142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

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Comparative effectiveness of an activation intervention for Latino parents raising children with mental health needs

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Monday, November 17, 2014 : 8:50 AM - 9:10 AM

Kathleen Thomas, PhD , Program on Mental Health Services Research, Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
Gabriela Stein, PhD , Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina - Greensboro, Greensboro, NC
Monica Perez Jolles, MA , Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
Sean Sayers, PhD , Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
Betsy L. Sleath, PhD , Cecil Sheps Center for Health Services Research and School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
Juan Prandoni , Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Lewisville, NC
Ariana Hoet , Psychology, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greenboro, NC
Linda Guzman , Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, Univesity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
Charlotte Williams, MPH , Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
Joseph Morrissey, PhD , Program on Mental Health Services Research, Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
Audio (mp3) recording Recorded Presentation (mp4)
The goal of this research is to improve the mental health care and outcomes of Latino children with mental health needs. This presentation examines the comparative effectiveness of an activation intervention for Latino parents raising children with mental health needs. Activation is a promising focus of research to eliminate disparities because it offers attitudes and skills that people can learn and use to support behavior change.

Study Design:  A randomized controlled trial was conducted to test the effectiveness of a psycho-educational intervention designed to teach Latino mothers activation skills as compared to a support-group control. Mothers were surveyed in-person at baseline, one and 3 months (n=150).  Survey data are triangulated with audiotapes of parent-provider conversation and child clinical records.  A difference-in-difference approach was used to model the intervention effect with a mixed effects regression, controlling for child, parent and group characteristics. Outcome measures include mother’s level of activation and child therapy attendance.

Principal Findings: Preliminary data indicate both groups experienced an increase in activation, but the increase was significant only in the intervention group (p<0.0000). At baseline, mothers’ activation was at a level characterized by a lack of confidence and knowledge to take action.  At the end of the class, activation had increased to the threshold between the two upper levels: ‘Beginning to take action,’ and ‘Working to maintain behaviors over time.’

Conclusions: Activation skills are a promising strategy to improve child mental health service use, bridge cultural differences and reduce disparities with wide-ranging impacts on patient-centered mental health outcomes.

Learning Areas:

Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs
Diversity and culture
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Describe a parent activation curriculum designed to help Latino mothers get the mental health services they feel their children need Describe the impact of a parent activation intervention on Latino mothers’ activation and child therapy attendance Describe patient-centered mental health outcomes for children important to Latino mothers after participation in an activation intervention

Keyword(s): Latinos, Mental Health Treatment &Care

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been the principal investigator of several federally funded grants including two PCORI grants focusing on patient-centered outcomes in child mental health. I have published on access to care for children with mental health needs, and I am currently chair of the Mental Health Section of the American Public Health Association.
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.

Back to: 3058.0: Latino Mental Health: Strategies and Interventions that Impact Mental Illness and Promote Mental Health