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While positive impacts of recovery capital and social capital in facilitating substance use disorder (SUD) recovery is increasingly documented, research has shown that low-income and marginalized individuals have lower social capital and may rely on different networks. A more comprehensive approach is needed to understand the social capital of low-income individuals with SUD and how these relationships impact their treatment and recovery. Qualitative data were gathered through semi-structured interviews and analyzed employing thematic analysis. Participants included individuals with SUD (n = 10), clinicians (n = 12), and policy leaders (n = 13). Three themes emerged: 1) Patients' positive and negative interpersonal relationships with friends and family influenced decisions to seek treatment; 2) strong patient-provider relationships, often defined by the quality of SUD providers and treatment settings, were perceived as crucial for staying in treatment; and 3) justice involvement facilitated treatment access yet deteriorated treatment engagement. Themes emphasized social and structural factors that inhibit patients from fostering support and treatment engagement. Our study underscores the importance of interpersonal relationships in SUD treatment-seeking and recovery and the need for positive interactions across the care continuum within broader social networks. Opportunities for positive interpersonal relationships include increasing access to language-concordant treatment; provider training to enhance cultural humility and patient-provider relationships; and mechanisms that improve interpersonal relationships between patients, parole officers, and other justice system members. Accentuating the role of interpersonal relationships and expanding social support interventions can pave the way for structural changes that improve recovery by harnessing different types of social capital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Equitable partnership processes and group dynamics, including individual, relational, and structural factors, have been identified as key ingredients to successful community-based participatory research partnerships. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the key aspects of group dynamics and partnership from the perspectives of community members serving as co-researchers. Semistructured, in-depth interviews were conducted with 15 Latino immigrant co-researchers from an intervention project with Latinos Unidos por la Salud (LU-Salud), a community research team composed of Latino immigrant community members and academic investigators working in a health research partnership. A deductive framework approach guided the interview process and qualitative data analysis. The LU-Salud co-researchers described relationships, personal growth, beliefs/identity motivation (individual dynamics), coexistence (relational dynamics), diversity, and power/resource sharing (structural dynamics) as key foundational aspects of the community-academic partnership. Building on existing CBPR and team science frameworks, these findings demonstrate that group dynamics and partnership processes are fundamental drivers of individual-level motivation and meaning making, which ultimately sustain efforts of community partners to engage with the research team and also contribute to the achievement of intended research outcomes.

Background: Parental psychopathology is associated with their children's posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). However, the mechanisms through which this occurs remain unclear. We hypothesized that exposure to childhood adversities is the mechanism linking parental psychopathology to child PTSS and that parenting practices moderated these associations. Methods: Participants (N = 1,402) with an average age of 24.03 years old (SD = 2.20), were all Puerto Ricans (50% Male and 50% Female) from the Boricua Youth Study, which is a four‐wave longitudinal study spanning almost 20 years, following individuals from childhood (ages 5–13 at Wave 1) to young adulthood. Measured variables include parental psychopathology at Wave 1, childhood adversities and parenting practices at Waves 2–3, and PTSS at Wave 4. A traditional mediation model estimated the association between parental psychopathology and child PTSS via childhood adversities. A moderated mediation model was used to examine whether parenting practices moderated this mediation model. Results: Results showed that the total effect of parental psychopathology at Wave 1 on PTSS at Wave 4 was fully mediated by childhood adversities at Waves 2–3 (direct effect b = 1.72, 95% CI = [−0.09, 3.83]; indirect effect b = 0.40, 95% CI = [0.15, 0.81]). In addition, the magnitude of this pathway varied by levels of parenting practices (i.e. parental monitoring and parent–child relationship quality). Specifically, the indirect effect of additional adversities in the psychopathology‐PTSS link was stronger with higher levels of parental monitoring but weaker with higher parent–child relationship quality scores. Conclusions: Intergenerational continuity of psychopathology may be mitigated through the prevention of additional childhood adversities via upstream interventions, emphasizing providing parents with mental health needs with parenting tools. Family‐based interventions focused on providing families with the tools to improve parent–child relationships may reduce the negative impact of childhood adversities on mental health across the life course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Disparities in health care access for Latinos are well documented, but little