A college suicide prevention model for American Indian students.

College student suicide prevention efforts are important to campus administrators and mental health professionals due to increasing concerns about managing suicidal students. This article describes the development and preliminary effectiveness of a campus suicide prevention program designed for American Indian (AI) students who are at higher risk for suicide compared with the general population. Using the medicine wheel as a guiding framework, the current prevention model integrates communication links between AI tribes and prevention program staff, educational and cultural programming, and spiritual ceremonies with the larger campus mental health resources available to students. A discussion of the barriers faced and solutions generated for implementing the program is offered, along with suggestions for disseminating this AI-specific prevention program to other universities. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Tennessee Lives Count: Statewide gatekeeper training for youth suicide prevention.

Youth suicide remains a significant public health problem in the United States. In 2004, the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act provided states and tribes with funding to implement and evaluate youth suicide prevention programs. The Tennessee Lives Count project was developed through a collaborative model at the state level and delivers an enhanced version of the Question, Persuade, Refer gatekeeper training program to individuals working with youth across the state. This article describes the development of the project and preliminary outcomes of 416 participants in child welfare, juvenile justice, health, and education systems at pretest, posttest, and 6-month follow-up. The findings suggest the training has an immediate and long-term impact on perceived knowledge of suicide prevention, self-efficacy, and attitudes about the inevitability of suicide. Policy and practice implications are presented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Parental attachment, self-esteem, and antisocial behaviors among African American, European American, and Mexican American adolescents.

This study examined the relation of mother and father attachment to self-esteem and self-reported involvement in antisocial behaviors among African American (n=488), European American (n=661), and Mexican American (n=434) high school students. The attachment dimensions of anxiety and avoidance were examined using self-report scales that were developed and validated with participants in the study. Findings indicated that adolescents from the 3 ethnic/racial groups did not differ greatly in their reported attachment to father and mother. Consistent with theoretical formulations, securely attached adolescents from the 3 ethnic groups had a more positive sense of self-esteem and reported less involvement in antisocial behaviors than their less securely attached peers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

African American and European American therapists' experiences of addressing race in cross-racial psychotherapy dyads.

Using Consensual Qualitative Research, 12 licensed psychologists' overall experiences addressing race in psychotherapy were investigated, as were their experiences addressing race in a specific cross-racial therapy dyad. Results indicated that only African American psychologists reported routinely addressing race with clients of color or when race was part of a client's presenting concern. European American psychologists indicated that they would address race if clients raised the topic, and some reported that they did not normally address race with racially different clients. When discussing a specific cross-racial dyad, African American therapists more often than European American therapists addressed race because they perceived client discomfort. Only European American therapists reported feeling uncomfortable addressing race, but therapists of both races perceived that such discussions had positive effects. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Strong African American Families Program: A cluster-randomized prevention trial of long-term effects and a mediational model.

The Strong African American Families Program, a universal preventive intervention to deter alcohol use among rural African American adolescents, was evaluated in a cluster-randomized prevention trial. This 7-week family skills training program is based on a contextual model in which intervention effects on youth protective factors lead to changes in alcohol use. African American 11-year-olds and their primary caregivers from 9 rural communities (N = 332 families) were randomly selected for study participation. Communities were randomized to prevention and control conditions. Intent-to-treat analyses indicated that fewer prevention than control adolescents initiated alcohol use; those who did evinced slower increases in use over time. Intervention-induced changes in youth protective factors mediated the effect of group assignment on long-term changes in use. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Improving Multiple Behaviors for Colorectal Cancer Prevention Among African American Church Members.

The WATCH (Wellness for African Americans Through Churches) Project was a randomized trial comparing the effectiveness of 2 strategies to promote colorectal cancer preventive behaviors among 587 African American members of 12 rural North Carolina churches. Using a 2 X 2 factorial research design, the authors compared a tailored print and video (TPV) intervention, consisting of 4 individually tailored newsletters and targeted videotapes, with a lay health advisor (LHA) intervention. Results showed that the TPV intervention significantly improved (p     

The prevalence of perceived discrimination among African American and Caribbean Black youth.

The present study examined ethnic, gender, and age differences in perceived discrimination and the association between perceived discrimination and psychological well-being in a nationally representative sample of Black adolescents. Data are from the National Survey of African Life (NSAL), which includes 810 African American and 360 Caribbean Black youth. Results indicate that the majority of Black youth perceived at least 1 discriminatory incident in the previous year. Adolescents at later stages of development perceived more discrimination than those at earlier stages, and African American and Caribbean Black males perceived more discrimination than their female counterparts. Perceptions of discrimination were positively linked to depressive symptoms and were negatively linked to self-esteem and life satisfaction, regardless of ethnicity. However, Caribbean Black youth appear to be more vulnerable when they perceive high levels of discrimination. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Suicidal, abused African American women's response to a culturally informed intervention.

