Extortion experiences of recent adult immigrants from Latin America: self-reported prevalence, associated costs, and current mental health.

Violence across Latin America is an increasingly important factor influencing migration to the US. A particular form of violence that is experienced by many Latinx migrants is extortion. This research analyzes the extortion experiences of Latinx immigrant adults arriving at the US southern border and the impact these experiences have on mental health. We find that on average, participants paid $804 in extortion during their migration. The most common perpetrators of extortion in our study were police followed by immigration officials throughout Latin America. Pregnant participants were less likely to experience extortion and adults traveling with children were more likely to be extorted. Participants who were extorted for money reported significantly greater severity of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms compared to those who were not extorted. This research is the first of its kind to analyze extortion experiences among Latinx immigrants to the US, quantifying the prevalence, amounts paid, countries where extortion occurs, and perpetrators of extortion. In addition, extortion experiences are associated with negative effects on the mental health of newly arrived Latinx immigrants to the US. Based upon these findings, we recommend that extortion should be considered a significant stressor in the migrant experience, particularly for those adults traveling with children.

School belonging mediates the longitudinal effects of racial/ethnic identity on academic achievement and emotional well-being among Black and Latinx adolescents.

Social Identity Theory proposes that a positive in-group social identification fosters students' academic motivation and psychological well-being. The present study, grounded in Social Identity Theory, investigated the roles of racial/ethnicity identity (REI) in the development of school adjustment among Black and Latinx youth as well as the psychological mechanisms underlying these longitudinal associations. We hypothesized that REI would positively predict the development of academic achievement and emotional symptoms. In addition, we hypothesized that the development of school belonging would mediate the predictive effects of REI on the growth of academic achievement and emotional symptoms. Participants were 475 (n = 182 Black, 48.9% female; 293 Latinx, 47.8% female) students in Grades 7-9. Students self-reported their REI, school belonging, and emotional symptoms. Academic achievement was assessed using standardized achievement test scores. The longitudinal mediation models indicated that REI indirectly predicted the development of academic achievement and emotional symptoms through students' sense of school belonging. Specifically, higher REI embedded achievement and lower REI awareness of racism predicted higher school belonging in Grade 7. Higher Grade 7 school belonging in turn predicted faster academic growth in Grade 7 to Grade 9 as well as lower emotional symptoms in Grade 7. In addition, the three dimensions of REI also directly predicted the growth of academic achievement and emotional symptoms in Grades 7-9. The mediated effects were smaller in size than the direct effects. These findings highlight the importance of fostering positive REI and a strong sense of school belonging in promoting school adjustment among racial/ethnic minoritized, academically at-risk youth.

Combustible cigarette smokers versus dual combustible and electronic users: Evaluation of differences in anxiety, depression, and transdiagnostic constructs among Latinx adults.

Research on dual combustible and electronic nicotine use among Latinx persons is needed to better understand patterns of use because this group is an established tobacco disparities population. Negative emotional symptoms and related processes (e.g., reactive transdiagnostic vulnerabilities) have been among the most prominent factors linked to the onset, maintenance, and relapse of smoking. As such, the current study sought to compare levels of mental health symptoms among combustible users compared to dual combustible and electronic users among Latinx persons who smoke. The current sample consisted of 297 adult Latinx daily cigarette smokers (Mage = 35.90 years; SD = 8.87; age range 18-61; 36.4% female), of which 92 reported current dual use of an e-cigarette (Mage = 33.34 years; SD = 7.75; age range 19-60; 28.3% female). Differences in anxiety, depression, anxiety sensitivity, emotion dysregulation, and distress tolerance were examined, and we hypothesized that dual users would showcase higher mental health problems. Results indicated that adult Latinx dual users evidenced greater levels of anxiety, depression, emotional dysregulation, anxiety sensitivity, and lower levels of distress tolerance compared to combustible users. The current study sheds light on the clinical importance of affective differences among dual versus combustible Latinx smokers.

Improving Public Health Emergency Communication Along the U.S. Southern Border: Insights From a COVID-19 Pilot Campaign With Truck Drivers.

