The detrimental effects of discrimination are well documented; however, the influence of ethnic/ racial identity (ERI) on this association is equivocal. There is theoretical and empirical support for both protective and detrimental effects of ERI. This meta-analysis includes 53 effect sizes from 51 studies and 18,545 participants spanning early adolescence to adulthood to synthesize the interaction of ERI and discrimination for adjustment outcomes. Consistent with existing metaanalyses, discrimination was associated with compromised adjustment; further, this effect was buffered by overall ERI particularly for academic and physical health outcomes. Different ERI dimensions and adjustment outcomes revealed important patterns. ERI exploration increased vulnerabilities associated with discrimination, particularly for negative mental health and risky health behaviors. The exacerbating influence of ERI exploration was strongest at age 24 years old, and more recent publications reported weaker exacerbating effects. In contrast, ERI commitment conferred protection. A composite score of ERI exploration and commitment also conferred protection against discrimination. Sample demographics mattered. The buffering effect of ERI commitment was stronger for Latinx (compared to Asian-heritage) individuals. The buffering effect of public regard was stronger for Asian-heritage (compared to African-heritage) individuals. For positive mental health outcomes, a composite score of ERI exploration and commitment had a stronger buffering effect for Latinx (compared to African-heritage) individuals. For risky health behaviors, Latinx individuals reported a stronger buffering effect of ERI (compared to Africanheritage and Asian-heritage) individuals. The current meta-analysis identifies gaps in the literature and offers suggestions for future research.

A growing body of literature indicates that the mental distress experienced by survivors of war is a function of both experienced trauma and stressful life events. However, the majority of these studies are limited in that they 1) employ models of psychological distress that emphasize underlying latent constructs and do not allow researchers to examine the unique associations between particular symptoms and various stressors; and 2) use one or more measures that were not developed for that particular context and thus may exclude key traumas, stressful life events and symptoms of psychopathology. The current study addresses both these limitations by 1) using a novel conceptual model, network analysis, which assumes that symptoms covary with each other not because they stem from a latent construct, but rather because they represent meaningful relationships between the symptoms; and 2) employing a locally developed measure of experienced trauma, stressful life problems and symptoms of psychopathology. Over the course of 2009 to 2011, 337 survivors of the Sri Lankan civil war were administered the Penn-RESIST-Peradeniya War Problems Questionnaire (PRPWPQ). Network analysis revealed that symptoms of psychopathology, problems pertaining to lack of basic needs, and social problems were central to the network relative to experienced trauma and other types of problems. After controlling for shared associations, social problems in particular were the most central, significantly more so than traumatic events and family problems. Several particular traumatic events, stressful life events and symptoms of psychopathology that were central to the network were also identified. Discussion emphasizes the utility of such network models to researchers and practitioners determining how to spend limited resources in the most impactful way possible.

Background Research on the impact of various types of stressors on refugee wellbeing may not readily inform those designing interventions about the supports that will be most helpful in particular settings. Composite variables used in psychosocial research that represent overarching types of stressors provide only vague information about intervention targets. Dynamic networks model individual phenomena separately (i.e., specific stressors and symptoms of distress) to inform how phenomena interact with each other in ways that may be useful for individuals planning interventions in humanitarian aid settings. Methods Using archival data from Darfur refugees, we used a dynamic networks approach to model relationships between locally-validated measures of traumatic events, displacement stressors, impairment, and distress. Results Findings aligned with previous research on the centrality of basic needs in refugee populations. Further, specific stressors were highlighted as particularly impactful for this population, and sleep and physical difficulties emerged as key aspects of distress and impairment, suggesting areas for targeted intervention. Conclusions : Dynamic network approaches may be fruitful for identifying setting-specific intervention targets and maximizing the impact of limited resources in humanitarian aid settings. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13031-019-0212-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Family childcare (FCC) providers provide childcare for many low‐income families in the United States, and the literature suggests they take on several other support roles as well. The current study consisted of focus groups and interviews in which FCC providers (N = 22) shared successes and challenges in their profession. Using grounded theory we identified four primary FCC roles: teacher, caregiver, social worker and business owner. Conflict within and between roles was related to considerable stress. Because roles varied across a spectrum from entangled to rigid professional relationship boundaries, many FCC providers struggled with the limits of their daily work. Suggestions are made to limit role conflict, re‐establish boundaries and promote FCC providers’ well‐being.

Juvenile probation officers (JPOs) play an important role as decisionmakers for adolescents under their supervision in the community. While some research has examined how individual and organizational characteristics may affect their decision-making, this is the first study to examine the role of social networks that naturally occur within the juvenile probation department workplace. Specifically, demographics, attitudes about participation in the workplace, and burnout were examined as predictors of social support and consultation networks within the workplace. The current study was exploratory in nature. Participants were JPOs who supervised adolescents in the United States within one state. JPOs who felt more involved in workplace decision-making processes reported receiving more social support from their colleagues. JPOs with some graduate education or a Master’s degree were less likely to provide consultation to others on tough cases or to be rated by others as providing social support. Implications are discussed.