The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #43216

Suzanne Stutman, MA, MSW, BCD, Institute for Mental Health Initiatives, George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, 2175 K Street, NW Suite 700, Washington, DC 20037, 202-467-2285, imhsss@gwumc.edu

The importance of resilience to public health promotion for Latino communities lies in the recognition of innate strengths in individuals, families, communities and systems. The Institute for Mental Health Initiatives (IMHI) has been on the forefront of identifying and understanding the contribution of resilience skills in the process of acculturation and adaptation for Latinos. By recognizing and fostering resilience, IMHI will create and disseminate informational materials that will contribute to the reduction in incidence of mental health problems in the Latino community. IMHI conducted focus groups with adolescents, parents and service providers in cities with high Latino concentration from different countries of origin: Washington DC, Miami, Los Angeles and New York. The focus groups assessed the awareness of resilience and violence prevention concepts and the specific informational needs of the various Latino communities. The groups were presented with scenarios depicting an adolescent facing an adverse situation. A series of questions elicited which resilience skills would be utilized in coping with, and resolving the problem. We also examined intergroup differences that may explain variance in adaptation within the Latino community. Preliminary data suggest there is a need for culturally relevant mental health interventions. Recognition of culturally bound resilience skills promoting successful acculturation and adaptation in the Latino community were also identified. The Latino community's capacity to demonstrate resilience is often hampered by their self-perception as outsiders. The system's limited capacity to recognize their innate resilience skills and provide positive reinforcement poses a barrier to successful mental health interventions.

Learning Objectives:

• Define the skills that can be used to foster resilience.
• Identify situations where culture is experienced as a deterrent or enhancement to the development of resilience skills.
• Incorporate resilience skills into current programming, interventions and/or initiatives in the Latino community.

Keywords: Adolescents, Latino Mental Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.