Showing papers in "Journal of Community Psychology in 2010"

The relation of perceived and received social support to mental health among first responders: a meta‐analytic review

Abstract: There are plenty of theories that may support the protective role of social support in the aftermath of potentially traumatic events. This meta-analytic review examined the role of received and perceived social support in promoting mental health among first responders (e.g., firefighters, police officers, and paramedics or emergency medical services personnel). Results showed that the effect sizes derived from 37 empirical studies ranged from 0 to 0.46. The overall weighted mean effect size was of medium magnitude (r=0.27). Moreover, moderator analysis showed that the effect size of perceived social support (r=0.31) was significantly higher than the effect size of received social support (r=0.22). Participants' age and gender or research design did not exert an influence on the relationship between social support and mental health. Theoretical implications and limitations are discussed. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The components of resilience—Perceptions of an Australian rural community

Abstract: Resilience, of individuals, is a well-established concept in the psychology/mental health literatures, but has been little explored in relation to communities. Related theory in the community development and social impact assessment literature provides insight into qualities and assets of communities that enable them to develop effectively or to adapt to major changes. This article reports the components of community and individual resilience identified through a participatory action research study within a rural Australian community. These are social networks and support; positive outlook; learning; early experiences; environment and lifestyle; infrastructure and support services; sense of purpose; diverse and innovative economy; embracing differences; beliefs; and leadership. These components entail interactions between individuals, the community, infrastructure, the environment and the economy in the process of building resilience. The findings extend from previous research by recognizing environmental and economic factors, infrastructure and support services, as enhancing resilience, and expand the limited evidence base for those wishing to promote resilience at the community scale. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Community gardening, neighborhood meetings, and social capital†‡

Abstract: This study examined associations between participation in community gardening/beautification projects and neighborhood meetings with perceptions of social capital at both the individual and neighborhood levels. Data were analyzed from a cross-sectional stratified random telephone survey conducted in Flint, Michigan (N=1916). Hierarchical linear and logistic regression analyses were used to study associations, controlling for individual and Census block group-level confounders. At the individual level, household involvement in community gardening/beautification activities and in neighborhood meetings were associated with residents' perceptions of bonding social capital, linking social capital, and neighborhood norms and values. Household involvement in gardening/beautification and meetings had stronger associations with residents' perceptions of social capital than did neighborhood-level involvement measures. Results suggest involvement in neighborhood meetings augment the individual and neighborhood-wide perceptions of social capital associated with community gardening and beautification projects. Neighborhood community gardens' impact on neighborhood residents' perceptions of social capital can be enhanced by neighborhood-wide meetings. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Latino family mental health: exploring the role of discrimination and familismo

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine the role of discrimination and familismo on internalizing mental health symptoms among two generations of Latinos, youth and their parents, residing in the Southwest region of the United States. Data from the Latino Acculturation and Health Project was used to determine the direct and moderation effects of discrimination and familismo on internalizing mental health symptoms. The sample included 150 Latino youth–parent dyads who were immigrants or U.S. born. Descriptive results indicate that youth had significantly higher scores on the familismo scale whereas parents reported higher levels of perceived discrimination. Regression analyses results revealed direct effects of familismo and perceived discrimination on internalizing mental health symptoms. Implications for practice are discussed.

Self-stigma and coming out about one's mental illness

Abstract: Self-stigma can undermine self-esteem and self-efficacy of people with serious mental illness. Coming out may be one way of handling self-stigma and it was expected that coming out would mediate the effects of self-stigma on quality of life. This study compares coming out to other approaches of controlling self-stigma. Eighty-five people with serious mental illness completed measures of coming out (called the Coming Out with Mental Illness Scale, COMIS), self-stigma, quality of life, and strategies for managing self-stigma. An exploratory factor analysis of the COMIS uncovered two constructs: benefits of being out (BBO) and reasons for staying in. A mediational analysis showed BBO diminished self-stigma effects on quality of life. A factor analysis of measures of managing self-stigma yielded three factors. Benefits of being out was associated with two of these: affirming strategies and becoming aloof, not with strategies of shame. Implications for how coming out enhances the person's quality of life are discussed.

