Patient and community engagement for mental health disparities in Latinx youth immigrant populations: the Fuerte program

Martínez, William; Chhabra, Divya; Cooch, Peter; Oo, Heyman; Vo, Holly; Romano, Angelina; Farahmand, Farahnaz K.; Rocha, Maximilian; Miguel, Robán San; Romero, Marisol García; Quintanilla, Alex; Matlow, Ryan

doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-818012-9.00008-3

Cited by 6 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…Prevention programming should be available for all newcomer immigrant youth, particularly for UAMs arriving from Central American countries, due to the myriad contextual risk factors and stressors that make them at high risk for need to access specialty mental health care. Schools may be the appropriate settings as they are often conceptualized as the frontline for programming to reduce health disparities among high‐risk youth (Martinez et al., 2020; Schapiro, Gutierrez, Blackshaw, & Chen, 2018). Additionally, many youth who migrate from Central American countries qualify for international protection according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNCHR, 2014).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“Se extraña todo:” Family separation and reunification experiences among unaccompanied adolescent migrants from Central America

Patel

Bouche

Martínez

et al. 2021

New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development

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There has been a record surge of unaccompanied immigrant minors (UAMs) entering the United States, with 86% of those apprehended at the US-Mexico border originating from the Central American countries of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. A majority of immigrant children are separated from either one or both parents at various points during the migration process. Although average separations last 4 or more years, and may be deeply distressing, there is little research on family separations among Central American UAMs. Further, little is known about the developmental impact of separations from extended family networks, or about reunification. To address these empirical gaps, this study used community-participatory qualitative methods to deeply explore the lived experiences and emotional repercussions of family separation and reunification. The sample included 42 adolescents who had all recently migrated to the Western United States from Central America. Thematic analyses revealed that separation experiences are distressing, multifaceted, and have important developmental implications for Central American UAMs. Results illustrate the socioemotional toll that family separation and reunification can have on this vulnerable population, and highlight the need for

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“Se extraña todo:” Family separation and reunification experiences among unaccompanied adolescent migrants from Central America

Patel

Bouche

Martínez

et al. 2021

New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development

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“…Fuerte is one of few school-based mental health programs targeting newcomer immigrant youth (Martinez et al, 2020). It is a secondary prevention program for NLIY in middle and high school who have resided in the United States for 5 years or less, and the curriculum is delivered as a weekly group intervention during the school day.…”

Section: Prevention Efforts To Support Nliymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Participants were recruited as part of a larger, multiyear randomized controlled trial evaluating the effectiveness of Fuerte (see Martinez et al, 2020Martinez et al, , 2022. This study was approved by the University of California, San Francisco Institutional Review Board (protocol no.…”

Section: Participants and Proceduresmentioning

confidence: 99%

“Le pueden pagar más al que tiene papeles y menos al que no tiene”: An exploratory study of critical consciousness processes among newcomer Latinx immigrant youth.

Arce,

Edyburn,

Baquero Devis

et al. 2024

Journal of Latinx Psychology

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Newcomer Latinx immigrant youth (NLIY) in the United States are impacted by systemic inequities experienced premigration in their home countries and postmigration in the United States. Consistent with critical consciousness (CC) theory, developing an awareness of these inequities (i.e., critical reflection/awareness), forming beliefs about one's ability to overcome them (i.e., sociopolitical efficacy), and taking actions to create social change (i.e., critical action), could promote positive psychosocial outcomes for NLIY. However, limited research has examined CC processes in this population. The present study explored CC processes among NLIY through focus groups (N = 7). Using a semistructured interview guide, participants were asked to reflect on the multisystem barriers they have faced in the United States and in their home countries. Data were analyzed via thematic analyses, which identified themes of awareness of personal, family, and systemic barriers, general and sociopolitical efficacy, and general action. Findings also revealed themes of limited opportunities for critical reflection and of dual frames of reference. Overall, NLIY evinced a nuanced understanding of sociopolitical systems and findings suggest that these youth may benefit from more opportunities to participate in CC raising programming. Public Significance StatementWhen openly asked to reflect on the multisystem barriers they have experienced, newcomer Latinx immigrant adolescents articulated many personal and family, but not systemic barriers. However, when these youth were directly asked about systemic inequities, they demonstrated a complex understanding of the sociopolitical systems that have oppressed them both in the United States and in their home countries. Findings suggest that critical consciousness processes may be valuable targets for future research and practice with this population.

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“…One program impacted by the pandemic and school closures was the Fuerte program (Martinez et al, 2020), a brief, school‐based prevention program delivered in a group modality targeting newcomer Latinx immigrant middle and high school students in a school district in Calfornia. Fuerte is an evidence‐based program, using elements of cognitive‐behavioral principles and the Attachment, Self‐Regulation, and Competency framework (see Blaustein & Kinniburgh, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Data in the present study were collected as part of a hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial (Curran et al 2012) of the Fuerte program. Guided by the core tenants of community psychology, the program's design, implementation, and evaluation utilized community-based participatory methods at each stage (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2015), and are described in further detail in Martinez et al (2020). Following school closures, the Fuerte program was delivered via videoconferencing software, a modality that it was not initially designed for.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“We could see our real selves:” The COVID‐19 syndemic and the transition to telehealth for a school‐based prevention program for newcomer Latinx immigrant youth

Martínez

Patel

Contreras

et al. 2022

Journal Community Psychology

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Newcomer Latinx immigrant youths in the United States are currently in a syndemic of increased risk of behavioral health concerns, disparities in access to related services, and are disproportionately impacted by the COVID‐19 pandemic. This study used qualitative inquiry to examine the impact that the transition to telehealth had on a school‐based group prevention program for immigrant youth, Fuerte , within the context of this syndemic. Data included semi‐structured interviews with group leaders, and focus groups with youth program participants. Themes indicated both positive and negative impacts of the transition to telehealth on program component implementation, youth participant engagement, and youth participant social connectedness. Despite the telehealth model, youth participants reported that they felt socially connected to each other through the program. This study's results provide implications for the potential value and drawbacks of a telehealth prevention model for newcomer immigrant youth, as well as deepening understanding of how virtual behavioral health programs may operate in socially isolating contexts around the world.

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Patient and community engagement for mental health disparities in Latinx youth immigrant populations: the Fuerte program

Cited by 6 publications

References 32 publications

“Se extraña todo:” Family separation and reunification experiences among unaccompanied adolescent migrants from Central America

“Se extraña todo:” Family separation and reunification experiences among unaccompanied adolescent migrants from Central America

“Le pueden pagar más al que tiene papeles y menos al que no tiene”: An exploratory study of critical consciousness processes among newcomer Latinx immigrant youth.

“We could see our real selves:” The COVID‐19 syndemic and the transition to telehealth for a school‐based prevention program for newcomer Latinx immigrant youth

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