Tens of thousands of trucks cross the U.S.-Mexico border every day. Cross-border truckers' high mobility puts them at risk of acquiring and transmitting infectious diseases and creates challenges reaching them with emergency public health messaging due to their everchanging locations and limited English proficiency. Despite this community-level transmission risk and documented health disparities related to various infectious and noninfectious diseases experienced by truckers themselves, little has been published to provide practical recommendations on better reaching this audience through innovative outreach methods. This article describes a COVID-19 health promotion campaign that aimed to (1) identify, pilot test, and evaluate effective messages, channels, sources, and settings for reaching truckers on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border and (2) build capacity and sustainability for messaging around future health emergencies. The pilot program ran for 6 weeks, June to August 2023, in three key commercial border crossings and delivered approximately 50,000,000 impressions, nearly 45% more impressions than expected. Considerations for practitioners include the areas of design, implementation, and evaluation. The results provide insight into how to design health promotion messages that resonate with cross-border truckers and how to place these messages where they will be seen, heard, and understood. This includes working effectively with community health workers (CHW), known locally as promotores; identifying local partners that allow CHW to set up onsite; and, working with partner organizations including employers. Practical insights for building evaluation metrics into traditional and grassroots outreach strategies to facilitate real-time optimization as well as continued learning across efforts are also described.

Police Violence Exposure and Associated Health Outcomes Among Latinx Adults in the United States: An Integrative Review.

Police violence exposure among Latinx adults in the United States is increasingly concerning due to its prevalence and associated risks for adverse mental, behavioral, and physical health outcomes. This integrative review appraised studies published from 2003 to 2023 that examine the relationship between police violence exposure and negative health outcomes in Latinx adults. Using structured search terms, articles were identified in APA PsycInfo and PubMed databases, supplemented by a gray literature search and citation mining. Eleven studies met the inclusion criteria. Findings indicate a significant positive association between police violence exposure and adverse mental (n = 9), behavioral (n = 2), and physical (n = 1) health outcomes. The results underscore the mental, behavioral, and physical health consequences of police violence exposure for Latinx adults. Given the increasing Latinx population in the United States, further research is needed to better understand this relationship and inform interventions.

The HIV Index Is Associated With Retention in Care Among Latinx Persons Living With HIV in the CFAR Network of Integrated Clinical Systems Cohort.

The HIV Index is a validated self-report scale of engagement in HIV care previously correlated with future retention and virologic suppression. However, its performance in a monoethnic Latinx population has not been studied. We evaluated the HIV Index among Latinx persons living with HIV in the Centers for AIDS Research Network of Integrated Clinical Systems cohort and performed multivariable logistic regression to estimate its association with primary outcomes of suboptimal retention (not keeping 100% of HIV clinic appointments) and virologic suppression (HIV viral load <200 copies/mL). The mean Index score was 4.5 (standard deviation 0.6) in both analytic samples, indicative of feeling well-engaged. Higher Index scores were associated with lower odds of suboptimal retention (OR = 0.12, 95% CI [0.03, 0.54], p = .005), however, there was no association between Index score and virologic suppression. The HIV Index is useful for assessing engagement and retention among Latinx PLWH in routine care.

Long COVID impacts: the voices and views of diverse Black and Latinx residents in Massachusetts.

OBJECTIVE: To understand how Long COVID is impacting the health and social conditions of the Black and Latinx communities. BACKGROUND: Emerging research on Long COVID has identified three distinct characteristics, including multi-organ damage, persistent symptoms, and post-hospitalization complications. Given Black and Latinx communities experienced significantly higher COVID rates in the first phase of the pandemic they may be disproportionately impacted by Long COVID. METHODS: Eleven focus groups were conducted in four languages with diverse Black and Latinx individuals (n = 99) experiencing prolonged symptoms of COVID-19 or caring for family members with prolonged COVID-19 symptoms. Data was analyzed thematically. RESULTS: Most participants in non-English language groups reported they were unfamiliar with the diagnosis of long COVID, despite experiencing symptoms. Long COVID impacts spanned financial and housing stability to physical and mental health impacts. Participants reported challenging encounters with health care providers, a lack of support managing symptoms and difficulty performing activities of daily living including work. CONCLUSIONS: There is a need for multilingual, accessible information about Long COVID symptoms, improved outreach and healthcare delivery, and increased ease of enrollment in long-term disability and economic support programs.

Fentanyl harm reduction strategies among Latinx communities in the United States: a scoping review.

