"Our lives aren't over": A strengths-based perspective on stigma, discrimination, and coping among young parents.

The current study conducted interviews and focus groups with twenty-four diverse 16-25 year-old parents to elicit in-depth narratives about experiences related to parenting status. Parents were recruited from a case management program in the Southwestern United States supporting high school graduation and workforce employment (for mothers and fathers, respectively). Young parents disclosed experiences of shame, stigma, and discrimination associated with perceptions about their "fitness" to be a parent and moral judgment. Themes arose that revealed the positive, adaptive ways that participants coped with potentially deleterious experiences with a focus on their role as a parent and role model for their children. Our findings highlight positive meaning-making and resiliency of young parents when confronted with discrimination and systemic barriers, with many participants focusing on the benefits of parenthood within a unique developmental context. Further, implications for program development, provider trainings, and public policy and advocacy efforts for young parents are discussed.

High Internalized Transphobia and Low Gender Identity Pride Are Associated With Depression Symptoms Among Transgender and Gender-Diverse Youth.

PURPOSE: Prior studies have identified a significant relationship between internalized transphobia and poor mental health among transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) adults; however, this relationship has not been extensively examined among youth. Further, little research has sought to explore protective factors, such as identity pride, and their influence on this relationship. We examined the association between internalized transphobia and depression and anxiety symptoms among TGD youth and explored the moderating role of gender identity pride on these associations. METHODS: Participants were 315 TGD youth ages 12-20 years (mean = 16; standard deviation = 1.89) seeking gender-affirming hormone treatment at one of four major pediatric hospitals across the United States. At the time of enrollment, participants were naïve to gender-affirming hormone treatment. Participants self-reported mental health, internalized transphobia, and identity pride. Multiple regression models were used with depression and anxiety symptoms as outcomes and age, designated sex at birth, and perceived parental support included as covariates. RESULTS: Greater internalized transphobia was associated with greater depressive symptoms, and gender identity pride moderated this relationship, such that greater gender identity pride was associated with fewer depressive symptoms. Greater internalized transphobia was significantly associated with greater anxiety symptoms; no moderation effect was observed for this relationship. DISCUSSION: Gender identity pride influenced mental health symptoms for youth experiencing internalized transphobia and represents a potential key protective factor. These results support efforts to further develop, test, and implement clinical inventions to bolster identity pride for TGD youth.

Finding MyVOICE: A Mixed-Methods Examination of Health Outcomes of Young Adults with Chronic Illness Transitioning from Pediatric to Adult Health Care.

INTRODUCTION: This study examines health use outcomes of young adults with chronic illness following participation in a transition program and identifies variables that impact outcomes. METHOD: A sample of 119 ethnically diverse, low-income young adults (mean age = 21.8 years) was interviewed 6 months post-transition. Chi-square tests and logistic regression analyses examined the relationship between variables and outcomes. Responses to open-ended questions provided context to findings. RESULTS: Primary care and insurance linkage were significantly higher for patients enrolled in a fully-formed clinic than patients enrolled early in the clinic's development. Patients with multiple diagnoses reported significantly more hospitalizations and specialty care engagement. Hospitalizations and possession of medical records differed significantly by subspecialty. Visit number predicted hospitalizations after accounting for subspecialty, but not after accounting for the number of conditions. DISCUSSION: This study highlights the impact of disease type and severity on post-transition outcomes following participation in a transition program serving socially and medically complex patients.

Acculturative stress as a moderator of the effect of drinking motives on alcohol use and problems among young adults.

BACKGROUND: Research has demonstrated a strong relationship between drinking motives and alcohol use among young adult populations. Further, there is substantial evidence of the association between psychosocial stressors and greater alcohol consumption. In the present study, we examined whether acculturative stress would moderate the relationship between major drinking motives and alcohol use behaviors and alcohol-related problems, and whether this relationship differs by racial/ethnic group. METHOD: Six hundred diverse undergraduate students (mean age=21.50, SD=2.46; 82.8% female; 40.2% White/Caucasian) completed a series of measures, including demographic information, alcohol use/alcohol problems, and acculturative stress. RESULTS: Findings showed varying patterns in the moderating effect of acculturative stress on the relationship between drinking motives and alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems, particularly for self-identified Hispanic, Black, and Asian students. Stronger drinking motives were associated with greater alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems, and this relationship was stronger among Asian and Hispanic students who reported higher levels of acculturative stress. For Black students, greater acculturative stress was observed to weaken the relationship between coping, enhancement, and conformity motives and alcohol drinking frequency. CONCLUSIONS: Results are discussed in terms of incorporating acculturative stress in the development of tailored alcohol use interventions for vulnerable young adults, such as certain ethnic minority and immigrant groups. Clinical implications include screening for acculturative stress in primary care and counseling centers and early intervention programs to identify young adults who may be at-risk for or currently experiencing alcohol problems.