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Full-Text Articles in Psychology

Strengths And Resilience Among Central American Parents Seeking Asylum In The United States, Frances Morales, Kathleen Hawkins, Danielle Gonzalez, Alexander Garcia, Sita G. Patel, Alfonso Mercado Jun 2023

Strengths And Resilience Among Central American Parents Seeking Asylum In The United States, Frances Morales, Kathleen Hawkins, Danielle Gonzalez, Alexander Garcia, Sita G. Patel, Alfonso Mercado

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study examined the experiences of immigrant parents seeking asylum in the United States after recently fleeing the Northern Triangle region of Central America, attending both to the traumatic events and the strengths that mitigate this experience. The study employs a convergent parallel mixed-methods design to describe the experiences of 51 parents after being processed by U.S. immigration officials for seeking asylum. Quantitative analyses measured trauma exposure and psychological distress and posttraumatic stress symptoms, as well as religiosity, dispositional optimism, and perceived quality of life. Qualitative analyses examined migratory experiences more deeply. Quantitative findings suggest that participants displayed high levels …


Psychological Impacts Of The Covid-19 Pandemic In A Hispanic Sample: Testing The Buffering Role Of Resilience And Perceived Social Support, Michiyo Hirai, Laura L. Vernon, Elizabeth N. Hernandez May 2023

Psychological Impacts Of The Covid-19 Pandemic In A Hispanic Sample: Testing The Buffering Role Of Resilience And Perceived Social Support, Michiyo Hirai, Laura L. Vernon, Elizabeth N. Hernandez

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

The current study examined the effects of specific COVID-19 stressors (i.e., family member’s death due to COVID-19, COVID-19 infection, and school/financial stressors) on stress, anxiety, and depression and the potential buffering roles of resilience and perceived social support in the association between COVID-19 stressors and psychological symptoms in a Hispanic university student sample (n = 664). Participants were classified in three stressor groups: those reporting a family member’s death due to COVID-19 (15.7%), those reporting their own or a family member’s COVID-19 infection but no COVID-19 death (35.5%), and those reporting only school and/or financial stressors due to the …


Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms In Response To Covid-19–Related Adverse Events In Hispanic Individuals, Michiyo Hirai, Laura L. Vernon Mar 2023

Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms In Response To Covid-19–Related Adverse Events In Hispanic Individuals, Michiyo Hirai, Laura L. Vernon

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

The current study examined the effects of COVID-19 death and infection stressors on posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and the moderating role of resilience and coping in the association between the COVID-19 stressors and PTSS in Hispanic young adults. On average, COVID-19 death led to higher PTSS than COVID-19 infection. Among participants with relatively high resilience, higher engagement coping, or lower disengagement coping, the magnitudes of the impacts of COVID-19 death and infection on PTSS were similar, suggesting the buffering role of resilience and coping. Resilience and engagement coping may protect Hispanic individuals from elevated PTSS in response to traumatic experiences.


Valor: Cultural Considerations When Assessing Central American Immigrant Women In Behavioral Health Settings, Michelle Silva, Melanie M. Domenech Rodriguez, Luz M. Garcini, Alfonso Mercado, German Cadenas, Amanda Venta, Manuel Paris Aug 2022

Valor: Cultural Considerations When Assessing Central American Immigrant Women In Behavioral Health Settings, Michelle Silva, Melanie M. Domenech Rodriguez, Luz M. Garcini, Alfonso Mercado, German Cadenas, Amanda Venta, Manuel Paris

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

The topic of immigration is timely yet polarizing. By definition, to be an immigrant implies being in a state of transition and transformation. The eventual outcome is likely to be influenced by a series of contextual factors starting in the country of origin, continuing during the migration journey, and culminating in receiving communities. The authors use a fictional case example of a Central American immigrant woman to illustrate VALOR, the Spanish word for courage, as an acronym that identifies five key areas for clinical consideration in behavioral health settings: Values, Arrival in the United States, Losses, O …


Lessons Learned From Undocumented Latinx Immigrants: How To Build Resilience And Overcome Distress In The Face Of Adversity, Luz M. Garcini, German Cadenas, Melanie M. Domenech Rodriguez, Alfonso Mercado, Liliana Campos, Cristina Abraham, Michelle Silva, Manuel Paris Jan 2022

Lessons Learned From Undocumented Latinx Immigrants: How To Build Resilience And Overcome Distress In The Face Of Adversity, Luz M. Garcini, German Cadenas, Melanie M. Domenech Rodriguez, Alfonso Mercado, Liliana Campos, Cristina Abraham, Michelle Silva, Manuel Paris

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Living under chronic uncertainty, fear, and isolation is the experience of many undocumented immigrants particularly under the recent sociopolitical climate. Yet, despite facing chronic adversity and an uncertain future, undocumented immigrants are highly resilient. This paper draws upon the clinical and research expertise of leading Latinx psychologists working with diverse undocumented communities across the United States. Qualitative data from seven focus groups with undocumented Latinxs and 15 in-depth interviews with key informants were used to complement clinical insights to identify and highlight strategies of undocumented Latinxs that promote their resilience. Overall, six primary strategies emerged including cognitive reframing, behavioral adaptability, …


An Association Between Perceived Social Support And Posttraumatic Stress Symptom Severity Among Women With Lifetime Sexual Victimization: The Serial Mediating Role Of Resilience And Coping, Michiyo Hirai, Ruby Charak, Laura D. Seligman, Joseph D. Hovey, John M. Ruiz, Timothy W. Smith Dec 2020

An Association Between Perceived Social Support And Posttraumatic Stress Symptom Severity Among Women With Lifetime Sexual Victimization: The Serial Mediating Role Of Resilience And Coping, Michiyo Hirai, Ruby Charak, Laura D. Seligman, Joseph D. Hovey, John M. Ruiz, Timothy W. Smith

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study examined the association between perceived social support and severity of posttraumatic stress symptoms, serially mediated by resilience and coping among women exposed to different patterns of sexual victimization experiences: childhood sexual abuse (CSA) only, adult sexual assault (ASA) only, and sexual revictimization (SR). A total of 255 sexually victimized women recruited from four U.S. universities completed self-report measures online; 112 participants reported provisionally diagnosable levels of symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The proposed model was largely supported in the CSA only group and the SR group. Different patterns of mediational effects were found across the three groups. …