is known about how they may impact immigrants from diverse countries of origin differently. Immigrants in nontraditional destination areas face greater disparities, allowing more robust comparison of Latino heritage groups in such regions. Method: Mexican (N = 258) and Guatemalan (N = 143) participants were recruited for a community-based participatory research (CBPR) initiative in Cincinnati, Ohio: Latinos Unidos por la Salud (LU-Salud). Community partners recruited Latino immigrants to complete a brief survey about health care difficulties. Mixed methods data analysis was employed using t tests, Fisher's exact test, and a qualitative content analysis approach to analyze group differences. Results: Although both groups reported challenges, Guatemalans reported greater difficulty navigating health care. Conversely, Mexicans more commonly used local resources like health fairs to seek health information and described fewer language barriers. Qualitatively, Guatemalans and Mexicans had different perceptions of the biggest health problem for Latinos in Cincinnati. Notably, Mexicans identified major chronic diseases as community health problems. Discussion: Mexicans and Guatemalans show different patterns of health care engagement and express distinct concerns. Future work should consider the role of health literacy in informing the heterogenous experiences and needs of Latinos from diverse countries of origin. Further, interventions should train health care providers to provide culturally sensitive services, with interpreters available in multiple languages to address heterogenous language needs. Keywords: Latino/a health disparities, health care navigation, barriers to health care, Mexican immigrants, Guatemalan immigrants, Latinos are the largest ethnic minority in the United States, with more than a third of their population comprised of immigrants (U.S. Census Bureau, 2017). As a group, Latinos continually [...]

There is limited qualitative research investigating how risk-mitigation strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the lives of diverse older adults, who met criteria for mild to severe generalized anxiety or depression and minor to moderate disability. This study aims to address this gap by examining how racially and ethnically diverse older adults with at least mild mental health symptoms and minor physical disability in the United States and Puerto Rico adapted to guidelines during COVID-19. It aims to inform the medical community and policymakers of potential threats to these older adults' well-being given the COVID-19 burden. Based on descriptive qualitative inquiry and phenomenological perspectives, we conducted semi-structured interviews over the phone with a racially and ethnically diverse sample of older (age 60+), predominantly minoritized adults (N = 100) in four states and territories across the United States and Puerto Rico in 2021. Interviews were recorded, coded, and analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. Findings centered on five themes: (1) Previous experiences with the healthcare system and cultural beliefs related to trust and distrust led to mixed attitudes toward COVID-19 risk-mitigation strategies; (2) Compliance with COVID-19 mitigation strategies ensured safety and addressed fear of illness; (3) Compliance led to isolation due to interrupted social relations; (4) Isolation and disrupted social networks negatively impacted mental health and finances, and (5) Coping strategies and embracing support reduced the effects of social isolation. This study underscores the importance of increasing support and social connectedness during a pandemic and beyond to ensure the well-being of older adults in racially and ethnically diverse communities. It highlights the resiliency of older adults in identifying strategies to cope with negative impacts. We recommend safeguarding economic security through policy efforts toward financial safety nets during health crises and collaborative approaches with community-based organizations to mitigate social isolation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Structural oppression affects health behaviors through residence in suboptimal neighborhoods and exposure to community violence. Youth and parents report perceptions of neighborhood factors that can affect youth substance use behaviors. Given that Latinx youth report higher levels of perceived community violence than other racial and ethnic groups, it is imperative to examine how youth- and parent-perceived neighborhood-level factors may relate to youth substance use. Methods: Data were collected using clinical interviews with family triads (fathers, mothers, and youth) and parent–child dyads (father or mother and youth) enrolled in the Seguimos Avanzando study of 344 Mexican-origin families in Indiana. Neighborhood measures, including perceptions of exposure to violence, neighborhood characteristics, and neighborhood collective efficacy, were included in parent and youth surveys. Self-report measures for past year alcohol and drug use were included in the youth survey only. T-tests were conducted to estimate differences in neighborhood reports among the sample triads. A series of linear regression models were used to estimate the associations between youth-, mother-, and father-reported perceptions of neighborhood factors and youth substance use. Results: Preliminary results indicate that fathers reported higher levels of exposure to violence than mothers [t(163)  =  2.33, p  =  0.02] and youth [t(173)  =  3.61, p  <  0.001]. Youth reported lower negative neighborhood characteristics than mothers [t(329)  =  6.43, p  <  0.001] and fathers [t(169)  =  