ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AMONG IMMIGRANT AND U.S.‐BORN LATINO ADOLESCENTS: ASSOCIATIONS WITH CULTURAL,FAMILY, AND ACCULTURATION FACTORS

This study examined proximal risk and protective factors that contribute to academic achievement among 130 Latino students. Participating students were 56.2% female and 35.3% foreign‐born (mean age = 11.38, standard deviation = .59). Acculturative stress, immigrant status, child gender, parental monitoring, traditional cultural values, mainstream values, and English language proficiency were explored in relation to academic achievement. Higher levels of parental monitoring, English language proficiency, and female gender were associated with higher grades, while mainstream values were associated with lower grades. In addition, a significant interaction between acculturative stress and immigrant status was found, such that higher acculturative stress was related to poorer grades for U.S.‐born students in particular. Thus, parental monitoring and female gender are potential protective factors, while identification with mainstream values and low English language proficiency are risk factors for poor grades. U.S.‐born students may be particularly vulnerable to the effects of acculturative stress.     

Remembered parenting style and psychological well‐being in young adults whose parents had experienced early child loss

Background. Pre‐, peri‐, or postnatal childloss can have devastating consequences for bereaved families. This study explored the long‐term sequelae of these experiences for the young adult siblings' psychological well‐being and the perceived quality of parenting received during participants' first 16 years of life. Methods. A bereaved group of young adult sibilings was compared to a non‐bereaved group on the Parent Bonding Instrument, the Rosenberg Self‐esteem Scale and the Mental Health Index‐5. Results. The loss group reported their mothers, but not their fathers, to have been more protective/controlling than non‐bereaved participants. No differences between the loss group and the comparison group were found for parental care, their own mental health or self‐esteem. Those participants whose siblings died during the peri/post‐natal period perceived their parents as more controlling than the miscarriage group as well as the non‐bereaved group. Higher protection scores were evident among those born subsequent to the loss than those who were born before. Lower levels of protection were associated with better mental health across all groups. In the non‐bereaved group lower levels of protection were associated with better self‐esteem, but in the bereaved group a different even opposite pattern was shown. Conclusions. Young adults who lost a sibling when they themselves were under 5 recall their mothers as more protective/controlling than non‐bereaved groups, although they do not report less care nor differ in mental health nor self‐esteem. Higher levels of parental protection/control were found where the child was born subsequent to loss and for peri/post‐natal loss rather than miscarriage. While high protection was associated with poorer mental health regardless of loss this may not be necessarily disadvantageous to the child's self‐esteem. Differences with regard to parent gender were found.     

The factor structure of a short acculturation scale for Filipino Americans in an adult U.S.‐born sample

The influx of non‐European immigrants since 1965 ushered the development and use of acculturation measures in immigrant health studies. A Short Acculturation Scale for Filipino Americans (ASASFA) represents a validated, unidirectional ethnic‐specific measure used with first‐generation FAs. ASASFA's psychometric properties with adult U.S.‐born children—the second generation—remain unexplored. This study determined (a) the factor structure of ASASFA with adult U.S.‐born FAs and (b) the predictors of their acculturation scores. A secondary analysis was conducted on ASASFA data from a mental health survey of 116 U.S.‐born FAs. Exploratory factor and parallel analyses showed a two‐factor solution: language use and preference (Factor 1) and ethnic social relations (Factor 2). Ordinary least squares regression indicated gender and ethnic self‐identification predict Factor 1 scores; self‐identification solely predicts Factor 2 scores. Results demonstrate ASASFA's validity and parsimony, supporting its use in FA health studies when lengthy bidirectional acculturation measures become impractical.     

E-Mental Health Care Among Young Adults and Help-Seeking Behaviors: A Transversal Study in a Community Sample

Background

The Internet is widely used by young people and could serve to improve insufficient access to mental health care. Previous information on this topic comes from selected samples (students or self-selected individuals) and is incomplete.

Objective

In a community sample of young adults, we aimed to describe frequency of e-mental health care study-associated factors and to determine if e-mental health care was associated with the use of conventional services for mental health care.

