American journal of community psychology最新文献

Women account for over one-third of the unhoused population in the U.S. (United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, 2023) and oftentimes experience barriers when seeking to manage their fertility while unhoused (Begun et al., 2019; Kennedy et al., 2014). Previous research examining contraceptive experiences while homeless has, for the most part, failed to account for the experiences of individuals who report less engagement with homeless services, such as those living in encampments and other unsheltered environments. Therefore, the present study sought to document the contraceptive experiences of unsheltered individuals capable of pregnancy. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 15 individuals capable of pregnancy residing in unsheltered locations to identify meaning ascribed to contraceptive access and use and linkages between reproductive health practices and feelings of empowerment. Findings offer novel contributions to the literature and have implications for future research and service delivery with individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness.

Suicide is a pressing issue for many, though far from all, Native American (Native) communities. Although there is significant mental health research on suicide among Native people, community authorities and scientific studies have questioned its relevance for any particular Native community. To examine its relevance, we conducted a systematic review of how Indigeneity and suicide were represented in mental health research on suicidal thoughts and behaviors among American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) published 2010-2020. Following guidance by Siddaway and colleagues (2019), seven databases were searched for publications focused on AI/AN suicide, yielding 937 citations; 240 full-text articles were screened for inclusion, and 72 articles were included in this review. These data capture trends in the mental health literature that homogenize Native peoples through the terms used and generalizations made, that racialize Native peoples as an ethnoracial minority group within the U.S., and that pathologize Native peoples by emphasizing health risks and vulnerabilities to the exclusion of Native strengths, resources, and resistance. This literature offered a distorted reflection of Native peoples and their experiences related to suicide, undercutting its potential relevance for Native communities. Recommendations for future research and guidance for Native community leaders are provided.

The study examines whether and how transitions into and out of social connections with neighbors have asymmetric effects on residents' attitudes toward the siting of locally unwanted land uses-commonly referred to as "Not In My Backyard" (NIMBY) responses. These facilities, like special schools or public housing, may benefit society, but are often opposed locally due to perceived harms. We used data from the Seoul Public Rental Housing Panel Survey (N = 6317). An asymmetric fixed effects model was employed to separately estimate the associations for transitioning into and out of social connections to neighbors. Additionally, gender-stratified models were used to examine whether the asymmetric effects of these transitions differ by gender. Transitioning out of social connection to neighbors is associated with an increase in NIMBYism (b = 0.149), which was larger than the decrease observed when transitioning into social connections to neighbors (b = -0.064). These effects were more pronounced for women than for men. Policymakers should consider initiatives that strengthen community bonds as a strategy to reduce NIMBYism and promote inclusive neighborhood planning.

Violent injuries tend to cluster together geospatially. The discriminatory housing practice of redlining undertaken by the United States federal government in the 1930s has been repeatedly linked with various contemporary community-level disparities. However, no known work has explored the association between historical redlining and the risk of violent injuries among adolescents. To this end, we utilized surveillance data of adolescent patients (N = 401) who presented to a Level I trauma center in Richmond, VA, for violence-based injuries across 2 years (2022-2023). Our analyses revealed significant spatial clustering of violence events using Moran's I after controlling for population density. High violence clusters (N₂₂ = 9, N₂₃ = 12), and low violence clusters (N₂₂ = 9, N₂₃ = 10) were identified across both years. Historically redlined neighborhoods comprised most of the high-violence regions identified (i.e., 85.71% of hot spots were in redlined areas). Our findings suggest that the legacy of historic redlining practices in Richmond, VA is observable in the current-day risks of violent injury for adolescents. Interventions aimed at reducing community violence should consider how such efforts may address the extant effects of past policies (e.g., redlining) as one means of reducing violence.

Neighborhoods influence health in part through social processes. However, little is known about how multiple neighborhood social processes co-occur, or about within (vs. between) neighborhood variation in social processes and health. This study asked how residents of a large public housing development describe their neighborhood and used latent profile analysis to develop profiles of residents according to their social environment perceptions (N = 527, M_age = 44, 15% Asian, 19% Black, 38% Latino, 19% White, 8% other). We included cross-race interactions as an understudied aspect of the social environment, along with social cohesion, place attachment, sense of safety, and neighborhood problems. Five profiles were identified. The largest (35% of participants) was generally content with their neighborhood. Another 18% had strongly positive perceptions, 18% were well connected but concerned about neighborhood problems, 15% were socially disengaged, and 15% were strongly dissatisfied. Profile membership was systematically related to individual and contextual factors. Anxiety and depression were highest in the strongly dissatisfied profile and the two profiles containing a mix of positive and negative perceptions (connected but concerned and socially disengaged). Findings show how differences within (not just between) neighborhoods relate to health and have implications for social programs targeting the unique needs and strengths of public housing residents.

Although peer support is central to the social model approach emphasized in sober living houses (SLHs), no longitudinal studies have examined helping among SLH residents. This longitudinal study examined benefits of helping in three contexts among SLH residents. Data were from 205 participants entering 28 SLHs across 2021-2023. Interviews were at baseline and 1, 2, 3, and 6 months; focal variables were assessed at all interviews using a past-30-day timeframe. Predictors were help given to and received from SLH residents, 12-step attendees, and family/friends; outcomes included drinking days and alcohol problems. Analyses included hurdle and GEE models (both accounting for repeated measures) predicting outcomes from time-lagged helping measures and covariates. In controlled models, more help given in all three contexts and help received in 12-step and family/friends contexts predicted lower odds of alcohol use, while greater family/friends help given predicted fewer drinking days among drinkers. Greater help received in both SLH and 12-step contexts predicted lower odds of alcohol problems. In sum, help both given and received predicted better alcohol outcomes, and helping in all three contexts appeared to be beneficial. Implications are that SLH operators and other service providers might foster helping in recovery-related and other contexts to improve outcomes.

This introduction to the special issue Advancing Immigrant and Refugee Rights: Promoting Empowerment, Justice, Equity, and Liberation situates contemporary migration within a context of escalating global displacement, structural violence, and political backlash. It highlights the urgent need for community psychology to respond to these conditions through praxis that centers migrant voices, challenges exclusionary systems, protects human rights, and promotes social justice and migrant well-being. Drawing from empirical studies across diverse geographic and sociopolitical contexts, the special issue explores how culturally grounded, participatory, and community-based approaches affirm migrant dignity, expand access to opportunity, and foster community resilience. The articles collectively address the psychosocial impacts of hostile immigration policies, the significance of culturally responsive interventions, and the transformative potential of migrant-led advocacy. Through the interconnected themes of empowerment, social justice and equity, and liberation, this issue offers a roadmap for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers committed to co-creating systems rooted in dignity, inclusion, and collective thriving. It concludes with a call for community psychologists to reject neutrality and engage boldly, urgently, and collectively in scholarship and practice that advance migrant justice.