Viewing community as responsibility as well as resource: deconstructing the theoretical roots of psychological sense of community

Abstract: The field of scholarship surrounding the construct of psychological sense of community (PSOC) has been dominated by first-order learning processes attending to issues of measurement and prediction of the four-dimensional framework proposed by McMillan and Chavis (1976). This article seeks to contribute to the conceptual development of PSOC by clarifying the second-order assumptions of PSOC as it is represented in prevailing conception and measurement. We introduce human needs theory as a macro framework for representing the definition and study of PSOC to date. Second, we illuminate the limitations of a purely needs theory perspective of PSOC and propose the value of exploring alternative theoretically grounded perspectives. Third, we offer an alternative theoretical base for PSOC—a sense of community as responsibility—and highlight how this alternative theoretical lens can suggest new models for understanding the dynamic between PSOC, psychological well-being, and community engagement. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Adults make a difference: the protective effects of parent and teacher emotional support on emotional and behavioral problems of peer-victimized adolescents

Abstract: This longitudinal study investigated the associations between peer victimization and maladaptive outcomes (emotional and behavioral problems) among 580 adolescents concurrently and across a 2-year period, and proposed that adult emotional support moderated this association. Peer victimization and maladaptive outcomes were assessed from adolescents' self-reports. Adult emotional support was measured from adolescents' ratings of parent and teacher emotional support. Adolescents who were physically or relationally victimized by their peers were at risk of emotional and behavioral problems. Higher levels of father and teacher emotional support were associated with lower levels of adolescents' emotional and behavioral problems concurrently and across time. Higher levels of mother emotional support were associated with lower levels of emotional problems and moderated the effects of physical victimization on maladjustment for concurrent assessments only. Teacher emotional support moderated the association between relational victimization and emotional and behavioral problems across time. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Depression stigma, race, and treatment seeking behavior and attitudes.

Abstract: This study examined the relationship between internalized and public stigma on treatment-related attitudes and behaviors in a community sample of 449 African American and white adults aged 18 years and older Telephone surveys were administered to assess level of depressive symptoms, demographic characteristics, stigma, and treatment-related attitudes and behaviors Multiple regression analysis indicated that internalized stigma mediated the relationship between public stigma and attitudes toward mental health treatment Within group analyses indicated that the mediating effect of internalized stigma was significant for whites only Among African Americans, internalized stigma did not mediate public stigma; it was directly related to attitudes toward mental health treatment The internalization of stigma is key in the development of negative attitudes toward mental health treatment, and future research should focus on this aspect of stigma in both individual and community-based efforts to reduce stigma

Attitudes of mental health professionals about mental illness: a review of the recent literature

Abstract: A large body of research has documented public attitudes toward people with mental illness. The current attitudes of the people who provide services to those with psychiatric disorders are important to understand, as well. The authors review what studies over the past 5 years reveal about the attitudes of psychiatric professionals. Empirical studies of the attitudes of mental health professionals, published since 2004, were identified and reviewed. Only 19 such studies were found. Most of these studies revealed overall positive attitudes among mental health professionals. However, evidence of negative attitudes and expectations was also found, particularly with respect to social acceptance of people with mental illness. Results indicate a need for greater research attention to mental health professionals' views and for improved attitudes among caregivers. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Adolescents' sense of community on myspace and facebook: a mixed-methods approach.

Abstract: Communities are foundational to the field of Community Psychology yet they are difficult to define and measure. Once viewed as social groups with ties to geographical locations, online communities interact free of physical or face-to-face contact. This cyberexistence makes the study of communities more challenging. Social networking sites (SNS), such as Facebook and MySpace, are referred to as online communities; however, research has yet to explore whether these sites engender a psychological sense of community (PSC) for users. This study reanalyzes focus group and survey data from high school and college students to investigate whether uses of SNS demonstrate key components of PSC (i.e., membership, influence, immersion, shared emotional connection, and an integration and fulfillment of needs). This mixed-method analysis synthesizes data through a top-down (confirming PSC categories) and bottom-up (identifying emergent patterns/themes) analytic procedure. Results suggest that typical adolescent uses of SNS represent networked individualism, rather than online communities. C 2010 Wiley Period

Help-seeking among male victims of partner abuse: Men's hard times.

Abstract: Sixty-eight agency representatives in the United States completed a survey to identify issues of male victims in partner abuse: half referenced responses from male clients and the other half responses from male victims who were their family members, friends, colleagues, or themselves. Almost 25% revealed that male victims did not utilize social services. For those men who used services, individual counseling and legal advice were most popular; group counseling and sharing through the Internet were least used. Qualitative data found five themes that triggered men's hard times: service target perception, shame and embarrassment, denial, stigmatization, and fear. The study resulted in three recommendations: (a) increase public awareness and education; (b) provide gender-inclusive practice and services, and (c) strengthen training for service providers working with domestic violence male victims.