3.73, p  <  0.001]. Youth reported significantly better neighborhood collective efficacy than mothers [t(296)  =  3.14, p  =  0.002], but not statistically different from fathers. Results from the primary analysis showed that youth exposure to violence was positively associated with youth substance use (b  =  0.24, SE  =  0.06, p  <  0.0001), but the youth’s neighborhood characteristics and collective efficacy were not significantly associated with youth substance use. None of the parent-reported neighborhood variables were associated with youth substance use. Conclusion: The discrepant findings between parent and youth reports of perceived neighborhood characteristics and substance use have important implications for researchers and community stakeholders, and for developing targeted interventions and prevention strategies. Our study highlights the need to address youth experience of community violence and to prioritize creating safe and inclusive neighborhood environments. Potential strategies include improving community resources, strengthening social support networks, promoting open communication about neighborhood risks, and fostering collaborative efforts to address substance use behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Latinx youth, members of an ethnic minority group growing faster than the national growth rate, are at increased risk of experiencing adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) but it remains unclear how ACEs relate to externalizing behaviors, such as substance use and behaviors leading to injury and violence, in this population. In a sample of 100 Latinx youth, the current study examined how ACEs related to drug use and behaviors leading to injury and violence. Exposure to ACEs was associated with increased drug use, and that association was significantly moderated by behaviors leading to injury and violence for Latina adolescents. Given these findings, more attention needs to be diverted to screening for ACEs and externalizing behaviors in Latina girls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although research suggests neighborhood‐level factors influence youth well‐being, few studies include youth when creating interventions to address these factors. We describe our three‐step process of collaborating with youth in low‐income communities to develop an intervention focused on civic engagement as a means to address neighborhood‐level problems impacting their well‐being. In the first step, we analyzed qualitative interviews from a project in which youth shared perceptions about their neighborhoods (e.g., interpersonal relations with neighbors and institutions). Three major themes were identified: pride in youth's communities, desire for change, and perceptions of power and responsibility. Based on these themes, we completed the second step: developing a civic engagement and leadership program, called LEAP, aimed at helping youth take an active role in addressing neighborhood problems. In the third step, we collaborated with youth who completed a pilot version of the civic program and provided feedback to finalize it for large‐scale testing. While discussing our process, we highlight the importance of including youth voices when developing programs that affect them. Furthermore, we note the need for more research exploring whether civic engagement serves as a mechanism for encouraging youth involvement in addressing neighborhood‐level health disparities and identifying potential psychological costs of such involvement. Highlights: Youth should have a voice in the creation and implementation of programs intended for them.Neighborhoods may impact youth wellbeing through resource availability and a negative social mirror.Developing programs through academic‐youth partnerships can facilitate aligning with youth's goals.Youth can identify and problem‐solve their neighborhood challenges as civic leaders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The violence epidemic in Mexico is becoming more widespread. Using a social-ecological framework, the current study sought to understand interpersonal violence among those impoverished communities in Mexico City, Mexico. Participants were recruited from Community Health Centers located within districts that were densely populated, had high rates of poverty and marginalization, and where people experience complex social needs. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with patients, social workers, and medical doctors (N = 15) who were either receiving or providing services in these centers. Data were analyzed using an inductive, thematic approach. Analysis resulted in three themes: (a) interpersonal violence permeates all settings in which people live and interact; (b) social and cultural factors increase the risk of becoming a perpetrator or victim of interpersonal violence; and (c) interpersonal violence is closely intertwined with mental health. Rapid changes within gender roles and expectations in Mexico, combined with widening income inequality, are shifting dynamics within families that may be inherently linked to interpersonal violence. Our findings support the conceptualization of interpersonal violence at the four levels of the social-ecological framework: individual, relationship, community, and societal. Prevention and interventions for violence reduction must be applied across the four levels simultaneously. Community-level efforts should go toward strengthening existing community health centers and equipping primary care providers with training and resources on the screening and triaging of patients encountering interpersonal violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]