PURPOSE: Fueled by the prescription opioid overdose crisis and increased influx of illicitly manufactured fentanyl, fentanyl overdoses continue to be a public health crisis that has cost the US economy over $1 trillion in reduced productivity, health care, family assistance, criminal justice, and accounted for over 74,000 deaths in 2023. A recent demographic shift in the opioid crisis has led to a rise in overdose deaths among the Latinx population. Harm reduction interventions, including the use of naloxone and fentanyl test strips, have been shown to be effective measures at reducing the number of opioid overdose deaths. The aim of this scoping review is to summarize naloxone and fentanyl test strip interventions and public health policies targeted to Latinx communities. METHODS: PubMed, CINHAL, Web of Science, Embase, and PsycINFO research databases using the keywords "fentanyl," "Latinx," "Harm Reduction," "Naloxone," and "Fentanyl Test Strips'' to identify studies published between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2023. Endnote and Covidence software were used to catalog and manage citations for review of studies. Subsequently, studies that met inclusion criteria were then summarized using resulting themes. RESULTS: Twenty-seven articles met the inclusion criteria and were further abstracted for the scoping review. Of these articles, 77.7% (n = 21) included a naloxone intervention, while only 11.1% (n = 3) included a fentanyl test strip intervention. Furthermore, 30.1% (n = 8) of these studies were Latinx targeted, and 7.7% (n = 2) of the studies were adapted for Latinx populations. Four themes, including an overall lack of knowledge and awareness, a lack of access to harm reduction or opioid overdose prevention resources, an overall lack of culturally adapted and/or targeted interventions, and restrictive and punitive policies that limit the effectiveness of protective factors were highlighted in this scoping review. CONCLUSION: Limited published research exists on the use of emerging harm reduction behaviors, such as the use of naloxone and fentanyl test strips as community intervention strategies to prevent opioid overdose deaths. Even fewer publications exist on the targeting and cultural adaptation of harm reduction interventions responsive to Latinx communities, especially those using theoretical approaches or frameworks to support these interventions. Future research is needed to assess the unique needs of Latinx populations and to develop culturally responsive programs to prevent opioid-related overdose deaths among this population.

Do Ethnic Identity, Familial, and Community Contexts Impact the Association Between Adverse Life Events and Psychopathology Among Latinx Adolescents?

OBJECTIVE: Few studies have explored the interplay of how individual identity, parental, familial, and contextual factors impact associations between Latinx adolescent adversities and psychopathology. This study aimed to examine whether these factors mediate the relationship between adversities and psychopathology in Latinx youth. METHOD: Latinx youth (n = 2,411) data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study were used to examine path models with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) as the predictor and either youth- or caregiver-rated internalizing/externalizing scores over 4 timepoints as the outcome (ages 9-13 years). Models examined 3 potential mediators: (1) ethnic identity, (2) familial context (comprising parental monitoring, family conflict, and caregiver acceptance), and (3) community cohesion. Models were conducted separately for internalizing and externalizing symptoms. RESULTS: Greater adversity was associated with greater youth- and caregiver-rated internalizing/externalizing psychopathology over time. Greater adversity was associated with lower family functioning and lower ethnic identity, and greater family functioning was associated with lower psychopathology. Family functioning mediated associations between adversity and psychopathology over time (youth-reported internalizing: 95% CI = 0.012-0.019; youth-reported externalizing: 95% CI = 0.020-0.028). In contrast, there was not strong evidence for ethnic identity and community cohesion mediating associations between adversities and psychopathology over time. CONCLUSION: Unlike previous studies, ethnic identity did not influence the relationship between ACEs and psychopathology over time. Additional research is needed to identify whether possible tensions rise as Latinx youth acculturate into US culture and achieve optimal levels of ethnic identity formation. Providers need to assess specific Latinx parental and familial contexts that may interfere with youth identity formation.

Serving up FLAN. a food literacy and nutrition intervention to fend off food insecurity.