Methods

Using data from the 2011 wave of the TEMPO cohort study of French young adults (N=1214, aged 18-37 years), we examined e-mental health care and associated factors following Andersen’s behavioral model: predisposing factors (age, sex, educational attainment, professional activity, living with a partner, children, childhood negative events, chronic somatic disease, parental history of depression), enabling factors (social support, financial difficulties, parents’ income), and needs-related factors (lifetime major depression or anxiety disorders, suicidal ideation, ADHD, cannabis use). We compared traditional service use (seeking help from a general practitioner, a psychiatrist, a psychologist; antidepressant or anxiolytics/hypnotics use) between participants who used e-mental health care versus those who did not.

Results

Overall, 8.65% (105/1214) of participants reported seeking e-mental health care in case of psychological difficulties in the preceding 12 months and 15.7% (104/664) reported psychological difficulties. Controlling for all covariates, the likelihood of e-mental health care was positively associated with 2 needs-related factors, lifetime major depression or anxiety disorder (OR 2.36, 95% CI 1.36-4.09) and lifetime suicidal ideation (OR 1.91, 95% CI 1.40-2.60), and negatively associated with a predisposing factor: childhood life events (OR 0.60, 95% CI 0.38-0.93). E-mental health care did not hinder traditional care, but was associated with face-to-face psychotherapy (66.2%, 51/77 vs 52.4%, 186/355, P=.03).

Conclusions

E-mental health care represents an important form of help-seeking behavior for young adults. Professionals and policy makers should take note of this and aim to improve the quality of online information on mental health care and to use this fact in clinical care.     

SAME‐SEX PARTNERSHIPS AND THE HEALTH OF OLDER ADULTS

While extensive research has examined associations between marriage, cohabitation, and the health of heterosexual adults, it remains unclear whether similar patterns of health are associated with same‐sex partnerships for lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) older adults. This article examines whether having a same‐sex partner is associated with general self‐reported health and depressive symptoms for LGB older adults. Based on survey data collected from LGB adults 50 years of age and older, having a same‐sex partner was associated with better self‐reported health and fewer depressive symptoms when compared with single LGB older adults, controlling for gender, age, education, income, sexuality, and relationship duration. Relationship duration did not significantly impact the association between partnership status and health. In light of recent public debates and changes in policies regarding same‐sex partnerships, more socially integrated relationship statuses appear to play a role in better health for LGB older adults.     

Utilization of mental health care services among older adults with depression

Despite the availability of effective treatments for late life depression, data indicate that only a small minority of adults over the age of 65 years with depression access any kind of care for emotional or mental health problems. Using data from the Canadian Community Health Survey (Cycle 1.1), we compared patterns of mental health service utilization among middle-aged (45-64 years), younger old (65-74 years), and older old (75 years and older) adults with and without depression and identified predictors associated with accessing different services (n=59,302). Compared to middle-aged adults with depression, individuals aged 65 and older with depression were less likely to report any mental health consultation in the past year and especially unlikely to report consulting with professionals other than a family physician. Age remained a significant predictor of mental health service utilization even after accounting for other relevant variables such as gender, marital status, years of education, depression caseness, and number of chronic medical conditions. Although the prevalence of depression is lower in older age groups, the present study provides compelling evidence that mental health services are particularly underutilized by depressed older adults.     

Does ethnic identity buffer or intensify the stress of discrimination among the foreign born and U.S. born? Evidence from the Miami‐Dade Health Survey

This study examines the extent to which ethnic identity is a protective factor and buffers the stress of discrimination among the foreign born compared to the U.S. born in Miami‐Dade County. Data were drawn from the 2011 Miami‐Dade Health Survey (N = 444), which is a countywide probability sample of adults in South Florida. Two interaction effects were observed: (a) a stronger ethnic identity was associated with less distress among the foreign born than the U.S. born; and (b) a stronger ethnic identity exacerbated the relationship between everyday discrimination and distress among the U.S. born. Ethnic identity, which involves ethnic pride, participation in cultural practices, and cultural commitment or sense of belonging, was associated with better psychological well‐being among the foreign born than the U.S. born. Ethnic identity, however, was not a protective factor for the U.S. born, but rather it intensified the distressing effect of discrimination.     

