Gail Landheer Zandee

Desired Mental Health Resources for Urban, Ethnically Diverse, Impoverished Women Struggling With Anxiety and Depression:

Depression and anxiety are mental health issues that disproportionately affect women—particularly when access to culturally sensitive care is limited. The purpose of this study was to identify mental health concerns in three urban, ethnically diverse, underserved, and impoverished neighborhoods using the ideological perspective of community-based participatory research. In the context of long-term partnerships between a department of nursing and these neighborhoods, we recruited 61 women aged 18 to 69 years and collected data via homogeneous focus groups comprised of Black, Hispanic, and White women, respectively. We conducted five of the focus groups in English and one in Spanish. The women perceived anxiety and depression as significant concerns for themselves, their families, and their communities. They used unique community resources to manage mental health issues and desired new resources, including support groups and education.

Using community-based participatory research to explore social determinants of women's mental health and barriers to help-seeking in three urban, ethnically diverse, impoverished, and underserved communities.

Depression and anxiety are significant mental health issues that affect urban, ethnically diverse, impoverished women disproportionately. This study sought to identify social determinants of mental health and barriers to help-seeking for this population. Using community based participatory research and focus groups, sixty-one Black, Hispanic, and White women identified economic, family, cultural, and neighborhood issues as perceived determinants of their depression/anxiety. They identified practical, psychosocial, and cultural barriers to their help-seeking behavior. These results can promote womens health by fostering an understanding of social factors as perceived determinants of depression/anxiety and shaping practice and policy initiatives that foster positive aggregate outcomes.

Effectiveness of Community Health Worker/Nursing Student Teams as a Strategy for Public Health Nursing Education

A unique program that partners community health workers with nursing students was developed in response to community-based participatory research data and integrated into a public health practicum at a baccalaureate nursing program in West Michigan. The goal of the program is to promote the health of 3 underserved urban neighborhoods while educating nursing students in population health and public health nursing. The purpose of this paper is to describe program conception and implementation and discuss evaluation of educational outcomes as a public health learning experience.

Clinging to Any Bit of Joy: Urban, Ethnically Diverse, Impoverished Women's Descriptions of Anxiety and Depression

Depression and anxiety are mental health issues that disproportionately affect women. This study sought to capture perceptions of anxiety and depression in 3 urban, ethnically diverse, underserved, and impoverished neighborhoods. Using community-based participatory research, in the context of long-term partnerships between a department of nursing and these neighborhoods, the researchers recruited 61 women aged 18 to 69 years. Data were collected via 6 homogeneous focus groups composed of Black, Hispanic, and White women, respectively. The women identified themes pertaining to the manifestations and effects of anxiety and depression as well as unique coping strategies.

Impact of Integrating Community-Based Participatory Research Into a Baccalaureate Nursing Curriculum

BACKGROUND Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is rapidly gaining respect within the health care community as a means to promote public health and address health disparities. It has also recently been named as one of the competencies needed by public health professionals to be effective. METHOD This article describes an educational innovation where CBPR is integrated into a baccalaureate nursing curriculum as a strategy to create meaningful learning experiences for nursing students while benefitting the health of the community. RESULTS The impact of this approach was analyzed over a period of 12 years. The positive outcomes for the community, students, and faculty are described, along with the unique challenges. CONCLUSION Integrating CBPR into a nursing curriculum is an innovation that is worthy of further assessment.

Attending to Communication and Patterns of Interaction Culturally Sensitive Mental Health Care for Groups of Urban, Ethnically Diverse, Impoverished, and Underserved Women

BACKGROUND: The United States is ethnically diverse. This diversity presents challenges to nurses, who, without empirical evidence to design culturally congruent interventions, may contribute to mental health care disparities. OBJECTIVE: Using Leininger’s theory of culture care diversity and universality, this study documented communication and interaction patterns of ethnically diverse, urban, impoverished, and underserved women. DESIGN: Using a community-based participatory research framework, 61 Black, Hispanic, and White women participated in focus groups around their experiences with anxiety/depression. Researchers recorded verbal communication, nonverbal behavior, and patterns of interaction. RESULTS: The women’s communication and interaction patterns gave evidence of three themes that were evident across all focus groups and five subthemes that emerged along ethnic lines. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest cultural universalities and cultural uniquenesses relative to the communication and interaction patterns of urban, ethnically diverse, impoverished, and underserved women that may assist in the design of culturally sensitive mental health care.

Conducting Research With Community Groups

Nurse scientists are increasingly recognizing the necessity of conducting research with community groups to effectively address complex health problems and successfully translate scientific advancements into the community. Although several barriers to conducting research with community groups exist, community-based participatory research (CBPR) has the potential to mitigate these barriers. CBPR has been employed in programs of research that respond in culturally sensitive ways to identify community needs and thereby address current health disparities. This article presents case studies that demonstrate how CBPR principles guided the development of (a) a healthy body weight program for urban, underserved African American women; (b) a reproductive health educational intervention for urban, low-income, underserved, ethnically diverse women; and (c) a pilot anxiety/depression intervention for urban, low-income, underserved, ethnically diverse women. These case studies illustrate the potential of CBPR as an orientation to research that can be employed effectively in non-research-intensive academic environments.

Women supporting women: Supportive/educative groups for ethnically diverse, urban, impoverished women dealing with depression and anxiety

&NA; Depression and anxiety are mental health issues that disproportionately affect urban, ethnically diverse, impoverished women. Using community based participatory research and in the context of long‐term partnerships between a nursing department and underserved neighborhoods that are predominately Black, Hispanic, and White respectively, supportive/educative groups were offered. The study employed a quasi‐experimental, nonequivalent comparison group pretest‐posttest design. Seventy‐two women aged 17–88 years participated. Repeated measures ANOVA indicated a significant increase in knowledge for self‐care for depression and anxiety and a significant decrease in anxiety and depression symptomatology from before to after the group sessions. HighlightsUsing CBPR, supportive/educative groups were offered in three urban, impoverished, underserved neighborhoodsRepeated measures ANOVA indicated a significant increase in self‐care knowledge for depression and anxietyRepeated measures ANOVA indicated a significant decrease in anxiety and depression symptomology

Preconception Health Behaviors of Low-Income Women.

Purpose:Preconception behaviors have a significant impact on birth outcomes, particularly among low-income minority groups, and women with unplanned pregnancies. This study examined womens perceived health status and behaviors such as drinking, smoking, exercise, and use of multivitamins and folic acid. Study Design and Methods:This was a descriptive study based on a convenience sample of women living in urban underserved neighborhoods. Univariate and bivariate analyses were conducted using STATA 13. Results:The sample consisted of 123 women ages 18 to 51 years (mean = 30.57); 51.22% were Hispanic, 36.59% African American, and 12.2% Caucasian. Over 70% had a household income of less than

A Feasibility Study of Women's Confidence and Comfort in Use of a Kit to Monitor Ovulation.

20,000, 57.72% had no health insurance in the last year, and 58.54% were not married. These women were below the Healthy People 2020 goals for drinking, smoking, and multivitamin use, especially those who were planning to get pregnant in the next 6 months or not sure of their pregnancy planning status. There were no significant differences on any of the preconception health behavior variables based on pregnancy intention. Clinical Implications:Nurses and healthcare providers should emphasize importance of practicing healthy behaviors during the preconception period among low-income ethnic minority women specifically those living in urban medically underserved areas who are unsure of their pregnancy planning status or are at risk of unintended pregnancy.