BACKGROUND: Food insecurity, an ongoing and accelerating problem in the U.S., is an economic and social condition involving limited or uncertain access to adequate food. Some of the highest rates of food insecurity in 2022 were found among individuals who were Hispanic/Latinx (20.8%), a population that already faces disproportionate health and socioeconomic disadvantages. There remains an urgent health-related need to identify sustainable strategies to prevent food insecurity in the Latinx population. METHODS: A first-generation pilot investigation was conducted using data derived from a sub-study connected to the Computerized Physical Activity Support for Seniors (COMPASS) Trial, a 12-month cluster-randomized controlled trial among older Latinx adults. The sub-study focused on two nutrition interventions that included (1) the Food Literacy and Nutrition (FLAN) curriculum, and (2) a nutrition information-only control. Research hypotheses aimed to determine whether the FLAN intervention reduced food insecurity and increased daily fruit and vegetable servings. RESULTS: On average, participants (n = 39) were 61.5 years of age (SD = 6.7), mostly female (69%), and reported Spanish as their primary language (69%). The FLAN intervention was associated with decreased odds of food insecurity at 12 months (AOR = 0.71, 95% CI = 0.54, 0.95; p = 0.03) when compared to the nutrition-information only control intervention. Although no between-group differences in daily fruit and vegetable servings were found, there was a significant correlation between changes in daily fruit and vegetable servings from baseline to six months and changes in food insecurity from baseline to 12 months (r = -0.51, p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The FLAN intervention, a bilingual and culturally tailored educational curriculum, yielded 12-month improvements in food security among a small sample of older Latinx adults. Evidence from this investigation highlights the potential utility of implementing the FLAN curriculum among individuals who are at an increased risk of food insecurity. Further investigation in a larger sample is merited to determine whether the 12-month decreases in food insecurity that were produced by the FLAN intervention can be replicated. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials gov Identifier: NCT02111213. Registered on 04/02/2014.

Barriers and Facilitators Along the PrEP Continuum of Care Among Latinx Sexual Minoritized Men and Transgender Women: A Systematic Review.

Latinx cisgender sexually minoritized men (SMM) and transgender women (TW) in the U.S. are disproportionately affected by HIV. Although pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a highly effective strategy for HIV prevention, rates of PrEP use among Latinx SMM and TW remain suboptimal. The main purpose of this systematic review was to (1) describe engagement in the various stages of the PrEP care continuum among Latinx SMM and TW, and (2) identify multilevel determinants that function as barriers or facilitators to engagement in the PrEP continuum of care for Latinx SMM and TW. This review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Statement (PRISMA). Five databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Embase, Scopus) were searched to examine the available qualitative, quantitative, and mixed method studies relevant to the research question. A total of 56 studies were included, with the majority focusing on SMM and being cross-sectional in design. Barriers included PrEP knowledge, risk perception, intersecting stigma, and structural conditions. Community resources, social support, and PrEP navigation services facilitated engagement in the PrEP continuum of care. This review highlights the complex factors that influence PrEP care engagement among Latinx SMM and TW. These findings call for comprehensive, multilevel approaches to address inequities disparities in PrEP care engagement among these groups.

RESUMEN: Los hombres cisgénero sexualmente minorizados (SMM) y las mujeres transgénero (TW) latinx en EE. UU. son desproporcionadamente afectados por el VIH. Aunque la profilaxis previa a la exposición (PrEP) es una estrategia efectiva para la prevención del VIH, el uso de la PrEP entre SMM y TW latinx siguen siendo deficiente. El propósito principal de esta revisión sistemática fue describir la participación en las etapas del continuo de atención de la PrEP entre SMM y TW latinx, e identificar factores de multinivel que funcionan como barreras o facilitadores para la participación en el continuo de atención de la PrEP en estos grupos. Esta revisión se realizó de acuerdo con la Declaración de los Elementos de Informes Preferidos para Revisiones Sistemáticas y Metaanálisis (PRISMA). Cinco bases de datos (MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Embase, Scopus) se utilizaron para examinar los estudios cualitativos, cuantitativos y de métodos mixtos relevantes para la pregunta de esta investigación. Se incluyeron un total de 56 estudios, la mayoría se enforcaron en SMM y usaron diseño transversal. Las barreras incluyeron falta de conocimiento sobre PrEP, percepción de riesgo, estigma interseccional y condiciones estructurales. Los recursos comunitarios, el apoyo social y los servicios de navegación de PrEP facilitaron la participación en el continuo de atención de PrEP. Esta revisión resplandece los factores complejos que influyen en la participación del continuo de atención de PrEP entre SMM y TW latinx. Estos descubrimientos exigen enfoques holistas y de multinivel para abordar las disparidades en uso y acceso a de la PrEP entre estos grupos.

