Financial capability is crucial for youth in foster care to develop prior to transitioning to independence. However, little is known about how these youth fare regarding financial capability. This study assesses whether youth in foster care in the United States who are over age 18 have better financial capability and related supports compared with younger youth and whether there are associations between supports and financial capability. Survey data from 97 youth aged 14 to 20 in foster care were analysed. Participants aged 18 and older had more advanced financial capability than younger youth on several indicators. Older youth were more likely to check in with caring adults about financial‐related issues and to have been enrolled in an independent living programme, both of which were associated with better financial capability. However, many youth over 18 were found to not have achieved financial capability in many areas. Older youth in care do appear to be making meaningful gains towards financial capability; however, more policy and practice enhancements are needed to fully prepare youth for independence.

Since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Muslims in the United States of America (MIA) have experienced increasing encounters with discrimination, hate crimes, and violence. This places them a higher risk for mental health symptoms. Although current research explores factors that impact mental health seeking behaviors of ethnic and racial minorities, there is a paucity of research examining the utilization of mental health services among religious minorities. The purpose of our study was to examine the relations between acculturation to Islamic values, acculturation to American values, and mental health seeking behaviors of MIA. We also sought to identify sources of support MIA utilize when experiencing religious adversity. We had three findings. First, we found a significant negative relation between Islamic values and likelihood of seeking mental health services. In other words, MIA who adhered to more Islamic values were less likely to seek mental health treatment. Second, we found a significant positive relation between acculturation to American values and the likelihood of seeking mental health services. Thus, MIA who were more acculturated to American values were more likely to seek mental health services compared to MIA who were less acculturated. Third, we found that the top ranked sources of support for MIA were family, self-care, religion (e.g., prayer), or not seeking support at all. MIA in our study were less likely approach friends, community (e.g., mosque), or professionals (e.g., therapy). The implications of our findings are discussed.

Cultural factors must be considered in the study of Filipinos in the USA. More specifically, Indigenous Filipino culture, which forms the basis of the study of Sikolohiyang Pilipino, is important as it incorporates the spiritual beliefs and practices that continue to influence Filipinos’ conceptualization of illness and healing. Given the low mental health utilization rates of Filipino Americans, it is important to examine whether Indigenous Filipino Spirituality (IFS) may impact mental health help-seeking behaviors (MHSB). In addition to spirituality, history is another important cultural factor. The Philippines’ nearly 50-year American colonial rule contributed to a unique acculturation experience for Filipinos and a complex and confusing ethnic and cultural identity. Our study examined the impact of acculturation and value for integrating IFS into mental health treatment on MHSB. Recruitment and dissemination of the study questionnaire were conducted via email and social media platforms (i.e., Reddit, Facebook). In the sample of 294 Filipinos across 40 states, 96.1% (n = 268) reported as belonging to a Filipino ethnic group and 8.4% (n = 22) identified with belonging to an Indigenous Filipino tribe. Our results revealed that higher acculturation and higher value of integrating IFS into mental health treatment are both associated with higher MHSB. These findings emphasize considerations for cultural factors in the psychological study and mental health treatment of Filipinos. Incorporating culturally relevant factors such as spirituality and history into healing and treatment promotes much needed access to a culturally adapted mental health support for Filipinos in the USA.

We examined the relationship between ethnic identity (EI), family ethnic socialization (FES), heritage language ability (HLA), and desire to learn a heritage language (HLD) in a sample of 91 U.S. psychology graduate students. We had four main findings. First, HLD had a significant positive relation with EI (24.9%). Second, FES had a significant positive relation with EI (33.8%). Above and beyond FES, HLD uniquely accounted for 10.9% of the variance of EI. Third, HLA had a significant positive relation with EI (12.3%). Above and beyond HLA, HLD uniquely accounted for 12.7% of the variance of EI. Accounting for the contribution of HLD decreased the beta associated with HLA; a finding that suggests HLD may mediate the relation between HLA and EI. Fourth, the combined contribution of FES and HLA accounted for approximately 36.3% of the variance of EI. HLD had a significant positive relation to ethnic identity after the other the factors in this study were considered, in combination, and uniquely explained 9.0% of the variance of EI. Our results highlight the importance of considering internal factors, such as desire to learn a heritage language, when examining ethnic identity. Implications for practice and recommendations for future research are discussed.

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