Andrea Dixon Rayle

Relationship of Self-Beliefs, Social Support, and University Comfort with the Academic Success of Freshman College Women

The relationships of self-beliefs, social support, and university comfort with the academic persistence decisions and first-year grade point averages of 527 first semester female undergraduates were examined. Data were gathered in 56 classes or group meetings. These three constructs predicted academic persistence decisions, with social support as the strongest predictor, followed by self-beliefs, and then university comfort. Although there were no differences between Euro-American women and women of color on initial academic persistence decisions, Euro-American women had higher first-year GPAs than did the women of color. Research-informed practice and policy implications for increasing the persistence decisions and academic success of first-year female college students are discussed.

The Implications of Ecologically Based Assessment for Primary Prevention with Indigenous Youth Populations

This paper describes a five-stage approach toward conducting an ecologically based assessment with Indigenous youth populations, and the implications of this approach for the development and implementation of culturally grounded prevention interventions. A description of a pilot study funded by the National Institutes of Health/National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH/NIDA) focused on drug use and American Indian youth is presented as one model for operationalizing ecologically based assessment with Indigenous youth populations, and issues related to translating the pilot study into a prevention intervention are discussed. This paper suggests that ecologically based assessment can serve as a foundation for culturally grounded prevention interventions, promoting the social and ecological validity of those interventions. Editors’ Strategic Implications: By basing the intervention components on assessments of population needs and abilities, the authors demonstrate how programs may be responsive to participants embedded in specific cultural contexts. This type of forward engineering changes the focus of adaptation to program development and should serve as a model for all those developing interventions as well as those working to adapt effective programs to meet the needs of specific populations.

Validation of Four Measures of Social Support with Latina/o and Non-Hispanic White Undergraduates.

This study investigated the psychometric properties of the Perceived Social Support-Family and -Friends Scales, the Family Valuing of Education Scale, and the Mentoring Scale with Latina/o and non-Hispanic White college freshmen. When scores for 112 Latina/o and 597 non-Hispanic White freshmen were examined, strong reliability was found for the Perceived Social Support Scale scores and acceptable reliability for the Family Valuing of Education and Mentoring Scale scores for both groups. Evidence of concurrent validity was found for the Perceived Social Support-Friend and Mentoring Scale scores for Latina/o students. Evidence of construct and concurrent validity was found for both of the Social Support scales and the Mentoring Scale scores for non-Hispanic White students.

The Effect of Neighborhood Context on the Drug Use of American Indian Youth of the Southwest

SUMMARY This study examined neighborhood effects on the drug use of American Indian youth of the Southwest. We compared these effects with American Indian and non-American Indian youth in order to examine the universality of neighborhood disorganization as a risk factor for drug use. Neighborhood level variables included unemployment, poverty, education, and violent crime rate. Results indicated that American Indian youth were not as adversely affected by these neighborhood factors. American Indian youth may possess cultural characteristics that protect them from the adverse effects of neighborhood disorganization, including close familial relationships and ethnic pride. Culturally competent practice with American Indian youth may best be implemented through the enhancement of relational and cultural strengths as described in the literature.

Who Is Offering and How Often? Gender Differences in Drug Offers Among American Indian Adolescents of the Southwest:

This exploratory study examined gender differences in the patterns of drug offers among a sample of 71 American Indian middle school students. Participants responded to an inventory of drug-related problem situations specific to the cultural contexts of Southwestern American Indian youth. They were asked to consider the frequency of drug offers from specific groups in their social networks and the difficulty associated with refusing drugs from various offerers. The results indicated that female and male American Indian youth differ in the degree of exposure to drug offers and the degree of perceived difficulty in handling such offers. Even after controlling for differences in age, grade level, socioeconomic status, family structure, and residence on a reservation, girls reported significantly more drug offers from friends, cousins, and other peers than did boys. Compared to boys, girls also reported a significantly higher sense of difficulty in dealing with drug offers from all sources.

The “Comadre” Group Approach: A Wellness-Based Group Model for Monolingual Mexican Women

The “comadre” approach to group counseling with immigrant Mexican women creates an environment of sisterhood, trust, support, and education. This article describes a wellness-based, comadre pilot group designed to support monolingual Spanish-speaking, Mexican-born women who recently immigrated to the United States. The need for the group and group development and process are described. The 10-week pilot group is described illustrating this particular comadre model of group work with immigrant Mexican women. Implications for future group work and research with Mexican female immigrants are discussed, and suggestions are offered for wellness-based group work led by cross-cultural counselors.

The Multidimensional Inventory of Black Identity: Its Use with Euro-American, Latino, and Native American Undergraduates.

Abstract This study examined the reliability and validity of scores from the Multidimensional Inventory of Black Identity with 550 Euro-American, 112 Latino, and 41 Native American undergraduates. Data for the Centrality, Private Regard, and Public Regard scales indicate that these scores have construct validity. Scores have acceptable Cronbach alpha internal consistency reliabilities across the 3 groups.

Strong teens: A school-based small group experience for African American males.

This article describes the school-based, small group adaptation of the existing Strong Teens Curriculum (STC) for African American male adolescents in high schools. The STC was created to equip adolescents with skills that promote more effective social interaction and enhance personal emotional and psychological wellness. The authors present a twelve-session small group school counseling experience based on the STC for use with African American adolescent males in a high school. Within the small group sessions, attention was given to the unique African American male experience in adolescence and in schools. Based on African American cultural values, historical figures were used as role models in helping to illustrate session concepts, and activities were modified to better connect group members with one another for social support in and outside of the school environment.

Hitting Closer to Home: A Multiple Family Prevention Group for Adolescent Disordered Eating

This article presents an innovative multiple family psychoeducational group for the prevention of disordered eating among adolescent females. An overview of the concerns facing adolescents today is presented, including sociocultural norms, body dissatisfaction associated with pubertal changes, teasing regarding weight and shape, and family influences. Evidence regarding past prevention efforts are cited, indicating the need for the development of psychoeducational groups aimed at promoting familial systemic change for the prevention of adolescent disordered eating. Finally, a nine-session, psychoeducational multiple family group model for the prevention of disordered eating among female adolescents is described.