The mediating and moderating effects of resilience on the relationship between perceived stress and depression in heroin addicts

The purpose of this study was to examine the mediating and moderating roles of resilience on the relationship between perceived stress and depression among heroin addicts. A total of 138 heroin addicts completed the measures of perceived stress, resilience, and depression. Correlation analysis indicated that perceived stress was positively associated with depression. Resilience was negatively correlated with perceived stress and depression. Mediation analysis revealed that resilience partially mediated the relationship between perceived stress and depression. However, resilience did not moderate the influence of perceived stress on depression. These findings might provide a better understanding of the mental health among heroin addicts.     

Individual,interpersonal, and health care factors associated with informal and formal advance care planning in a nationally-representative sample of midlife and older adults

ObjectiveAssess correlates of advance care planning (ACP) among midlife and older adults in the United States, with attention to informal planning (e.g., conversations) and formal planning (e.g., legal documentation such as a living will).MethodsData were collected from a nationally-representative U.S. sample of adults ages 55–74.ResultsInformal ACP was positively associated with greater confidence, history of life-threatening illness, designation as health care decision maker for someone else, knowing at least one negative end-of-life (EOL) story in one’s personal network, a desire to ease surrogates’ decision making, and having a health care provider who had broached ACP. Formal ACP was positively associated with greater confidence, designation as a health care decision maker, having a provider who had broached ACP, and primarily receiving medical care from a doctor’s office, and marginally negatively associated with health worry.ConclusionsThere are relevant correlates of advance care planning at the individual, interpersonal, and health care levels, with implications for increasing uptake of ACP.Practice implicationsA desire to mitigate proxies’ decision-making burden was a significant motivator for ACP conversations. Awareness of negative EOL experiences may also motivate these conversations. Health care providers have a powerful role in formal and informal ACP uptake.     

Poverty and Mental Health: How Do Low‐Income Adults and Children Fare in Psychotherapy?

Poverty is associated with an increased risk for psychological problems. Even with this increased risk for mental health problems and need for care, many low‐income adults and families do not receive treatment because of logistical, attitudinal, and systemic barriers. Despite significant barriers to obtaining care, research suggests that low‐income individuals show significant benefit from evidence‐based mental healthcare. In this article, we review the link between poverty and mental health, common barriers to obtaining mental health services, and treatment studies that have been conducted with low‐income groups. Finally, we discuss the implications of the research reviewed and offer recommendations for clinicians working with low‐income children or adults, highlighting the importance of evidence‐based care, extensive outreach, and empathic respect.     

Measuring citizenship among U.S. veterans with chronic mental illness: A psychometric evaluation

Many U.S. military veterans experience difficulties reintegrating into civilian society after their military service, especially veterans with chronic mental illness. Few studies have examined the sense of citizenship among veterans and citizenship has rarely been examined in psychological studies. As part of a larger experimental trial, this study piloted the Yale Citizenship Scale on a sample of 199 U.S. veterans with chronic mental illness in Connecticut and Houston. A factor analysis found that the scale comprised 7 factors labeled as Personal Responsibilities, Government and Infrastructure, Caring by Others, Civil Rights, Legal Rights, Choices, and World Stewardship. Veterans with chronic mental illness reported moderate scores on each factor and the total scale. Each factor as well as the total scale showed good convergent validity with mental health and quality of life measures and discriminant validity from pain and physical health measures. The total scale and its factors demonstrated acceptable‐to‐excellent internal consistency and there was fair‐to‐excellent test‐retest reliability on 6 of the 7 factors. Together, the findings demonstrated that the Yale Citizenship Scale can be adapted for use for U.S. veterans with chronic mental illness and that helping veterans achieve high levels of citizenship may an important social and clinical goal.     

Relationship between criminal legal system exposure and health care utilization in US adults with diabetes: A cross-sectional study

