180221 Importance of context in understanding mental health outcomes among Mexican American adolescents

Tuesday, October 28, 2008: 8:48 AM

Rebecca M. B. White, MPH , School of Social and Family Dynamics & Prevention Research Center, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
Mark Roosa, PhD , School of Social and Family Dynamics & Prevention Research Center, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
Rajni L. Nair, MS , School of Social and Family Dynamics & Prevention Research Center, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
Katharine Zeiders , School of Social and Family Dynamics & Prevention Research Center, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
Nancy Gonzales, PhD , Department of Psycholgoy & Prevention Research Center, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
George Knight, PhD , Department of Psycholgoy & Prevention Research Center, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
Delia Saenz, PhD , Department of Psychology & Prevention Research Center, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
BACKGROUND: Mexican Americans (MAs) are a large population that demonstrates high rates of adolescent mental illness. Additionally, a large portion of this population is poor and living in neighborhoods characterized as disadvantaged. Though prior research shows that (a) prosocial peer relationships relate negatively to mental illness and (b) harsh parenting relates positively, such associations may operate differently, or be more/less important in various living contexts. The purpose of this study was to examine neighborhood disadvantage as a moderator the association between family/peer processes and MA adolescent mental health. METHODS: Data come from the first wave of an investigation of MA families (n=750 families; 1,996 individuals). Multilevel models (run separately for boys and girls) were used to examine the moderating role of neighborhood disadvantage. PRELIMINARY RESULTS: For girls, prosocial relationships were negatively related to symptomatology, but only in moderately and highly disadvantaged contexts. For boys, harsh parenting was negatively related to symptomatology, but only in moderately and highly disadvantaged contexts. IMPLICATIONS: Many community-based prevention programs are based on research with European Americans living in relatively stable neighborhoods and often highlight ways to decrease harsh parenting and increase prosocial relationships in efforts to promote adolescent mental health. The current work suggests that such parenting programs may not be appropriate for MA adolescent boys living in disadvantaged neighborhoods, where harsh parenting appears to operate in a protective manner. Implications for prevention programming are discussed.

Learning Objectives:
1. Recognize processes of risk for mental illness among Mexican American adolescents. 2. Identify the importance of neighborhood context in understanding variations in mental health among Mexican Americans. 3. Discuss research results in terms of their importance for resource allocation for prevention programming.

Keywords: Mental Health, Latino Mental Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: advanced training in prevention science, adolescent mental health, and statistical methods
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.