Jasmín D. Llamas

The relationship between mexican american cultural values and resilience among mexican american college students: A mixed methods study

The current study investigated the role of cultural values in the resilience of Mexican American college students. Utilizing mixed methodology, 124 self-identified Mexican American college students were asked to complete an online survey, including a demographic questionnaire, the Resilience Scale, Mexican American Cultural Values Scale, and 2 open-ended questions concerning overcoming adversity and cultural values. As hypothesized, Mexican American traditional cultural values (Familismo, Respeto, Religiosidad, and Traditional Gender Roles) predicted resilience, with Familismo accounting for the majority of the variance. Consensual qualitative research (Hill, Thompson, & Nutt Williams, 1997) was used to identify emergent domains and themes within the open-ended question responses. Traditional Mexican American Value themes included Familismo, Ethnic Identity, Religiosidad, Perseverance, and Respeto. Results highlight the important role that certain Mexican American cultural values play in providing strength for overcoming adversities.

Factors Impacting the Current Trends in the Use of Outpatient Psychiatric Treatment Among Diverse Ethnic Groups

Despite decades of research on the treatment of mental illness, providing services to the public remains a significant concern. According to recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a large number of individuals suffer from psychiatric conditions, yet few receive the necessary treatment. Among ethnic minority populations, there is a larger gap in the lack of service use. Help-seeking for professional help has been linked to a variety of variables including education level, stigma towards services, ethnic background, and cultural variables. Research on improving mental health outcomes in primary care settings has been prioritized over the years. However, ethnic minorities are often underrepresented in outpatient mental health care settings. The purpose of this paper is to overview factors that contribute to and hinder ethnic minorities’ use of outpatient psychiatric treatment. The paper will review the current literature on help-seeking among African Americans, Asian Americans, American Indians, and Latino Americans; and explore implications for improving care.

Predictors of Resilience and Thriving among Latina/o Undergraduate Students.

Previous studies of Latina/o well-being indicate that supportive family members, religion or spirituality, and cultural values (e.g., familismo) aid in coping with adversities. The purpose of the present study was to examine the role of several factors (spirituality, hope, social support, and cultural values) in predicting resilience and thriving in Latina/o undergraduates (N = 121). Two hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine the unique contributions of the predictors to resilience and thriving. Results demonstrated differences between resilience and thriving as evidenced by the fact that they have different predictor variables. For example, hope was a predictor variable for both constructs, but spirituality was a significant predictor only for thriving. Implications for research and practice and future directions are discussed.

Attempting to successfully straddle the cultural divide: Hopelessness model of bicultural stress, mental health, and caregiver connection for Mexican descent adolescents.

The present study extends the Hopelessness Model of Depression through: (a) investigating the applicability of bicultural stress as precipitant in this model, (b) expanding mental health outcomes in addition to depression (i.e., life satisfaction), and (c) examining the protective role that male and female caregiver connection may play in disrupting this model for Mexican descent adolescents. With a sample of 524 Mexican descent adolescents (46.9% male; 53.1% female; age range: 14-20; M = 16.23 years; SD = 1.10 years), 2 structural equation models were tested, The first model (Theoretical Model) sought to determine the relationship between bicultural stress, life satisfaction, and depressive symptoms with hopelessness as a mediator. The second model (Protective Factor Model) investigated both male and female caregiver connectedness as potential protective factors in the bicultural stress-mental health relationships. Both models were supported. In the Theoretical Model, hopelessness mediated the relationship between bicultural stress and the mental health variables (i.e., depression and life satisfaction). Additionally, in the Protective Factor Model, female caregiver connection moderated the relationships between bicultural stress and life satisfaction, highlighting that female caregiver connection is a protective factor in the bicultural stress-life satisfaction relationship. Findings will be discussed from a resilience perspective with recommendations of how practitioners can use these findings for mental health prevention and intervention purposes.

