Deeply Rooted: Maximizing the Strengths of a Historically Black University and Community-based Participatory Research to Understand Environmental Stressors and Trauma among Black Youth.

This paper explores a partnership between an HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) and a community to understand trauma given the high rates of reported violence among youth locally. The accumulative stress of living in high-stress, high-poverty environments coupled with the normative developmental tasks of adolescence is thought to place these youths at risk for negative mental and physical outcomes (Murry et al., 2011). The current research uses a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach and developmental lens to better understand environmental stressors and subsequent trauma among Black youth. Specifically, the paper describes the recruitment, engagement, and equitable partnership between a youth advisory board (YAB), university research team, and community agencies advisory board (CAB). The current work is part of a larger research study designed to explore environmental stressors, coping, and social supports for Black youth residing in low-resource urban communities. The broad objective of the research is to develop a trauma-informed community intervention to improve adolescent mental health. The initial phase of this university-community research, which entails the YAB, CAB, and university discussion groups, is outlined in this paper. Community engagement and trust are key factors described in the literature when collaborating with communities of color. These themes were reiterated by research partners in this study. The research team created coding terms to identify themes from YAB and CAB transcript data, respectively. YAB themes regarding stressors centered around financial strain, anger, and loss/violence. CAB themes regarding adolescent mental health and resources centered around trauma, trust, and sustainability. Initial steps to utilize the themes identified thus far are described. The unique advantages of an HBCU and CBPR to address mental health disparities in ethnic minority communities are also highlighted.

Environmental stress and socioeconomic status: Does parent and adolescent stress influence executive functioning in urban youth?

This study examined whether parental and adolescent stress act as mediators between socio-economic status (SES) and adolescent executive functioning (EF) in urban youth. Two hundred and sixty-seven 6th-11th grade students (ages 11-16, 55.4% female; 49.1% Black/African American) attending racially and socioeconomically diverse schools in Chicago, Illinois, completed self-report measures on urban stress and EF. Parents of adolescents completed measures on parental chronic stress and demographic information on the family's socioeconomic status. Results indicated that parent stress was directly related to adolescent stress, while adolescent stress was directly related to behavior components of EF (i.e., emotion control, set shifting, and inhibition). Although parental stress was related to adolescent's ability to shift from one task to another, no relationship was found with adolescent's ability to modulate mood or delay impulsive behaviors. Implications for socio-ecological mental health interventions for youth residing in urban environments are discussed.

Coping patterns of African American adolescents: a confirmatory factor analysis and cluster analysis of the Children's Coping Strategies Checklist.

The current study examined patterns of coping strategies in a sample of 497 low-income urban African American adolescents (mean age = 12.61 years). Results of confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the 4-factor structure of the Children's Coping Strategies Checklist (T. S. Ayers, I. N. Sandler, S. G. West, & M. W. Roosa, 1996) was not replicated in the current sample. The final model was a 3-factor model that was invariant across gender. The Active Coping factor and Revised Avoidant Coping factor were highly correlated in the present sample. Results of cluster analyses identified 2 coping groups differing on the frequency of coping use and preferred coping methods. The 1st group was more likely to use avoidant coping and less likely to use social support-seeking coping than the 2nd group, which showed more consistent use across coping strategies. There were no significant differences in the association between stressors and symptoms across the 2 groups. The results highlight the importance of examining factor structures of coping measures with underrepresented groups.

Overcoming confounding of race with socio-economic status and segregation to explore race disparities in smoking.

AIMS: We examined the nature of racial disparities in smoking status within a sample that accounts for two major confounding factors in health disparities research--racial segregation and socio-economic status. Also, we sought to determine the generalizability of our sample. DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectional study based on data from the Exploring Health Disparities in Integrated Communities Study in south-west Baltimore, MD (EHDIC-SWB) and a subsample of respondents in the 2002 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) that was matched to EHIDC-SWB. The final matched data set sample size was 2948 adults (1474 EHDIC-SWB; 1474 matched NHIS). MEASUREMENTS: Our outcome variables were life-time and current smoking status and number of cigarettes smoked daily. Independent variables include race, age gender, educational attainment and income. FINDINGS: In the adjusted models, whites had greater odds than blacks of current smoking and reported smoking more cigarettes in the EHDIC-SWB sample, but there were no race differences in current smoking status or in the number of cigarettes smoked per day in the NHIS. The prevalence rates for both life-time and current smoking were substantially greater in the EHDIC-SWB sample, but in comparisons of blacks and whites across samples we found that the magnitude of the difference between the samples was greatest for whites. CONCLUSIONS: Unadjusted national estimates of race disparities as reported in national reports may be biased because of differential risk exposure among people of different race groups. Race differences in social and environmental contexts account partially for racial differences in smoking patterns.

THE RELATIONSHIPS AMONG VIGILANT COPING STYLE, RACE, AND DEPRESSION.

Although Black-white differences in depression are well documented, vigilant coping style as an explanation for the observed inequalities in depression is less understood. Using data from 718 adults in the Exploring Health Disparities in Integrated Communities (EHDIC) Study, we estimated logistic regression models to examine the cross sectional relationship between race, vigilant coping style, and depression. After controlling for demographic variables, white adults were more likely to report depression than Black adults. Moreover, when accounting for coping style, the Black-white difference in depression widened. This association persisted even with the addition of the covariates. While high rates of depression among whites compared with Blacks are well documented, the degree of the differences appears to be greater than previously reported once vigilance is accounted for. This finding suggests that if it were not for the high prevalence of vigilant coping in blacks, the well-documented black advantage regarding depression compared to whites would likely be even greater.

Utilizing community-based participatory research to adapt a mental health intervention for African American emerging adults.

BACKGROUND: Adapting mental health interventions to heighten their cultural and contextual appropriateness may be critical for engaging ethnic/racial groups that have been traditionally excluded or marginalized. Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is a collaborative research approach that highlights unique strengths and expertise of those involved. Although intervention adaptations have garnered much attention there is little previous work specifically describing the adaptation process of mental health interventions using CBPR. OBJECTIVE: This article summarizes the use of a CBPR approach to adapt a mental health intervention for urban adolescents and young adults disconnected from school and work, a population at elevated risk for poor mental health owing to the presence of numerous chronic stressors. METHODS: We describe the process undertaken to modify the content and delivery format of an evidence-based intervention. LESSONS LEARNED: Unique challenges of working with urban African American adolescents and young adults in a job training program are highlighted. By incorporating principles of co-learning and shared responsibility, this partnership was able to achieve positive outcomes. CONCLUSION: Our experience suggests that a CBPR approach can be used effectively to adapt a mental health intervention in collaboration with African American adolescents and emerging adults in a job training program.