Assessing Sense of Community on adolescents: validating the brief scale of Sense of Community in adolescents (SOC‐A)

Abstract: Sense of Community (SoC) is a key theoretical construct in community psychology. This study validated a SoC scale for adolescents (SoC-A) in Italy. The scale comprises 20 items and five components: satisfaction of needs and opportunities for involvement; support and emotional connection with peers; support and emotional connection in the community; sense of belonging; and opportunities for influence. The sample included 661 Italian high school students (47% male and 53% female) between the ages of 15 and 18 years old. Factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis confirmed five components corresponding to the original work of Cicognani, Albanesi, and Zani (2006). The boys scored higher on SoC than girls. There were no differences between age groups. Results showed differences in SoC between types of schools (lycee, vocational and technical institutes).

Public relationship building in grassroots community organizing: relational intervention for individual and systems change

Abstract: Building relationships among participants has become a strategic lynchpin of many community organizing initiatives. Although the relational work of organizing is often mentioned in studies on community change, it has not been studied as a process or model for community intervention. This article positions the development of a specific type of relationships—public relationships—as a transactional intervention aimed at both individual and systems change. Interpersonal relationship development through semistructured, one-to-one conversations is highlighted as a key to effecting change at both the individual and the systems level, through broadening individuals’ networks of relationships, developing new understandings of the social world, and strengthening commitments to civic involvement. This model for transactional, relational intervention provides insights into the development of grassroots infrastructure for increasing sense of community and capacity to engage in civic life. Strengths and limitations of relationship building as an approach to community intervention are discussed. C 2010 Wiley

Why rape survivors participate in the criminal justice system

Abstract: After a rape, survivors may seek help from multiple community organizations including the criminal justice system (CJS). Research has found that few survivors report their assaults to the police and of those who do report, many withdraw their participation during the investigation. However, relatively little is known about the factors that lead survivors to participate in the CJS, and how other community services provided by forensic nurses or victim advocates may also help encourage survivor engagement. In the current study, 20 survivors who reported their victimizations to police within a large Midwest county were interviewed about the factors that influenced their involvement in the CJS. Further, we examined the role that the police, forensic nurses, and victim advocates played in their participation. Using qualitative analyses, our findings suggest that informal supports hold a strong role in the reporting process and formal supports are influential in survivors' engagement in the investigational process. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Effects of a rape awareness program on college women: increasing bystander efficacy and willingness to intervene

Abstract: An experimental study evaluated the efficacy of a sexual assault risk-reduction program on 279 college women that focused on learning characteristics of male perpetrators and teaching bystander intervention techniques. After seeing The Women's Program, participants reported significantly greater bystander efficacy and significantly greater willingness to help than before seeing the program. Participants outperformed a control group. Rape myth acceptance also declined among program participants. Implications for rape awareness programming are discussed. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Parents and peers as providers of support in adolescents' social network: A developmental perspective

Abstract: The authors carried out an assessment of social support networks with a sample of 884 Spanish adolescents aged 12 to 17. The main goal was to analyze the development of the figures of parents and peers as providers of social support in the two basic dimensions of emotional and instrumental support. In peers, they distinguished between the contexts from which they came (school, associations, and friends from the community) to observe whether there were different tendencies. The results of the MANOVA indicate significant effects on both dimensions for the factors age, provider, and interaction between the two. The authors conclude that the tendencies for decline in the provision of support from parents and the corresponding increase in support from peers during adolescence are different for each dimension, and also for the different types of friends, according to context. Parents maintain a good level of instrumental support, but not of emotional support. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Adolescent mental health consumers' self-stigma: associations with parents' and adolescents' illness perceptions and parental stigma

Abstract: Currently, little is known about adolescents' self-stigma experiences as mental health (MH) treatment recipients. Hence, this study addresses the following two questions: (a) what are adolescents' and parents' perceptions of stigma and perceptions of the cause, controllability, and anticipated outcome (illness perceptions) of adolescents' MH problems? (b) to what extent do illness perceptions (adolescents and parents) and parents' own stigma experiences relate to adolescents' self-stigmatization? The results, based on data from separate interviews with a voluntary sample of 60 adolescent–parent dyads, clients of MH wraparound services, suggest that approximately 20% of adolescents and parents reported significant concerns related to self-stigmatization. Using multivariate analyses, we found that the three most prominent factors associated with adolescents' self-stigma ratings included adolescents' perceptions of social skill deficits and trauma as causal factors pertaining to their mental health challenges, as well as parents' inclination to conceal their child's MH problems from others. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Early parenthood in a community context: neighborhood conditions, race–ethnicity, and parenting stress†

