Michelle V. Porche

The Adolescent Masculinity Ideology in Relationships Scale Development and Validation of a New Measure for Boys

This article presents a new scale to measure adolescent boys’internalization of masculine norms as evidenced by their attitudes and beliefs about what constitutes appropriate behavior for males within interpersonal relationships. Framing masculinity ideology within a relational paradigm, the theoretical foundations of the Adolescent Masculinity Ideology in Relationships Scale (AMIRS) emphasize that it is through and within relationships that masculine norms become personally meaningful and directly consequential to adolescent boys. Designed specifically for use with adolescents, the AMIRS derives from adolescent boys’narratives about their perceptions and experiences of masculinity, particularly in their peer relationships. Correlation and regression analyses indicate a negative association between the AMIRS and self-esteem, suggesting the double-edged sword of masculinity. That is, despite the advantages of status, alignment with hegemonic masculinity may hinder adolescent boys’ psychological health, for instance, by limiting the ways that they are able to express themselves and engage in their interpersonal relationships.

Political violence, psychosocial trauma, and the context of mental health services use among immigrant Latinos in the United States

Objectives. We present the prevalence of exposure to political violence (PV) among Latino immigrants in the US, and perceived need for and correlates of mental health services use among this population. Methods. We use the National Latino and Asian American Study (NLAAS), a nationally representative epidemiological survey of US Latinos, including a probability sample of 1630 immigrant Latinos. Our conceptual framework assumes a strong role of social and cultural factors in understanding the risk for psychopathology and mental health service use. Results. Eleven percent of all immigrant Latinos reported PV exposure and 76% described additional lifetime traumas. Among those with a history of PV, an increased likelihood of using mental health services was associated with female gender, English language proficiency, experiencing personal assaults, higher perceived discrimination, and having an anxiety or substance disorder. Latino men and specific subgroups of Latinos were less likely to access mental health services after experiencing PV. Perceived need for mental health services use is the strongest correlate of any lifetime and last-12-months service use. Conclusions. Individuals who come from countries with a history of political violence often have multiple traumatic experiences. This suggests a need for systematic screening for trauma and related psychiatric disorders. Specific outreach interventions focused on perceptions of need could be helpful for subgroups of Latinos including men who are particularly underrepresented in mental health services but who exhibit significant trauma histories.

Childhood trauma and psychiatric disorders as correlates of school dropout in a national sample of young adults

The effect of childhood trauma, psychiatric diagnoses, and mental health services on school dropout among U.S.-born and immigrant youth is examined using data from the Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiology Surveys, a nationally representative probability sample of African Americans, Afro-Caribbeans, Asians, Latinos, and non-Latino Whites, including 2,532 young adults, aged 21-29. The dropout prevalence rate was 16% overall, with variation by childhood trauma, childhood psychiatric diagnosis, race/ethnicity, and nativity. Childhood substance and conduct disorders mediated the relation between trauma and school dropout. Likelihood of dropout was decreased for Asians, and increased for African Americans and Latinos, compared to non-Latino Whites as a function of psychiatric disorders and trauma. Timing of U.S. immigration during adolescence increased risk of dropout.

Perceived Gender and Racial/Ethnic Barriers to STEM Success

This mixed-methods study examined urban adolescents’ perceptions of gender and racial/ethnic barriers to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) success, and their meaning-making and coping regarding these experiences. The sample includes surveys from 1024 high school-aged students and interviews from 53 students. Logistic analysis showed that higher science aspirations significantly predicted perceived support for girls and women in science. Analysis of interviews showed themes of microaggressions, responses to microaggressions, and gender- and race-based support. Findings suggest participants vary in perceptions of barriers, yet are generally optimistic about overcoming such obstacles.

Professional Development for Reading Achievement: Results from the Collaborative Language and Literacy Instruction Project (CLLIP).

