First-generation undergraduate students face challenging cross-socioeconomic cultural transitions into college life. The authors compared first-and non-first-generation undergraduate students' social support, posttraumatic stress, depression symptoms, and life satisfaction. First-generation participants reported less social support from family and friends, more single-event traumatic stress, less life satisfaction, and marginally more depression symptomatology than non-first-generation participants, but significant generation-gender interactions showed first-generation women doing worse and first-generation men doing better than others.

Effectively addressing psychological needs of refugees is a challenge for service providers operating within an expensive health care system based on Western constructs of mental health. In response to this challenge, refugee resettlement agencies throughout the United States use community gardens to promote psychological healing, self-sufficiency, community engagement, and a return of human dignity. Although the success of these programs has been reported in the popular press, they have not been studied systematically. The present exploratory mixed methods study drew upon quantitative and qualitative data to explore perspectives on participating in a community garden among Nepali Bhutanese refugees ( N = 50; 62% female). Participants self-selected to engage in gardening prior to research ( n = 22), or were part of the nongardening comparison group ( n = 28). Results revealed no significant group differences in regard to symptoms of depression, anxiety, somatic complaints, or adjustment to life in the United States. Quantitative results indicated that community gardening was significantly positively associated with social support, a key contributor to optimal functioning within communal cultures. Qualitative data provided additional context within which to understand these results, and further supported the role of social support in community gardening. Implications for clinical research, advocacy, and community care are discussed and suggestions for further research are provided.

No abstract

No abstract

Approximately 4,600 American adolescents commit suicide each year, and adolescent suicide rates are on the rise. The consequences of suicidal behavior are far-reaching, and understanding the development of patterns that contribute to ideation and attempt are crucial to prevention and intervention. This paper outlines an experiential avoidance model of suicidality and discusses an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) approach to treating adolescent suicidal behavior. A case study is reviewed, along with literature relevant to the risk factors and trajectories correlated with suicide in adolescents. Although recent evidence indicates that ACT is generally useful with adolescents with related concerns, a thorough literature review indicates that no specific work has investigated the efficacy of ACT for suicidal behavior in youth.

No abstract