Adaptation and Feasibility of a Communication Intervention for Mexican Immigrant Mothers and Children in a School Setting

Abstract

Children of Mexican immigrants are exposed to multiple ecological risks that heighten their likelihood of experiencing depressive symptoms. In previous studies, affirming parent–child communication has been found to be protective against depressive symptoms in Hispanic youth. Interventions focused on enhancing communication between parents and youth have the possibility of strengthening protective factors for children. The aims of this study were to (1) adapt an evidence-based parent–child communication intervention (Mission Possible) for cultural relevance for low-income, low-literacy Mexican immigrant mothers and their children and (2) assess feasibility of delivering the adapted intervention in a school setting. Adaptation took place in a series of focus groups of mother–child dyads. The revised intervention was delivered to 27 mother–child dyads in two elementary schools. Feasibility was supported by high participant satisfaction, 80% attendance rate, and 75% retention rate. This preliminary work suggests strategies for school nurses to partner with immigrant families and outlines a potential intervention that expands the school nursing role.

Efficacy of a Latino Mother–Child Communication Intervention in Elementary Schools

“…Retention of participants at each stage of the study can be found in the CONSORT table (Figure 1). Detailed description of implementation feasibility can be found in a separate publication (McNaughton et al, 2013). …”

“…The intervention is a manual-guided, mental health promotion, communication skill-building program appropriate for use in schools and designed to be delivered by school nurses, social workers, or teachers. The Family Communication intervention consists of 12 hr (6 group meetings, 2 hr each) of small group skill-building sessions with mother–child dyads and is adapted from Riesch et al’s (1993) Mission Possible: Parents and Kids who Listen program (McNaughton et al, 2013). …”

“…Feasibility was assessed by enrollment and attendance rates, participant satisfaction, and ability to deliver the intervention in a school setting (McNaughton et al, 2013). …”

“…The adaptation was done in partnership with a community advisory committee of 10 mother–child dyads and took place at a local elementary school. Further information about the adaptation can be found in another article (McNaughton, Cowell, & Fogg, 2013). …”

Alerta Alcohol

“…For optimal cultural adaptation, attention to the surface and deep structure must be taken into account (Escobar-Chaves et al, 2011;McNaughton, Cowell & Fogg, 2014). The surface structure would involve designing messages with observable and "superficial" characteristics of a target population (e.g., people, clothes, places, language and youthful jargon, etc.).…”