The Collaborative Language and Literacy Instruction Project (CLLIP) is a model of professional development designed to help teachers incorporate research-based practices of literacy instruction, support mastery, and sustained use of these practices through coaching, and serve as a foundation for whole-school reform efforts. We describe the model, intervention, implementation, and subsequent results from an exploratory study in which we tested student literacy outcomes for kindergartners and fourth graders in the classrooms of CLLIP teachers against a matched comparison group. Exploratory results from a rural cohort of elementary school teachers suggest support for skill building in the alphabetic principle, phonemic awareness, fluency, and vocabulary. We discuss outcomes by reflecting on central program features: CLLIP strengthens teachers’ content knowledge and ties that knowledge to subject-specific content for students, has extended duration and support, is tied to state standards, and involves collective participation across a district to advance reform efforts.

A qualitative study of clinicians' use of the cultural formulation model in assessing posttraumatic stress disorder.

The Cultural Formulation (CF) of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) provides a potential framework for improving the diagnostic assessment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in culturally diverse patients. We analyzed data from the Patient-Provider Encounter Study, a multi-site study that examines the process of diagnosis and clinical decision-making during an initial clinical intake session, in order to examine use of CF for PTSD diagnosis. We find that while the CF is generally used inconsistently or underutilized in routine community settings, when employed appropriately it may assist the formulation and interpretation of traumatic experiences. We discuss the implications for improving the assessment of PTSD in the time-limited setting of the clinical intake encounter and across race/ethnicity.

Distal and Proximal Religiosity as Protective Factors for Adolescent and Emerging Adult Alcohol Use

Data from emerging adults (ages 18–29, N = 900) in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication Study was used to examine the influence of childhood and emerging adult religiosity and religious-based decision-making, and childhood adversity, on alcohol use. Childhood religiosity was protective against early alcohol use and progression to later abuse or dependence, but did not significantly offset the influence of childhood adversity on early patterns of heavy drinking in adjusted logistic regression models. Religiosity in emerging adulthood was negatively associated with alcohol use disorders. Protective associations for religiosity varied by gender, ethnicity and childhood adversity histories. Higher religiosity may be protective against early onset alcohol use and later development of alcohol problems, thus, should be considered in prevention programming for youth, particularly in faith-based settings. Mental health providers should allow for integration of clients’ religiosity and spirituality beliefs and practices in treatment settings if clients indicate such interest.

Measurement Uncertainty in Racial and Ethnic Identification Among Adolescents of Mixed Ancestry: A Latent Variable Approach.

In this article, we operationalize identification of mixed racial and ethnic ancestry among adolescents as a latent variable to (a) account for measurement uncertainty, and (b) compare alternative wording formats for racial and ethnic self-categorization in surveys. Two latent variable models were fit to multiple mixed-ancestry indicator data from 1,738 adolescents in New England. The first, a mixture factor model, accounts for the zero-inflated mixture distribution underlying mixed-ancestry identification. Alternatively, a latent class model allows classification distinction between relatively ambiguous versus unambiguous mixed-ancestry responses. Comparison of individual indicators reveals that the Census 2000 survey version estimates higher prevalence of mixed ancestry but is less sensitive to relative certainty of identification than are alternate survey versions (i.e., offering a “mixed” check box option, allowing a written response). Ease of coding and missing data are also considered in discussing the relative merit of individual mixed-ancestry indicators among adolescents.

Which girls, which boys? The intersectional risk for depression by race and ethnicity, and gender in the U.S.

We sought to conduct the first systematic review of studies applying an intersectional lens to assessing risk and protective factors for depression in minority adolescents in the United States. Twenty-five studies were identified which investigated the role of racial and ethnic identity and gender for minority groups and how marginalization may be associated with differential outcomes in depression symptomology. The results showed substantial variability in whether studies intentionally operationalized intersectionality through theoretical frameworks, study design, sampling, and analyses. Studies were rated on a scale of 1 through 5; those with scores of 3 or higher were included in the review. A rating of 5 indicated studies had explicitly used an intersectional theoretical framework, integrating the process of racial/ethnic identity development and gender socialization during adolescence. Three studies met the criteria for 5, one study was rated 4, and 21 studies were rated 3. Attention to experiences with discrimination was common throughout. Overall, the collective findings point to the importance of using an intersectional lens for understanding differential mechanisms for how and why specific adolescent minority youth are at greater risk for reporting depression symptoms, identifying cultural and developmental protective factors, and informing how interventions can effectively target specific mechanisms for prevention and treatment.