Abstract: Research has highlighted the role of intrapersonal and family characteristics on stress, but less attention has been paid to the potential influence of the community context and racial-ethnic differences in early parental experiences. Using an ecological model, this study examines the impact of neighborhood-level social disorder and social cohesion on parenting stress and whether this is universal across mothers of different race–ethnicities in a sample of mothers of young children in large U.S. cities. Study findings show that neighborhood context is significantly associated with parenting stress and minority parents experience less stress than White parents in higher-disordered neighborhoods. Findings highlight the need to improve community conditions, social support, and resources to reduce parenting stress. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Community attachment and satisfaction: the role of a community's social network structure

Abstract: This paper links the micro and macro levels of analysis by examining how different aspects of community sentiment are affected by one's personal ties to the community compared with the organizational network structure of the community Using data collected from residents of six communities in Washington State, network analysis combined with negative binomial regression is used to determine the effect of personal networks and community networks on community attachment and satisfaction Findings suggest that while individual-level variables, such as length of residence and individual ties, affect one's attachment to community, a community's network structure does not significantly affect community attachment However, a community's network structure significantly affects one's evaluation of community Regardless of one's ties to the community, residents of cohesive communities are more likely to evaluate the community's social and physical environments more positively © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc

Youth exposed to violence: the role of protective factors.

Abstract: Using a sample of 174 inner-city urban high school students, this study examined the degree to which family and peer support would moderate the negative impact of exposure to violence on academic performance, symptoms of distress, and persistence intentions. Over 94% of the students reported having been exposed to at least one form of community violence at some point in their lives. Using hierarchical linear regression, the results indicated that family support provided a protective-stabilizing moderating effect between exposure to violence and symptoms of distress. Peer support was found to have a protective-stabilizing moderating effect between exposure to violence and persistence intentions. Although exposure to violence and persistence intentions were both related to grade point average, family and peer support were not found to moderate the impact of violence exposure and grades. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

How long does victimization foster fear of crime? : a longitudinal study

Abstract: We studied the relationship between victimization and fear of crime longitudinally, analyzing data from the Observatory of the North-West (Italian national sample, N51,701, two waves: January 2006 ...

Participation in boys and girls clubs: motivation and stage environment fit

Abstract: This article presents the results of semi-structured in-depth interviews conducted with 54 youth attending six elementary school-based and middle school-based Boys and Girls Clubs in two low-income communities. The first goal of this study was to examine why youth choose to participate in these clubs. The most commonly reported motives include fun activities, opportunities to be with friends, parent has to work, and getting help with homework. The second goal was to examine youths’ perceptions of staff, peers, activities, and the extent to which clubs are organized in a way to support the need for relatedness, competence, and autonomy. Variations in youths’ perceptions of the quality of relationships with staff and peers, level of interest and challenge, and opportunities for decision making, by developmental level (elementary versus middle school) are discussed. Implications of our findings for sustaining youths’ interest and continued involvement in out-of-school youth development programs are highlighted. C 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Violence exposure and depressive symptoms among adolescents and young adults disconnected from school and work

Abstract: The psychological effects of exposure to different types of violence among urban adolescents and young adults are not yet well understood. This study investigated exposure to neighborhood violence, relationship violence, and forced sex among 677 urban African Americans aged 16–23 enrolled at an employment and training center. We assessed prevalence of each violence exposure type, the relation of each exposure type to depressive symptoms, and the extent to which exposure to multiple violence types is additively associated with depressive symptoms. Potential gender differences were also explored. Nearly 60% of our sample reported violence exposure, with males reporting more neighborhood violence and females reporting more forced sex. For both genders, each violence exposure domain was independently associated with depressive symptoms, and exposures in multiple domains had an additive effect on depressive symptom levels. These findings have implications for developing strategies to improve mental health outcomes among urban adolescents and young adults. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Measuring sense of community in the military: cross-cultural evidence for the validity of the brief sense of community scale and its underlying theory.

Abstract: This article presents a German Sense of Community (SOC) scale for use in military settings. The scale is based on the translation and field-testing of an existing U.S.-based measure of neighborhood SOC (Peterson, Speer, & McMillan, 2008). The methodological intricacies underlying cross-cultural scale development are highlighted, as are the strategies used to overcome them. Administered in a navy context (n = 270), the newly-developed German measure improves the psychometric credentials of the existing scale by confirming the principal theory of SOC and its applicability across borders and contexts. Future research is encouraged to build on the strength and flexibility of the existing U.S. instrument for further cross-cultural scale development, thus enabling SOC theory to attain its international potential.