Somos Esenciales, We are Essential: Our Mental Health is Essential. Research for, by and of the Latinx Community in the Mission District during the Pandemic.

We are Latinx immigrants and children of Latinx immigrants. We provided emergency volunteer services at the Mission Food Bank during the pandemic to provide food assistance to low-income families in the Mission District and the city of San Francisco. In March 2021, we were invited to lead a research project that we call "We are Essential". Here we share our process and a few of our findings on the mental health of San Francisco's Latinx community during the pandemic, with a focus on our children and youth. A full report of our findings will be published in 2024.

Exploring Sibling Relationship Quality among Latinx Siblings: A Systematic Review.

This systematic review addresses the gap in the literature regarding sibling relationship quality among Latinx families, a topic that has not been comprehensively examined to date. This study aimed to synthesize current research on sibling relationship quality in Latinx families, focusing on the influence of cultural factors, identifying key variables associated with sibling relationship quality, and evaluating the methodological approaches used. This paper is a systematic review based on a recently published evidence and gap map (EGM) that identified and visually presented all published studies investigating sibling relationship quality. Additional inclusion criteria were applied to select articles that specifically examined sibling relationship quality in the United States samples with at least 50% Latinx participants. The review included 12 articles representing 6 distinct studies, revealing significant findings on the roles of familism, simpatía, and gender in shaping sibling dynamics. Results indicated that cultural values such as familism and simpatía positively influence sibling intimacy and warmth, while gender dynamics further moderate these relationships. Methodologically, the articles employed longitudinal and cross-sectional designs, utilizing various quantitative measures. The findings underscore the importance of culturally sensitive approaches in studying sibling relationships and highlight the need for further research to explore these dynamics in diverse Latinx subgroups.

Adaptation and Reach of a Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Social Marketing Campaign for Latino, Latina, and Latinx Populations: Development Study.

BACKGROUND: Latino, Latina, and Latinx (Latino/a/x) individuals remain disproportionately impacted by HIV, particularly sexual minority men and transgender women. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an effective means of biomedical HIV prevention, but awareness and uptake remain low among marginalized Latino/a/x populations. Social marketing campaigns have demonstrated promise in promoting PrEP in other populations but are poorly studied in Latino/a/x sexual minority men and transgender women. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to (1) adapt and pilot a PrEP social marketing campaign tailored to Latino/a/x populations with a focus on sexual minority men and transgender women through community-based participatory research (CBPR) and (2) evaluate the reach and ad performance of the adapted PrEP social marketing campaign. METHODS: We used the ADAPT-ITT (assessment, decision, adaptation, production, topical experts-integration, training, and testing) framework for adapting evidence-based interventions for new settings or populations. This paper presents how each phase of the ADAPT-ITT framework was applied via CBPR to create the PrEPárate ("Be PrEPared") campaign. Key community engagement strategies included shared ownership with community partners, focus groups to guide content, crowdsourcing to name the campaign, design by local Latino/a/x artists, and featuring local influencers as the faces of PrEPárate. We evaluated campaign reach and advertisement performance using social media platform metrics (paid and organic reach, impressions, unique clicks, and click-through rates [CTR]) and website use statistics from Google Analytics. RESULTS: The PrEPárate campaign ran in Cook County, Illinois, from April to September 2022. The campaign reached over 118,750 people on social media (55,750 on Facebook and Instagram [Meta Platforms Inc] and 63,000 on TikTok [ByteDance Ltd]). The Meta ads performed over the industry benchmark with ads featuring local transgender women (2% CTR) and cisgender sexual minority men (1.4% CTR). Of the different Grindr (Grindr Inc) ad formats piloted, the interstitial Grindr ads were the highest performing (1183/55,479, 2.13% CTR). YouTube (Google) ads were low performing at 0.11% (153/138,337) CTR and were stopped prematurely, given limits on sexual education-related content. In the first year, there were 5006 visitors to the website. CONCLUSIONS: Adaptation of an existing evidence-based intervention served as an effective method for developing a PrEP social marketing campaign for Latino/a/x audiences. CBPR and strong community partnerships were essential to tailor materials and provide avenues to systematically address barriers to PrEP access. Social marketing is a promising strategy to promote PrEP among underserved Latino/a/x populations.

