PURPOSE. We explored the meaning and outcomes of a 6-mo building capacity process designed to promote knowledge translation of a public health approach to mental health among pediatric occupational therapy practitioners participating in a Community of Practice. METHOD. A one-group (N = 117) mixed-methods design using a pretest–posttest survey and qualitative analysis of written reflections was used to explore the meaning and outcomes of the building capacity process. RESULTS. Statistically significant improvements (p < .02) in pretest–posttest scores of knowledge, beliefs, and actions related to a public health approach to mental health were found. Qualitative findings suggest that participation resulted in a renewed commitment to addressing children’s mental health. CONCLUSION. The building capacity process expanded practitioner knowledge, renewed energy, and promoted confidence, resulting in change leaders empowered to articulate, advocate for, and implement practice changes reflecting occupational therapy’s role in addressing children’s mental health.

No abstract

Objective: Despite the well-established relationship between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and health and well-being across the life course, there is a limited understanding of ACEs among diverse populations. The purpose of this study was to develop a new measure, the ACE-I, which consists of adversities that may be more relevant among immigrant populations, and to compare these rates to those of traditionally studied ACEs. Method: Data for this study comes from a community sample of 338 Latino immigrant adolescents who completed an 11-item measure of traditional ACEs and a novel 13-item measure of immigrant-specific ACEs (ACE-I) as part of the intake process for a positive youth development program. Results: While the scores of the two ACEs measure were correlated (r = .16), immigrant youth, on average, reported more adversities on the ACE-I measure than the traditional ACEs measure (3.6 vs. 1.6). Overall, individual ACE-I items were more likely to be endorsed than traditional ACE items. Fit indexes from a confirmatory factor analysis suggested that the ACE-I hypothesized three-factor structure (experiences of violence/unrest in one's home country, danger encountered on the migration journey, and instability of life as an immigrant) represents a satisfactory solution. Conclusions: These findings suggest that there are essential early adverse experiences for immigrants that have not previously been considered in ACEs research. Broadening our conceptualization and measurement of ACEs among immigrant populations could provide valuable insight into social determinants of health and avenues for intervention for immigrant youth and families. Clinical Impact StatementCurrent measures of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) fail to capture the lived experiences of marginalized populations. This study examined a new measure of immigrant-specific ACEs among Latino immigrant youth. Findings suggest that the ACE items in the proposed measure were more prevalent among this population than traditional ACEs. These findings have the potential to inform clinicians and programs delivering culturally relevant trauma-informed interventions.

During the migration process, Latinx immigrant youth often experience prolonged periods of separation from their families for a range of reasons. Family separation can have numerous harmful effects on children’s well-being, but little is known about how separation might affect the quality of the parent–child relationship, an important protective factor, particularly for adolescents. This study examined the relationship between immigration-related family separation and the quality of the parent–child relationship in a community-based sample of 716 Latinx immigrant adolescents. Sixty percent of the sample reported separation from either or both parents as a result of immigration. Independent of covariates, and compared to youth who were not separated from a parent, youth who reported experiencing immigration-related separation from their mother were 4.7 times as likely to report poor relationship quality with their mother, and those reporting separation from their fathers were 3.4 times as likely to report poor relationship quality with their father. Implications for policy and interventions are discussed.

Objective. To examine the prevalence of and the association between comorbid disorders and race/ethnicity in the United States. Methods. Using cross-sectional data from the 2012 National Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System [N=45,207,844], we examined comorbidity of psychological distress with self-reported diagnosis of diabetes, angina, and with history of heart attack and stroke. Logistic regression was used to examine between group differences by race/ethnicity. Results. Unadjusted results indicate that American Indian [OR 4.01, 95%CI: 1.78, 9.04] and Hispanic [OR 1.55, 95%CI: 1.04, 2.33] participants were more likely to have psychological distress and history of heart attack in comparison to Whites. American Indians were more likely to have psychological distress with angina [OR 3.82, 95%CI: 1.92, 7.63], and with history of stroke [OR 4.25, 95%CI: 2.16-8.26] in unadjusted results when compared to White participants. Conclusions. Our results suggest that racial/ethnic minority groups are more likely to suffer from comorbid mental health and medical conditions, which may be a result of stress arising from discrimination and historical oppression of these populations.