Process evaluation of a community outpatient program treating substance use disorders

Addiction treatment can improve its impact by providing evidence-based care for the variety of problems that accompany substance use disorders. We conducted a retrospective evaluation of a new treatment program in California that aimed at providing multifaceted services through affiliated licensed and certified outpatient providers. The process evaluation used a logic model, focusing on program inputs, activities, and outputs, to understand the services received by the initial 18 clients who entered treatment. Outcomes for these patients were not assessed. Results indicated that clients received a variety of services: On average clients contracted for 118 treatment sessions and received 143 sessions. Among the many types of services provided, the most frequently received were integrative healthcare (averaging 42 sessions), group therapy (32 sessions), and individual therapy (32 sessions). This logic-model process evaluation indicated that a range of services were provided. The comprehensive approach may have promise for extending addiction treatment beyond its usual boundaries.

At what costs? Student loan debt, debt stress, and racially/ethnically diverse college students’ perceived health.

Objectives: There has been little research on the direct and indirect connections between student loan debt and health. The present study tested a transactional stress model (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984a) of student loan debt in which the appraisal of debt as stressful was proposed to mediate the associations between student loan debt amount and perceived health (i.e., self-rated general health, depressive symptomatology). Method: The present study draws on a racially/ethnically diverse college student sample (N = 1,412) from the National Longitudinal Survey of Freshman (NLSF). Structural equation modeling (SEM) with robust maximum likelihood (MLR) estimation was used to test the fit of the transactional stress model and compare it with an alternative model (that is, Schachter and Singer’s (1962) two factor). Multigroup analyses were conducted to test racial/ethnic differences. Results: SEM results indicated good fit of the transactional stress model and suggested its superiority to the alternative two-factor model. Multigroup SEM analyses revealed racial/ethnic differences. Whereas for Black/African Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, and White Americans, appraisal of debt as stressful was linked to poorer general health and more depressive symptomatology, these associations were nonsignificant for Asian Americans. Tests of indirect effects indicated that the mediating role of debt stress was most consistently significant for Black/African Americans and Hispanic/Latino Americans compared with Asian and, to a lesser extent, White Americans. Conclusions: Results affirm the potential health impact of both student loan debt amount and the subjective appraisal of stress associated with student loan debt as significant stressors.

The role of therapy fears, ethnic identity, and spirituality on access to mental health treatment among Latino college students.

This study examined the impact of therapy fears, ethnicity identity, and spirituality on the use of mental health service among Latino college students. Participants were 83 Latino college students (78% female) recruited from a university in Central Texas. Analyses of the results indicated that previous mental health services use was negatively correlated with spirituality. Previous use of mental health services was positively correlated with participants’ views that their ethnic community and religious affiliation did not influence their decisions to seek services. Additionally, ethnic identity was positively correlated with spirituality. Furthermore, participants’ views that their ethnic community did not influence their decisions to seek services were correlated with religious affiliation. Therapy fears were positively correlated with participants’ views that their ethnic community and religious affiliation did not influence their decisions to seek services. MANOVA analyses indicated that only spirituality (not therapy fears or ethnic identity) significantly impacted Latino college students’ decisions to seek counseling services. Finally, regression analyses indicated that spiritual meaning and religious affiliation predicts service use. Implications for research and practice in college counseling centers are discussed.

Latino/a Freshman Struggles: Effects of Locus of Control and Social Support on Intragroup Marginalization and Distress.