Who's in control? Situating expertise, (mis)trust, and power among the Latine/Hispanic community in COVID-19's liminal moments.

BACKGROUND: Research has established the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Black, Indigenous, and People of color (BIPOC) communities, and the barriers to vaccine trust and access among these populations. Focusing on perceptions of safety, access, and trustworthiness, studies often attach barriers to community-members, and discuss vaccines as if developed from an objective perspective, or "view from nowhere" (Haraway). OBJECTIVE: We sought to follow Haraway's concept of "situated knowledges," whereby no one truth exists, and information is understood within its context, to understand the exertions of expertise surrounding vaccines. We focused on perceptions of power among a BIPOC community during a relatively unexamined moment, wherein the status of the pandemic and steps to prevent it were particularly uncertain. METHODS: We report the findings of ten focus groups conducted among members of Rhode Island's Latine/Hispanic communities between December 2021 and May 2022. We called this time COVID-19's liminal moment because vaccines were distributed, mandates were lifted, vaccine efficacy was doubted, and new strains spread. We translated, transcribed, and analyzed focus groups using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Community-member (n = 65) perceptions of control aligned with three key themes: (1) no power is capable of controlling COVID-19, (2) we are the objects of scientific and political powers, and (3) we, as individuals and communities, can control COVID-19 through our decisions and actions. CONCLUSIONS: By centering the perspectives of a minoritized community, we situated the scientific knowledge produced about COVID-19 within the realities of imperfect interventions, uncontrollable situations, and medical power-exertions. We argue that medical knowledge should not be assumed implicitly trustworthy, or even capable, but instead seen as one of many products of human labor within human systems. Trust and trustworthiness must be mutually negotiated between experts, contexts, and communities through communication, empowerment, and justice.

Acceptability and Engagement of a Smartphone-Delivered Interpretation Bias Intervention in a Sample of Black and Latinx Adults: Open Trial.

BACKGROUND: Access to evidence-based interventions is urgently required, especially for individuals of minoritized identities who experience unique barriers to mental health care. Digital mental health interventions have the potential to increase accessibility. Previous pilot studies testing HabitWorks, a smartphone app providing an interpretation bias intervention, have found strong engagement and adherence for HabitWorks; however, previous trials' samples consisted of predominantly non-Hispanic, White individuals. OBJECTIVE: This study conducted an open trial of HabitWorks in a community sample of adults who identified as Black, Hispanic or Latinx, or both. This study aims to test safety, acceptability, and engagement with the HabitWorks app for Black and Latinx adults. METHODS: Black, Hispanic or Latinx adults (mean age 32.83, SD 11.06 y; 22/31, 71% women) who endorsed symptoms of anxiety or depression were asked to complete interpretation modification exercises via HabitWorks 3 times per week for 1 month. Interpretation bias and anxiety and depression symptoms were assessed at baseline and posttreatment assessments. Participants completed qualitative interviews to assess overall perceptions of HabitWorks. RESULTS: Of the 31 participants that downloaded the app, 27 (87%) used HabitWorks all 4 weeks. On average, participants completed 15.74 (SD 7.43) exercises out of the 12 prescribed, demonstrating high engagement. Acceptability ratings met all a priori benchmarks except for relevancy. Qualitative interviews also demonstrated high acceptability and few negative experiences. Significant improvements were found in interpretation style (t30=2.29; P<.001), with a large effect size (Cohen d=1.53); anxiety symptoms (t30=2.29; P=.03), with a small effect size (Cohen d=0.41); and depression symptoms (t30=3.065; P=.005), with a medium effect size (Cohen d=0.55). CONCLUSIONS: This study adds to the literature evaluating digital mental health interventions in Black and Latinx adults. Preliminary results further support a future controlled trial testing the effectiveness of HabitWorks as an intervention.

Loneliness and global cognitive functioning in racially and ethnically diverse US midlife and older adults.

