Poster Presentation International Positive Psychology Association 8th IPPA World Congress 2023

Cultural considerations for Latinx caregiver engagement in school-based positive psychology interventions.  (#843)

Nicole Gabriela Pacateque Rodriguez 1 , Shannon Suldo 1 , Sarah Fefer 2 , John Ferron 1
  1. University of South Florida- Tampa, Tampa, FLORIDA, United States
  2. University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts

Background- A growing body of research shows that positive psychology interventions (PPIs) improve adolescents subjective well-being in the short and long term (Carr et al., 2021; Roth et al., 2017; Tejada-Gallardo et al., 2020). Best practices in youth mental health care involve including parents in care (Hoover et al., 2019). Caregivers attitudes towards mental health treatment are influential towards youth mental health service utilization in educational settings; specifically, negative attitudes towards mental health services from caregivers can act as barriers to service utilization (Gronholm et al., 2015). Strategies aiming to bridge the gap between adolescents’ service needs and utilization can be improved by targeting stigma amongst caregivers. It is essential to look into strategies to engage Latinx caregivers, given Latinx families are at higher risk of dropping out of mental health treatments and demonstrating poor treatment engagement, despite being a population that continues to experience significant disparities in the availability, accessibility, and quality of these services (Kapke & Gerdes, 2016).

Aims- The study explores caregiver involvement rates in a promising school-based PPI for youth—the Well-Being Promotion Program (WBPP; Suldo, 2016)— after implementing culturally and linguistically responsive communication methods throughout the screening, recruitment, and 10-week program delivery.

Method- This study will analyze collected data as part of a larger efficacy study on the WBPP, and will include data on the caregiver component aspect of the program (i.e., a psycho-educational session and weekly activities to practice at home). The study will analyze data provided by caregivers and students (n=100 intervention, n=99 delayed-intervention control group) from two schools enrolled in a study of the effectiveness of the WBPP during 2022-23. 

Results/Conclusion- Data collection will complete March 2023, and analysis will occur summer 2023. We anticipate findings will contribute to the literature on caregiver involvement in school-based PPIs, and expand the literature on culturally responsive practices for Latinx and Hispanic caregiver involvement.

 

  1. Roth, R.A (2014). Improving middle school student’s subjective well-being: Efficacy of a multi-component positive psychology intervention targeting small groups of youth and parents. Graduate Thesis and Dissertations, https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/5573
  2. Tejada-Gallardo, C., Blasco-Belled, A., Torrelles-Nadal, C., & Alsinet, C. (2020). Effects of school-based multicomponent positive psychology interventions on well-being and distress in adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 49, 1943–1960. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-020-01289-9
  3. Carr, A., Cullen, K., Keeney, C., Canning, C., Mooney, O., Chinseallaigh, E., & O’Dowd, A. (2021). Effectiveness of positive psychology interventions: A systematic review and meta-analysis. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 16(6), 749-769.
  4. Hoover, S., Lever, N., Sachdev, N., Bravo, N., Schlitt, J., Acosta Price, O., et al. (2019). Advancing comprehensive school mental health: Guidance from the field. Baltimore, MD: National Center for School Mental Health. University of Maryland School of Medicine.
  5. Gronholm. P. C., Ford, T., Roberts, R. E., Thornicroft, G., Laurens, K. R., & Evans-Lacko, S. (2015). Mental health service use by young people: The role of caregiver characteristics. PLoS ONE, 10(3) doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0120004
  6. Kapke, T. L., & Gerdes, A. C. (2016). Latino family participation in youth mental health services: Treatment retention, engagement, and response. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 19, 329-351. DOI 10.1007/s10567-016-0213-2
  7. Carr, A., Cullen, K., Keeney, C., Canning, C., Mooney, O., Chinseallaigh, E., & O’Dowd, A. (2021). Effectiveness of positive psychology interventions: A systematic review and meta-analysis. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 16(6), 749-769.
  • Please select up to 3 keywords from the following list to best describe your submission content: Caregivers, Diversity and Inclusion, Education