college students (FGCS) complete their undergraduate studies is institutional natural mentors (e.g., university faculty, staff). Yet, few researchers have examined factors that contribute to having these relationships, and their relationship to college adjustment, among FGCS. The aim of this study was to examine whether FGCS' help-seeking behaviors predicted the presence of institutional natural mentoring relationships, and whether these mentoring relationships were related to students' sense of belonging at their college and GPA over time. Participants included 358 first-generation, ethnically/racially diverse college students. Path analyses indicated that help-seeking beliefs before college did not significantly predict the presence of institutional natural mentoring relationships during college overall, but did predict a higher number of endorsed institutional mentors. The presence of any institutional natural mentor within the first 2 years of college was not significantly related to academic outcomes in students' third year; however, having a greater number of institutional natural mentors was related to a stronger sense of belonging on one's college campus. Study findings have implications for interventions aimed at supporting FGCS to persist in higher education.

Scholars of community psychology have demonstrated that religion and spirituality play an important, yet often overlooked, role in social justice activity. However, more research is needed to understand the nuances of how religious actors utilize their faith in the pursuit of social justice. This study draws on the community psychology of religion and social movement studies to examine how Episcopalians employ religion/spirituality in their racial justice organizing. Based on 3 years of ethnographic fieldwork with an Episcopal Beloved Community Commission, findings reveal that members leveraged four specific religious resources-theology, sacrament, liturgy, and communal events-to frame racism as a spiritual, not solely social or political, problem. These strategies functioned as sanctification processes, ultimately recasting antiracism as a sacred endeavor. Unlike prior research that depicts sanctification as an individual process, the Commission practiced it collectively, leveraging Episcopal theology (e.g., naming racism as sin) to create new pathways for racial justice engagement among their faith community. Interventions in religious contexts can be strengthened by integrating theological teachings, sacramental practices, liturgical framing, and community gatherings into racial justice efforts.