Introduction: Few studies have examined the association of loneliness and cognitive functioning in the US. We used two common measures of loneliness and examined their association in a large sample of US Black, Latino, and White adults (ages ≥ 50). Methods: We analyzed Wave 3 of the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (N = 2,757). We examined loneliness using one item from the CES-D and the Felt Loneliness Measure (NFLM); cognitive functioning was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) tool, where higher scores indicated better functioning. We used weighted ordinary least squares regressions to examine the effects of loneliness (CES-D loneliness and NFLM in separate models) on MoCA scores. In exploratory analyses, we examined if these relationships varied by race and ethnicity. We adjusted all models for sociodemographic and other salient factors (e.g., chronic disease, depressive symptoms, living alone). Results: Mean age was 63.49 years, 52% were female, and 9% were Black and 6% Latino persons. Approximately 54% endorsed feeling lonely on at least one measure; 31% (CES-D) and 46% (NFLM). The relationship between loneliness measures was positive and significant, X 2 (1, N = 2,757) = 435.493 p < 0.001. However, only 40% of lonely individuals were identified as lonely on both assessments. CES-D loneliness was inversely (߈ = -0.274, p = 0.032) associated with MoCA scores and this association did not vary by race and ethnicity. Greater NFLM loneliness was positively associated (߈ = 0.445, p < 0.001) with higher MoCA scores for Latino participants only. Discussion: Loneliness appears to be an important predictor of cognitive functioning. However, the association of loneliness and cognitive functioning varied when using the CES-D loneliness item or the NFLM. Future work is needed to understand how loneliness and its clinically relevant dimensions (social, emotional, existential, chronicity) relate to global and individual cognitive domains. Research is needed with racially and ethnically diverse midlife and older adults, particularly to understand our counterintuitive finding for Latino participants. Finally, findings also support the need for research on interventions to prevent cognitive decline targeting loneliness.

Feasibility and Acceptability of a Video Group Psychoeducational Intervention with Latina Immigrant Mothers to Enhance Infant Primary care.

Standard models of well-child care may not sufficiently address preventive health needs of immigrant families. To augment standard individual well-child care, we developed a virtual group-based psychoeducational intervention, designed to be delivered in Spanish as a single, stand-alone session to female caregivers of 0-6 month-olds. The intervention included a video testimonial of an individual who experienced perinatal depression followed by a facilitated discussion by the clinic social worker and an orientation to relevant community resources by a community health worker. To assess feasibility and acceptability of the intervention, we conducted an open pilot within an academic pediatric practice serving predominantly Latinx children in immigrant families. Participants included 19 female caregivers of infants attending the practice, of whom 16 completed post-intervention measures and 13 completed post-intervention semi-structured interviews. Quantitative measures of acceptability and satisfaction with the intervention were high. We found preliminary effects of the intervention on postpartum depression knowledge and stigma in the expected direction. In interviews, participants described increases in their familiarity with postpartum depression and about relevant community resources, including primary care for caregivers. Participants reported an appreciation for the opportunity to learn from other caregivers and provided suggestions for additional topics of interest. Trial registration: Registered 6/21/22 as NCT05423093.

Acculturation Stress Magnifies Child Depression Effect of Stressful Life Events for Latinx Youth 3 Years Later.

Introduction: Experiences of stressful life events (SLEs) during childhood are associated with greater risk for youth psychopathology. Although SLEs are reported in greater frequency by Latinx families, Latinx populations remain largely absent in the SLE literature. Furthermore, Latinx populations face added stressors related to socio-political climate, acculturation, and racism and discrimination. The purpose of this study was to explore the intersection between parent-reported SLEs and acculturation (i.e., socio-political climate-related) stressors for Latinx youth. Greater frequency of caregiver reported SLEs were hypothesized to predict higher depressive symptoms in their children three years later, and acculturation stress was hypothesized to amplify these effects. Method: The community-recruited, low-income sample for this study consisted of 198 Latinx caregivers (98.5% mothers, 77.3% foreign-born) and their children (M age = 7.4, 47.5% female). Study hypotheses were tested using MPlus. Results: Consistent with prior literature, more SLEs reported at age 7 by parents were associated with more child-reported depressive symptoms at age 10 but only among boys. However, for both boys and girls, there was a significant interaction between acculturation stress and family SLEs. Specifically, as the amount of acculturation stress reported at age 7 increased, the negative impact of family SLEs on child-reported depressive symptoms at age 10 was magnified, regardless of gender. Conclusion: Adding to the literature on SLEs within Latinx families, these results indicate that acculturation and socio-political climate stressors need be considered in discussions of the effects of life stress on Latinx youth and their families.