BackgroundBlack Americans have a higher prevalence of diabetes compared to White Americans and have higher rates of complications and death. Exposure to the criminal legal system (CLS) is a social risk factor for chronic disease morbidity and mortality with significant overlap with populations most likely to experience poor diabetes outcomes. However, little is known about the association between CLS exposure and healthcare utilization patterns among U.S. adults with diabetes.MethodsUsing data from the National Survey of Drug Use and Health (2015-2018) a cross-sectional, nationally representative sample of U.S. adults with diabetes was created. Negative binomial regression was used to test the association between lifetime CLS exposure and three utilization types (emergency department (ED), inpatient, and outpatient) controlling for relevant socio-demographic and clinical covariates.ResultsOf 11,562 (weighted to represent 25,742,034 individuals) adults with diabetes, 17.1% reported lifetime CLS exposure. In unadjusted analyses, exposure was associated with increased ED (IRR 1.30 95% CI 1.17-1.46) and inpatient utilization (IRR 1.23, 95% CI 1.01-1.50), but not outpatient visits (IRR 0.99 95% CI 0.94-1.04). The association between CLS exposure and ED (IRR 1.02, p=0.70) and inpatient utilization (IRR 1.18, p=0.12) was attenuated in adjusted analyses. Low socioeconomic status, comorbid substance use disorder, and comorbid mental illness were independently associated with health care utilization in this population.ConclusionsAmong those with diabetes, lifetime CLS exposure is associated with higher ED and inpatient visits in unadjusted analyses. Adjusting for socioeconomic status and clinical confounders attenuated these relationships, thus more research is needed to understand how CLS exposure interacts with poverty, structural racism, addiction and mental illness to influence health care utilization for adults with diabetes.     

Young drivers who continue to drive while sleepy: What are the associated sleep‐ and driving‐related factors?

Crashes due to sleepiness account for a substantial proportion of road crash incidents. The purpose of the current study was to examine several sleep‐related factors and driving‐related factors for their association with self‐reports of continuing to drive while sleepy. In total 257 young drivers aged 18–25 years completed an online survey that assessed factors such as sleep quality, sleep duration and consistency, excessive daytime sleepiness, experiences with sleepiness and their driving‐related behaviours. The results demonstrate that being older, having a perceived ability to overcome sleepiness, committing more highway code violations and having experienced a sleep‐related close call were positively associated with an increased likelihood of continuing to drive while sleepy. The obtained results highlight the acceptance of risky driving behaviours among some younger drivers. Younger drivers’ risky driving behaviour is certainly a road safety concern given the impairment associated with sleepiness and their over‐representation in road crash incidents.     

煤炭企业高管知觉压力、应对方式与心理健康的关系

目的:对煤炭企业高管的知觉压力、应对方式与心理健康的关系进行研究。方法:对238名国有煤炭企业高管实施症状自评量表(SCL-90)和知觉压力量表、简易应对方式问卷测试,将测试结果进行统计分析。结果:(1)煤炭企业高管的SCL-90总分、人际关系障碍、抑郁、焦虑、敌对性、恐怖和偏执因子得分低于全国常模,具有统计学意义(t=-3.074~-7.654,P0.001);(2)高管知觉压力状况得分低于全国常模,具有统计学意义(t=-17.559,P0.001)。高管积极应对维度得分高于常模,具有统计学意义(t=9.758,P0.001);消极应对维度得分低于常模,具有统计学意义(t=-16.320,P0.001);(3)高管知觉压力和SCL-90总分及其各因子呈显著正相关,具有统计学意义(r=0.304~0.502,P0.01);积极应对方式与抑郁、焦虑和饮食睡眠障碍因子呈显著负相关,具有统计学意义(r=-0.059~-0.190,P0.05);消极应对方式与SCL-90总分及其各因子呈显著正相关,具有统计学意义(r=0.151~0.255,P0.05)。知觉压力与积极应对呈显著负相关,具有统计学意义(r=-0.267,P0.01);(4)知觉压力与消极应对方式对煤炭企业高管的心理健康水平具有较显著的影响和较好的预测作用(F=28.224,P0.001)。结论:煤炭企业高管的心理健康水平良好,与其知觉压力水平低及良好的应对方式密切相关。     

ADJUSTMENT TO DIVORCE: A COMPARISON OF ETHIOPIAN IMMIGRANT AND ISRAELI‐BORN MEN

The research dealt with adjustment to divorce among men who immigrated to Israel from Ethiopia versus Israeli‐born men. In addition, we examined whether there were differences between the two groups of divorcés with regard to coping resources that explain adjustment to divorce. Three types of resources were examined: personal resources (level of education, and self‐assessed income); interpersonal resources (quality of the relationship with the ex‐spouse, the existence of a new romantic relationship, and the fathers’ involvement in their children's lives); and environmental resources (formal and informal social support). Adjustment in the dimension of self‐acceptance of divorce was lower among the Ethiopian immigrant men than among their Israeli‐born counterparts. The Israeli‐born men were found to be more involved in their children's lives than the Ethiopian immigrants.     

