Abstract

The role of perceived social support in shaping Latine young adults’ medical help-seeking and mental health outcomes following a victimization experience

Francesca M. Korte, Carlos Cuevas, PhD, Carmel Salhi, ScD and Alisa Lincoln, MPH, PhD
Northeastern University, Boston, MA

APHA 2025 Annual Meeting and Expo

Life transitions associated with young adulthood (ages 18-26) can destabilize long-established social and economic supports, such as parental contact and health insurance. As such, many young adults are at heightened risk of experiencing violence and may be constrained in their choice to seek help, with consequences for mental health. Social support may be a critical factor for intervening against the short- and long-term negative health impacts generated by the instability and uncertainty of young adulthood, particularly following a victimization experience. However, the life contexts from which young adults emerge are socially patterned such that inequities in victimization risks, adverse health outcomes, and social support may be further magnified during this period. To broaden and nuance our understanding of these dynamics, this study examines the role of perceived social support in the relationship between victimization experiences and mental health outcomes among Latine young adults. We draw on data from Wave 7 (2020-2024) of the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (n = 2,990). Our preliminary results suggest that past-year victimization experiences are associated with worse mental health and general well-being among Latine young adults. Furthermore, perceived social support moderates the relationships between past-year victimization experiences and mental health and general well-being, suggesting that social support mitigates the negative impact of past-year victimization experiences on adverse health outcomes. Focusing on Latine young adults creates space to capture the population-specific risks of experiencing victimization and trauma, social support dynamics, and how these factors interact to shape health and well-being across the lifecourse.

Diversity and culture Epidemiology Social and behavioral sciences