Objective: This study examined (a) the efficacy of a manualized, culturally informed, empowerment-focused psychoeducational group intervention (Nia) designed in accord with the theory of triadic influence or treatment as usual (TAU) for reducing psychological symptomatology (suicidal ideation, depressive symptoms, posttraumatic stress symptoms, general psychological distress), and (b) the effect of Nia versus TAU on the relation between exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) and psychological symptomatology in these women. Method: Two hundred eight low-socioeconomic-status African American women with a recent history of IPV and a suicide attempt were randomized to Nia or TAU and assessed at baseline, postintervention, and 6- and 12-month follow-up. They were assessed on their levels of IPV (Index of Spouse Abuse), suicidal ideation (Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation), depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory–II), posttraumatic stress symptoms, and general psychological distress (Brief Symptom Inventory). Results:Hierarchical linear modeling found that women receiving the culturally informed Nia intervention showed more rapid reductions in depressive symptoms and general distress initially, and the between-group difference in depressive symptoms persisted at follow-up. Following intervention, compared with women randomized to TAU, women in Nia exhibited less severe suicidal ideation when exposed to physical and nonphysical IPV. Conclusions:Findings highlight the value of incorporating Nia as an adjunctive intervention for abused, suicidal, low-income women. They underscore the ways the intervention needs to be bolstered to address more directly more mediating and moderating constructs, as well as the need to target more effectively the key outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Inner-city African American parental involvement in elementary schools: Getting beyond urban legends of apathy.

Parental involvement in schools is a national priority for both educators and researchers to promote the successful schooling of contemporary youth. Contemporary parental involvement research has produced some promising findings, but parental involvement efforts with inner-city African Americans are currently limited by problems of research methodology and program foci. Certain research studies do, however, demonstrate that inner-city African American parents have responded positively to parental involvement programs that emphasize themes of empowerment, outreach, and indigenous resources. Based on these three promising themes, the authors propose practical strategies for increasing inner-city African American parental involvement as a means of increasing parental participation and school success among inner-city African American families. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cultural considerations in adolescent suicide prevention and psychosocial treatment.

Ethnic groups differ in rates of suicidal behaviors among youths, the context within which suicidal behavior occurs (e.g., different precipitants, vulnerability and protective factors, and reactions to suicidal behaviors), and patterns of help-seeking. In this article, the authors discuss the cultural context of suicidal behavior among African American, American Indian and Alaska Native, Asian American and Pacific Islander, and Latino adolescents, and the implications of these contexts for suicide prevention and treatment. Several cross-cutting issues are discussed, including acculturative stress and protective factors within cultures; the roles of religion and spirituality and the family in culturally sensitive interventions; different manifestations and interpretations of distress in different cultures; and the impact of stigma and cultural distrust on help-seeking. The needs for culturally sensitive and community- based interventions are discussed, along with future opportunities for research in intervention development and evaluation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The developmental ecology of urban males' youth violence.

Data from a longitudinal study of 294 African American and Latino adolescent boys and their caregivers living in poor urban communities were used to test a developmental-ecological model of violence. Six annual waves of data were applied to evaluate the relations between microsystem influences of parenting and peer deviance (peer violence and gang membership), macrosystem influences of community structural characteristics and neighborhood social organization, and individual involvement in violence (level and growth). Structural equation modeling analyses showed that community structural characteristics significantly predicted neighborhood social processes. Parenting practices partially mediated the relation between neighborhood social processes and gang membership. Parenting practices was fully mediated in its relation to peer violence by gang membership. Gang membership was partially mediated by peer violence level in its relation to individual violence level. Although the overall set of relations does not satisfy mediation requirements fully in all instances, the model was validated for the most part, supporting a focus on a multilevel ecological model of influences on risk development. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Providence-St. Mel School: How a School That Works for African American Students Works.

A portrait, using grounded theory qualitative methodologies, was constructed of a K-12 school serving urban, African American students, one producing high achievement. The primary data were observations complemented by questionnaire responses and document analyses. Consistent with conclusions in the effective schooling literature, this school has strong leadership, accountability, academic focus, and orderliness. Other aspects of schooling seemed also to support achievement, many consistent with aspects of teaching and learning emphasized in the educational psychology literature. The theory emerging from this study is that the high achievement in this school is caused by multiple factors, including decidedly psychological ones. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

School-based prevention of depression and anxiety symptoms in early adolescence: A pilot of a parent intervention component.

Previous studies suggest that school-based cognitive-behavioral interventions can reduce and prevent depressive symptoms in youth. This pilot study investigated the effectiveness of a cognitive-behavioral depression prevention program, the Penn Resiliency Program for Children and Adolescents (the PRP-CA), when combined with a parent intervention component. Forty-four middle school students and their parents were randomly assigned to the enhanced PRP (the PRP-CA plus parent program) or control conditions. Students completed measures of depression and anxiety symptoms at baseline and 2 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year after the intervention ended. The combined version of the PRP significantly reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety during the follow-up period. Children assigned to the intervention condition were less likely than controls to report clinical levels of anxiety symptoms. Findings suggest that school-based cognitive-behavioral interventions that include parents may prevent depression and anxiety symptoms in early adolescence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychological adjustment among African American breast cancer patients: One-year follow-up results of a randomized psychoeducational group intervention.