The transition to college can be difficult for many students; however, Latina/o students can face unique cultural stressors, impacting psychological health. Intragroup marginalization, or feeling marginalized by members within one’s cultural community, is one such stressor that can impact Latina/o students’ college experiences. Despite the challenges many Latina/o students face, Latina/os also demonstrate resilience and the ability to succeed. This study expands existing research on intragroup marginalization, using a cross-sectional design to test a mediational model of intragroup marginalization from friends and psychological distress, with locus of control and peer social support in a sample of 137 Latina/o college freshmen from a large public university in the western United States. Intragroup marginalization from friends predicted psychological distress. In addition, locus of control and social support from friends were identified as mediating variables. This research demonstrates the negative impact of intragroup marginalization from friends for Latina/o students, as well as the protective role of having an internal locus of control and peer social support on experiences of psychological distress. Results also highlight unique factors related to Latina/o freshmen college experiences as a means for improving Latina/o students’ success in college. La transición hacia la universidad puede ser difícil para muchos estudiantes. Sin embargo, los estudiantes Latina/os pueden enfrentar factores especiales de estrés culturales que afectan a su salud psicológica. Marginación intragrupal, o sea, sintiéndose marginalizado por los mismos miembros de su comunidad cultural, es un tipo de estrés cultural que puede afectar a los estudiantes Latina/os en las experiencias de universidad. A pesar de los desafíos que los estudiantes Latina/os enfrentan, ellos también demuestran resiliencia y la capacidad para triunfar. Este estudio amplía las investigaciones que existen sobre la marginación intragrupal, utilizando un diseño del estudio transversal para probar un modelo de mediación de la marginación intragrupal de amigos y la angustia psicológica. Se usa locus de control y el apoyo social de compañeros en su muestra de 137 estudiantes Latina/os en su primer año en una universidad pública y grande en el oeste de los Estados Unidos. La marginación intragrupal de amigos predice angustia psicológica. También, locus de control y apoyo social de compañeros se identificaron como variables mediadoras. Ésta investigación demuestra el impacto negativo de la marginación intragrupal de amigos para los estudiantes Latina/os, además del rol protector de tener un locus de control y apoyo social de compañeros en las experiencias de angustia psicológica. Los resultados también destacan los factores únicos que les afectan a los estudiantes Latina/os en su primer año de estudio como medios para mejorar el éxito en la universidad para los estudiantes Latina/os.

Psychometric evaluation of an abbreviated version of the intragroup marginalization inventory

ABSTRACT Tobacco and marijuana use among U.S. young adults is a top public health concern, and racial/ethnic minorities may be at particular risk. Past research examining cultural variables has focused on the individual in relation to the mainstream U.S. culture; however, an individual can also experience within-group stress, or intragroup marginalization. We used the 2014 San Francisco Bay Area Young Adult Health Survey to validate an abbreviated measure of intragroup marginalization and identify associations between intragroup marginalization and tobacco and marijuana use among ethnic minority young adults (N = 1,058). Exploratory factor analysis was conducted to identify factors within the abbreviated scale, and logistic regressions were conducted to examine relationships between intragroup marginalization and tobacco and marijuana use. Two factors emerged from the abbreviated scale. The first factor encompassed items related to belonging and membership, capturing whether individuals experienced marginalization due to not fitting in because of physical appearance or behavior. The second factor encompassed whether individuals shared similar hopes and dreams to their friends and family members. Factor 1 (membership) was associated with increased odds of marijuana use (OR = 1.34, p < .05) and lower odds of using cigars (OR = 0.79, p < .05), controlling for sociodemographic factors. Results suggest that young adults may use marijuana as a means to build connection and belonging to cope with feeling marginalized. Health education programs focused on ethnic minority young adults are needed to help them effectively cope with intragroup marginalization without resorting to marijuana use.

Listening to Students: Examining Underlying Mechanisms That Contribute to the AVID Program's Effectiveness.

This study used a mixed-methods approach to examine the effects of the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program from the student perspective, specifically focusing on factors associated with student resilience. The AVID program aims to close the achievement gap among predominantly minority and low-income students without a family history of college attendance. Qualitative focus groups were conducted to better understand student perceptions of the program and quantitative survey results were used to compare scores on measures of school support, school engagement, and resilience among AVID and non-AVID students. Both qualitative and quantitative results provided evidence suggesting that the AVID program improved school support and engagement, as well as in the development of individual resilience factors, such as self-awareness, problem-solving ability, and self-esteem. Qualitative results also highlight the importance of providing consistency for students in the learning environment. Future directions and recommendations are provided.