"If they could make us disappear, they would!" youth and violence in Cité Soleil, Haiti

Abstract: This study explores community-level risk and protective factors for youth violence in Cite Soleil, Port-au-Prince's most violent slum. The youth of Cite Soleil have often been mobilized to violence by powerful actors as tools for achieving political or financial gain. Drawing on a formal survey (N=1,575) and ethnographic data collected between March 2008 and April 2009, we analyze the factors that contributed—and continue to contribute—to making these youth available for such mobilization. Youth frame their experiences in terms of a broader social conflict between the “included” and the “excluded,” and view violence as an effective means of obtaining what is denied to them by society: opportunity, respect, and material benefits. The experiences from Haiti offer important lessons in understanding the community level drivers of youth violence, and can contribute to policy approaches that go beyond stabilization measures toward addressing structural violence. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Implementation of the Communities That Care Prevention System by Coalitions in the Community Youth Development Study.

Abstract: While advances in prevention science over the past 2 decades have produced a growing list of tested and effective programs and policies for preventing adolescent delinquency and drug use, widespread dissemination and high-quality implementation of effective programs and policies in communities has not been achieved. The Community Youth Development Study (CYDS) is a randomized, community-level trial of the Communities That Care (CTC) system for promoting science-based prevention in communities. This paper compares 12 community prevention coalitions implementing the CTC system in 12 intervention communities as part of the CYDS to prevention coalitions located in the 12 control communities. As hypothesized, the CYDS coalitions implemented significantly more of the CTC core intervention elements, and also implemented significantly greater numbers of tested, effective prevention programs than the prevention coalitions in the control communities. Implications of the findings for efforts to achieve widespread dissemination of effective prevention programs, policies, and practices are discussed.

African american high school students and variability in behavior across classrooms

Abstract: Many African American adolescents who enter high school with low achievement are at-risk for being perceived as defiant and uncooperative by their classroom teachers. This generalized view of risk, however, offers little understanding of the differentiated behavior these students have with their teachers. The study followed 35 African American students, who have a history of low achievement, across multiple classrooms in their school day. Hierarchical linear modeling showed that there was greater variability in teacher-perceived defiance, cooperation, and office discipline referrals “within-student” compared with “between-students.” This shows that individual students tended to be perceived differently across their teachers. Similarly, the study found that students also tended to differentiate their teachers. Students who reported unfair treatment with a particular teacher were more likely to receive a discipline referral and be perceived as defiant and uncooperative by that teacher. Implications for a strengths-based approach to classroom behavior are discussed. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Measuring perceived procedural justice and coercion among persons with mental illness in police encounters: the Police Contact Experience Scale

Abstract: Despite increased recent attention to improving the quality of encounters between police officers and people with serious mental illness, there are no measures available for assessing how consumers perceive their interactions with police officers. Drawing upon conceptual frameworks developed within social psychology, this study reports the development and testing of a new measure, the Police Contact Experience Scale (PCES), which yields indicators of procedural justice and coercion as evaluated by persons with mental illness in relation to specific encounters with the police. The PCES was administered to 154 individuals with mental illness that had police contact within the prior 12 months. Rasch rating scale analysis supported construct validity of a 10-item procedural justice and a 5-item coercion scale. Correlational analysis supported convergent validity for both scales. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Secondary school advisors as mentors and secondary attachment figures

Abstract: The teacher–student relationship is vital to student outcomes in secondary school Unfortunately, the transition from elementary to secondary school is associated with a decrease in the quality or supportiveness of this relationship In response, some secondary schools implement advisory programs, in which a teacher/advisor meets periodically with a small group of students over an extended period This study examined whether students (N 5 209) in two small secondary schools would nominate the advisor as part of their attachment hierarchy Our results indicated that 40% of the sample considered their advisor to be a secondary attachment figure; further, those that did nominate their advisor reported greater engagement in school and demonstrated greater gains in achievement and adjustment compared to those who did not A relationship assessment instrument from the attachment literature (RSQ) was found to be more efficacious at predicting student outcomes when compared to instruments used in previous mentoring and relationship research � C 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc

Social capital, safety concerns, parenting, and early adolescents' antisocial behavior

Abstract: This study explores the relations between neighborhood social capital (neighbor support and social climate), safety concerns (fear of crime and concern for one's child), parenting (solicitation and support), and adolescent antisocial behavior in a sample of 952 parents (742 mothers) and 588 boys and 559 girls from five middle schools (sixth through eighth grades) in a midsize Italian city. In structural equation models, social capital is strongly and inversely related to safety concerns and positively related to parental support and solicitation. In turn, safety concerns are also positively related to parental support and solicitation. Social capital and safety concerns have indirect effects on children's antisocial behavior through their effects on parenting. Implications are discussed for parenting and community-based interventions to prevent or reduce youth antisocial behaviors. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.