The effectiveness of support group interventions for cancer patients has been established among White patients but has been virtually unstudied among minority patients. The current study represents the 1st randomized support group intervention targeted to African American women with breast cancer. Participants (N = 73) with nonmetastatic breast cancer were randomly assigned to an 8-week group intervention or an assessment-only control condition At 12 months, the intervention resulted in improved mood as well as improved general and cancer-specific psychological functioning among women with greater baseline distress or lower income. Subsequent research is needed to address effective methods of enrolling and following women with fewer psychosocial and financial resources, as they were the most likely to benefit from this particular intervention. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Deconstructing the monolith: Differences in attitudes about mammography among low-income African American women.

The purpose of this study was to explore how health beliefs may vary within a minority group. In this mixed-method study, 63 low-income African American women engaged in six focus groups discussing beliefs that inhibited or facilitated mammography. Differences in cognitive complexity, self-efficacy, and attributions of causality occurred across neighborhoods despite the geographic proximity and demographic similarity. The attitude change that occurred during the discussion suggested ways to construct effective health interventions. The data suggest (a) that women were similarly knowledgeable about mammography and cancer, (b) knowledge did not correspond with attitudes, (c) attitudes must be addressed before knowledge can be utilized, (d) attitudes are developed and maintained within neighborhood social networks and that stories maintain these attitudes, (e) increasing the discussion among peers should lead to greater attitude change and discussion leads to increased thought, and (f) motivation and follow through are connected to women’s roles within their communities. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Racial microaggressions against African American clients in cross-racial counseling relationships.

This study examined the relationships among African American clients' perceptions of their White counselors with respect to (a) perceived racial microaggressions in cross-racial counseling relationships, (b) the counseling working alliance, (c) their counselors' general and multicultural counseling competence, and (d) their counseling satisfaction. Findings revealed that greater perceived racial microaggressions by African American clients were predictive of a weaker therapeutic alliance with White therapists, which, in turn, predicted lower ratings of general and multicultural counseling competence. Greater perceived racial microaggressions also were predictive of lower counseling satisfaction ratings. In addition, African American clients' perceptions of racial microaggressions had a significant indirect effect on these clients' ratings of White counselors' general and multicultural counseling competence through the therapeutic working alliance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The decision of African American students to complete high school: An application of the theory of planned behavior.

A longitudinal study explored high school completion among African Americans. Male and female high school students aged 14 to 17 (N=166) completed a theory of planned behavior (I. Ajzen, 1991) questionnaire early in their 2nd year. Intentions to complete the year were accurately predicted from attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control (R=.71; pR=.50; p     

African American dreaming and the beast of racism: The cultural unconscious in Jungian analysis.

This article is an interpretation of the dream of an African American woman. The purpose is to discuss the contribution that contemporary Jungian analysis might make to the attempt by psychoanalysis to serve historically disenfranchised populations-- in particular, African Americans. The dreamer encounters racism in the image of a lion and other beasts. The interpretation takes into account both the archetypal level and the cultural level of the dream. Important concepts are the cultural unconscious and history-residues. The article argues that Jungian analysis-- as well as all other varieties of psychoanalysis-- will remain ineffective in addressing the concerns of disenfranchised populations until analysts make a serious effort to become culturally knowledgeable. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cultural themes in the psychotic symptoms of African American psychiatric patients.

Professional psychologists need to recognize ethnic/racial differences between African Americans and European Americans in psychotic symptom expression to treat individuals with severe mental illness from various cultural backgrounds. Specifically, they need to understand confluent paranoia or the interaction between culture and pathology in psychotic symptom expression. To assist mental health professionals, the present study identified cultural themes in the delusions and hallucinations of a sample of 156 African American psychiatric patients via content analysis. Race-related themes and religious themes were observed in the psychotic symptoms of these patients assessed with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM IV. Race-related and religious content were manifested in different types of delusions. Race-related themes were more common in persecutory delusions, whereas religious themes occurred more often in other delusions. Race-related themes were associated more with delusions, while religious themes correlated with both delusions and hallucinations. Implications for the treatment of confluent paranoia in African Americans are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Difficult yet rewarding": The experiences of African American graduate students in education at an Ivy League institution.

This paper focuses on the experiences of African American students enrolled in a graduate program at an Ivy League institution, specifically those pursuing master's and doctoral degrees in the field of education. With a goal of helping to improve the persistence, retention, and success rates of African American graduate students, this study seeks to understand the following questions: What has been the nature of the graduate school experience for African American students in the field of education at an Ivy League institution? What types of support do African American students have for succeeding in graduate school at an Ivy League institution? And finally, how are African American graduate students socialized for future faculty and professional roles at an Ivy League institution? Specifically, the authors use socialization theory to analyze the experiences of African American graduate students and draw their results from a qualitative survey. Overall, themes regarding the significance of mentoring and advising, peer support, academic isolation, financial stress, and spirituality were most prevalent in the survey results. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)