A Community-Engaged Research Approach to Improve Mental Health Among Latina Immigrants

Abstract

Recent Latina immigrants are at increased risk of poor mental health due to stressors associated with adapting to life in the United States. Existing social and health care policies often do not adequately address the mental health concerns of new Latino populations. Amigas Latinas Motivando el Alma, a community-partnered research project, seeks to improve immigrant Latinas’ mental health outcomes. Using Photovoice methodology, promotoras (lay health advisors) reflected on community factors affecting mental health through photography and guided discussion. Discussions were audio-recorded, transcribed, and coded using content analysis to identify salient themes. Promotoras reviewed codes to develop themes that they presented in community forums to reach local policy makers and to increase community awareness. These forums included an exhibit of the promotoras’ photographs and discussion of action steps to address community concerns. Themes included transitioning to life in the United States, parenting, education, and combating racism. Nearly 150 stakeholders attended the community forums and proposed responses to promotoras’photographic themes. Our findings suggest that Photovoice provides an opportunity for Latinas and the larger community to identify issues that they find most important and to explore avenues for action and change by creating sustainable partnerships between the community and forum attendees

Health Communication and the Arts in the United States: A Scoping Review

“…A common thread was the pairing of art forms (ie, photography or storytelling) with dialogue, or the use of the arts to generate discussion. For example, studies examined the mental health concerns of new immigrants through participatory photography, 23 breast cancer knowledge in African American women through participatory theater, 24 and type 2 diabetes management in Somali and Latinx individuals through digital storytelling. 25 They also elicited participants’ identification of challenges such as limited physical activity in middle schoolers 26 or barriers to enrollment in a national childhood development study.…”

Outcomes and Intentionality of Action Planning in Photovoice: A Literature Review

“…Outcomes that affected multiple systems throughout the community were policy advocacy, funding support for future projects, new interven-tions and research projects, and increased community capacity. Advocacy activities led to financial support for future projects or studies (Beh et al, 2013;Nucho & Nahm, 2018;Perez et al, 2016;Petteway et al, 2019), catalyzed further assessment of the study topic (Balvanz et al, 2016;Haque & Eng, 2011), or led to changes in organizational policies (Rhodes et al, 2015). Ten studies resulted in new interventions or dramatic changes to an existing intervention-whether through a built environment intervention (Adams et al, 2012;Beh et al, 2013;Bisung et al, 2015;Haque & Eng, 2011) or a programmatic intervention (Adams et al, 2012;Bharmal et al, 2012;Moya et al, 2014;Rhodes et al, 2008;Wilson et al, 2008).…”

“We don't get much of a voice about anything”: perspectives on photovoice among people who inject drugs

“…Indeed, photovoice has been used to cultivate visual evidence on under-investigated issues and topics that are often misunderstood including disability, accessibility [35, 36], housing, and homelessness [37]. An important component of many photovoice projects is dissemination through an exhibit of the photographs taken, which can help educate policymakers and the broader community on these topics [9, 38, 39]. By raising societal awareness of substance use and addiction, this specific type of activity could help reduce societal stigma against injection drug use.…”