Research addressing parent-child communication on the topic of alcohol use relies heavily on assessing frequency of discussions and general assessments of openness in parent-child communication, ignoring the complexity of this communication phenomenon. This study adds to the literature by articulating a conceptualization and developing a measurement of parent-child communication-targeted parent-child communication about alcohol-and comparing the efficacy of targeted parent-child communication about alcohol in predicting positive expectancies of alcohol use and recent alcohol use. The predictive power of general openness in parent-child communication and frequency of communication about alcohol also were assessed. Students in 5 th and 6 th grade (N = 1407) from 29 public schools completed surveys. Targeted parent-child communication about alcohol was negatively associated with both outcomes. Frequency and general openness were only negatively associated with positive expectancies regarding alcohol. Implications of these findings for the etiology and prevention of substance use are discussed.In the U.S., alcohol abuse has become a part of our public consciousness due to the pervasive use by our nation's youth (Johnston, O'Malley, Bachman, & Schulenberg, 2007). A national survey revealed that 39% of 8 th grade students reported having consumed alcohol in their lifetime with 18% consuming to the point of drunkenness (Johnston et al., 2007). Concern over alcohol use rates stem from the finding that the earlier youth initiate alcohol use, the more likely they are to develop alcohol dependence and related problems in adulthood (Grant & Dawson, 1997). Based on the Gateway Hypothesis, Collins (2002) suggests that most adolescents begin with alcohol consumption followed by other substances. The risks of teen alcohol and other substance use include accidental injury, addiction, academic failure, impaired social maturation, and mortality (Johnston et al., 2007). The seriousness of the consequences of alcohol use by youth has generated policies, programs, and research interest in the prevention of use and abuse among youth. An outcome of these efforts over the past few decades is a complex body of knowledge concerning the etiology of alcohol use, revealing a dynamic and multifaceted system of personal and contextual factors of influence (Hawkins, Catalano, & Miller, 1992).The question remains, what influences the uptake and continued use of alcohol and other substances among youth in the U.S.? The prevention literature indicates that parental influences, parent-child communication in particular, may effectively buffer against the risks of early use initiation (Brody, Murry, Kim, & Brown, 2002;Miller, Alberts, Hecht, Trost, & Krizek, 2000), predict negative attitudes toward alcohol use (Perry et al, 2002), and reduce All correspondence should be directed to the first author at 234 Sparks, University Park, PA 16802, U.S.A., or via, mam32@psu.edu. NIH Public Access Author ManuscriptHealth Commun. Author manuscript; avai...

Language brokering is the communication process where individuals with no formal training (often children of immigrant families) linguistically mediate for 2 or more parties (usually adult family members and individuals from mainstream culture). This study examined the direct and indirect effects of language brokering on mental health and risky behaviors. Mexican-heritage youth (N = 684) from schools in Phoenix, AZ, completed surveys at 3 waves from 7th through 8th grades. Language brokering frequency and negative brokering feelings were positively associated with family-based acculturation stress, which was positively associated with alcohol use and other risky behaviors. Yet, brokering frequency was negatively associated with other risky behaviors, and positive brokering feeling was negatively associated with cigarette use. Implications for these findings are discussed.

Language brokering remains prevalent among immigrant families, but it is widely assumed that brokering functions as a cultural stressor, resulting in adverse health outcomes for immigrant youth. Few studies, however, have tested this assumption, particularly while using longitudinal data and capturing multiple dimensions of brokering. Thus, this study examined how depressive symptoms and family-based acculturation stress mediated the relationships between various aspects of brokering (i.e., frequency of brokering, positive and negative feelings about brokering, brokering norms, and brokering efficacy) and alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use and other risky behaviors. Using longitudinal survey data from 234 Latino early adolescents in 6th-8th grades (M age  = 12.4 years; Females = 46.2 %), brokering for parents indirectly affected alcohol and marijuana use through family-based acculturation stress; however, these significant indirect effects became non-significant when taking into account negative brokering feelings and brokering as a burden on one's time. Feeling positively or efficacious about brokering or having pro-brokering norms did not directly predict any adverse mental and behavioral health outcomes. Moderation analyses, however, revealed that brokering for parents did not seem to function as a stressor when Latino early adolescents were high in brokering efficacy (e.g., feeling confident in one's ability to broker) or descriptive brokering norms (e.g., perceiving one's peers as brokering often). By contrast, when Latino early adolescents perceived brokering as a burden, brokering for parents functioned as a stressor, placing Latino early adolescents at risk for family-based acculturation stress, and in turn, alcohol and marijuana use. Such findings point to the complexity of brokering.

Most of the research on communal coping (CC) has assumed and found that it can enhance health, as well as strengthen entire communities, under stressful circumstances. Nevertheless, recent research has questioned the seemingly inherent benefits of CC. This article rectifies these discrepancies in the literature in a new, extended theoretical model of CC that crosses interpersonal, family, health, organizational, intercultural, and small group communication, as well as psychology and public health. In so doing, we (a) provide a deeper understanding of the functionality of CC for resilience and thriving across subfields within Communication and other disciplines, (b) clarify the concept of CC and describe how it is constructed and revealed through communication, (c) address problematic ways researchers measure CC, and (d) demonstrate the processual nature of it. Future directions are suggested.

This study examined the applicability of extending the theory of planned behavior to explain the normative processes in substance use among Mexican-heritage youth. The theory identifies norms, attitudes, and perceived behavioral control as predictors of intentions, which in turn, predict behaviors. To date, the theory had a limited conceptualization of norms and had not been extended to youth of Mexican descent, one of the fastest growing segments of the U.S. population and one at particular risk for alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use. Based on norm focus theory, it was hypothesized that norms are multidimensional, consisting of parental injunctive, peer injunctive, descriptive, and personal substance use norms. Second, it was hypothesized that parental injunctive, peer injunctive, and descriptive norms indirectly affect substance use intentions through attitudes, personal norms, and perceived behavioral control. The third hypothesis postulated that the model would operate differently based on Mexican-heritage youths' country of origin. Mexican-heritage youth (N = 1,499) from 30 elementary schools in Phoenix, AZ completed questionnaires in three waves over 18 months as part of a larger study. The findings supported the first hypothesis, showing the multidimensionality of norms. The second hypothesis was partially supported by findings from a multi-group multilevel path analysis using Mplus. Descriptive norms' association with intentions was partially mediated by attitudes, personal norms, and perceived behavioral control, while parental and peer injunctive norms were fully mediated, partially supporting the second hypothesis. Contrary to the third hypothesis, the mediation model did not differ based on Mexican-heritage youths' country of origin.