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on physical and mental health in the two largest economies in the world: a comparison between the United States and China

The broad impact of the COVID-19 on self-reported daily behaviors and health in Chinese and US samples remains unknown. This study aimed to compare physical and mental health between people from the United States (U.S.) and China, and to correlate mental health parameters with variables relating to physical symptoms, knowledge about COVID-19, and precautionary health behaviors. To minimize risk of exposure, respondents were electronically invited by existing study respondents or by data sourcing software and surveys were completed via online survey platforms. Information was collected on demographics, physical symptoms, contact history, knowledge about COVID-19, psychologic parameters (i.e. IES-R; DASS-21), and health behaviors. The study included a total of 1445 respondents (584 U.S.; 861 China). Overall, Americans reported more physical symptoms, contact history, and perceived likelihood of contracting COVID-19. Americans reported more stress and depressive symptoms, while Chinese reported higher acute-traumatic stress symptoms. Differences were identified regarding face mask use and desires for COVID-19 related health information, with differential mental health implications. Physical symptoms that were possibly COVID-19 related were associated with adverse mental health. Overall, American and Chinese participants reported different mental and physical health parameters, health behaviors, precautionary measures, and knowledge of COVID-19; different risk and protective factors were also identified.

     

Examining the effects of ethnic‐specific services: An analysis of cost‐utilization and treatment outcome for Asian American clients

Ethnic‐specific mental health services have developed to meet the unique cultural and linguistic needs of the ethnic client. It has been assumed that this type of service configuration provides more accessible, culturally‐responsive mental health care, which in turn, encourages utilization and enhances outcomes. Previous studies have found that ethnic‐specific services (ESS) increase utilization of mental health services, but there has only been inconsistent evidence that ESS results in better outcomes. This study compared patterns of the cost‐utilization and outcomes of Asian American outpatients using ESS to those Asians using mainstream services. Consistent with earlier studies, cost‐utilization for ESS Asian clients was higher than that for mainstream Asian clients. Better treatment outcome was found for ESS clients compared to their mainstream counterparts, even after controlling for certain demographics, pretreatment severity, diagnosis, and type of reimbursement. Moreover, there was a significant relationship between cost‐utilization and outcome for ESS clients, whereas for mainstream clients, this relationship was not significant. The findings strongly suggest that mental health services with an ethnic‐specific focus provide more effective and efficient care for at least one ethnic minority group. Implications for the delivery of culturally‐competent mental health services are discussed. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

父母比较式教养及其与青少年自尊和抑郁的关系

目的:考察父母使用比较式教养的情况及其与青少年的自尊和抑郁的关系。方法:对297名青少年施测自编的比较式教养调查问卷和自尊量表、症状自评量表(SCL-90)抑郁分量表。结果:142%的学生报告父母总是或经常采用比较式教养,只有7%的学生报告他们的父母从来不使用这种方式;2父母多用于比较的对象主要集中于学校同学(73.1%),亲戚家孩子(46.8%),社会上年龄相仿的同龄人(28.3%)和兄弟姐妹(27.6%);3父母主要是比较孩子的学习成绩(58.2%)、生活习惯(26.6%)、独立能力(24.9%)和生活中的琐事(21.5%);4父母较多进行上行比较而比较少进行下行比较;5母亲是比较教养方式的最主要使用者(49.5%),而父亲则较少使用这种方式(13.5%);6青少年对父母进行比较式教养的态度普遍持消极的评价;7比较教养的频率与自尊呈显著负相关(r=-0.18,P0.01),而与抑郁呈显著正相关(r=0.15,P0.01);下行比较的频率则与自尊有显著的正相关(r=0.20,P0.01),而与抑郁呈显著负相关(r=-0.14,P0.05);上行比较的频率则与自尊呈显著的负相关(r=-0.15,P0.01),而与抑郁呈显著正相关(r=0.15,P0.01);青少年对比较式教养的评价与他们的自尊成显著的正相关(r=0.21,P0.01),而与抑郁呈显著的负相关(r=-0.20,P0.01)。结论:比较式教养是中国父母经常使用的一种中国特色的教养方式,并且与青少年的心理健康存在负向的关系。