Culturally linked family influences during adolescence are important predictors of health and well-being for Latino youth, yet few studies have examined whether these familial influences are associated with indicators of typical physiological stress processes. Following a cultural neurobiology framework, we examined the role of family in the everyday lives of Latino adolescents (N = 209; Mage = 18.10; 85.1% Mexican descent; 64.4% female) by investigating familism values and perceptions of parent support as well as daily family assistance behaviors in relation to hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis diurnal patterns, indexed by salivary cortisol five times a day for 3 weekdays. Three-level growth curve analyses revealed that perceptions of parental support were associated with greater cortisol awakening responses, whereas familism values were not associated with diurnal cortisol patterns. In day-to-day analyses, assisting family during the day (compared to not assisting family) was associated with lower waking cortisol levels and flatter diurnal slopes the next day. Our findings highlight the dynamic associations and multiple time courses between cultural values and behaviors, daily experiences, and physiological stress processes for Latino adolescents. Further, we identified important cultural risk and promotive factors associated with physiological regulation in daily life and potential pathways toward health outcomes in adulthood.

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Given the scarce past research on custodial grandparents’ early life circumstances, we investigated frequencies, patterns, and predictors of 14 adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) reported by 355 custodial grandmothers (CGMs). Predominant ACEs were bullying (54.6%), verbal abuse (51.5%), physical abuse (45.4%), and living with a substance abuser (41.1%). Only 11% of CGMs reported 0 ACEs, whereas 52.4% reported >4. Latent class analyses yielded three classes of ACE exposure: minimal (54.1%), physical/emotional abuse (25.9%), and complex (20.0%). Age was the only demographic factor related to ACE class, with the complex class being younger than the other two. MANCOVAs with age as a covariate revealed that different ACE profiles have unique impacts on CGMs’ physical and psychological well-being. We conclude that ACEs are highly prevalent among CGMs and a serious public health concern. Future research addressing ACEs among CGMs is critical in order to support these caregivers and promote resilience in custodial grandfamilies.

In this article we introduce "humanization" as a value framework that may guide resilience interventions. We regard the humanization of relationships as a key to health, wellbeing, and the capacity for resilient adaptation to stress for individuals and across communities. Although humans are wired to connect (Lieberman, 2013), they often dehumanize others (Harris & Fiske, 2011). By failing to consider another person's mind, that person is dehumanized. That perception enables inhumane treatment of the other, through the processes social scientists have referred to as dehumanization, infrahumanization, and objectification (Haslam & Loughnan, 2014). We argue that it is possible to reverse dehumanized perceptions through interventions that identify the underlying causes of dehumanizing and objectifying others, and show the value of taking into account the other's perspective (Harris & Fiske, 2011). By humanizing social relations, people understand one another as unique individuals with minds, emotions, goals, and preferences worthy of attention, and learn how to refrain from objectifying others' identities based on group classification or to fill their own needs. Humanizing relationships nourishes resilience by fostering daily moments of positive connection with others in the short term, and creating stronger, more sustainable social bonds in the long-term.

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