Wednesday, April 2, 2025
4/2/2025
Intergenerational and Cultural Drivers of Depressive Symptoms in Hispanic Sexual Minority Youth - ABSTRACT Adolescent mental health has been declared a national emergency, and disparities exist among sexual and ethnic minority adolescent sub-groups. Specifically, Hispanic sexual minority youth (HSMY) bear a disproportionate burden of depressive symptoms compared to their non-Hispanic white, heterosexual counterparts. While this health disparity is partly attributed to the marginalization experienced by HSMY on behalf of their intersecting minority identities, little research has been done to understand the mechanisms through which other culturally-relevant, multi-level factors may also contribute to the high rates of depressive symptoms in this population. In an effort to highlight points of intervention to confront these disparities and the ongoing national emergency, this proposal will explore how multi-level factors, such as the intergenerational effect of caregiver childhood trauma (operationalized as adverse childhood experiences[ACEs]), caregiver-HSMY acculturation differences, and caregiver-HSMY communication quality, may affect HSMY depressive symptoms. Guided by ecodevelopmental theory, I will harmonize existing longitudinal datasets consisting of caregiver-HSMY dyads and collect rich qualitative data from HSMY to accomplish two specific aims: 1) Examine whether a) an intergenerational direct effect of caregiver ACEs on HSMY depressive symptoms is b) mediated by caregiver- HSMY communication quality and c) if this indirect pathway is moderated by a discrepancy between caregiver and HSMY Americanism (a subtype of acculturation); and 2) use ecodevelopmental theory to investigate potential drivers of HSMY depressive symptoms. The accompanying training plan will provide the foundation for me to a) advance my knowledge in intergenerational effects of childhood trauma and its implications for intervention development in Hispanic youth, b) develop advanced skills in longitudinal analyses and data harmonization; c) develop advanced skills in qualitative analysis, and d) enhance my skills in interdisciplinary team science and professional development. I have a strong and highly successful mentorship team dedicated to my growth and development to guide me throughout this award. Together, the research and training proposal will support my development as an independent nurse scientist in the area of HSMY mental health. This NRSA F31 proposal aligns with the NINR’s Strategic Plan with its focus on understanding drivers of mental health disparities in adolescents and families with shared characteristics. The proposed study will generate important knowledge related to the intergenerational effect of caregiver childhood trauma on HSMY mental health and examine a mechanism (i.e., caregiver-HSMY communication quality) through which this effect may exist. The findings stand to inform whether culturally-tailored, family-based interventions aimed at advancing HSMY mental health equity should target caregiver-HSMY communication quality and incorporate trauma-informed care.
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