Background: Latin America, and Chile in particular, has a rich tradition of community mental health services and programs. However, in vivo community-based psychosocial interventions, especially those with a recovery-oriented approach, remain scarce in the region. Between 2014 and 20l5, a Critical Time Intervention-Task Shifting project (CTI-TS) was implemented in Santiago, Chile, as part of a larger pilot randomized control trial. CTI is a time-limited intervention delivered at a critical-time to users, is organized by phases, focuses on specific objectives and decreases in intensity over time. CTI-TS, which combines both the task-shifting strategy and the use of peers, introduces a novel approach to community mental health care that has not yet been tried in Chile. Aims: We aim to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability and applicability of such a community-based psychosocial intervention in urban settings in Latin America – specifically, in Santiago (Chile) from a user perspective. Method: We analyzed 15 in-depth interviews (n = 15) with service users who participated in the intervention about their perceptions and experiences with CTI-TS through thematic analysis. Results: Three themes were revealed. The first was related to the structural characteristics of CTI-TS, especially regarding the timing, duration and phasic nature of the intervention. The second pertained to the acceptability of the in vivo community-based approach. The third theme dealt with the task-shifting aspect, that is, users’ perceptions of the peer support workers and the community mental health workers. Conclusions: CTI-TS was generally acceptable in this Latin American context. Users’ perspectives pointed to the need to make adjustments to some of the structural characteristics of the CTI model and to combine this type of intervention with others that can address stigma. Thus, future adaptations of CTI-TS or similar psychosocial interventions in Latin American contexts are feasible and can enhance community mental health in the region.

Substance use (SU) among adolescents is a critical public health concern that increases the risk for negative outcomes. Although Asian American (AA) adolescents tend to report low rates of SU, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NH/PI) adolescents often report significantly higher rates of use. Yet, NH/PI youth are seldom studied as a separate group. Consequently, little is known about the factors involved in SU among NH/PI adolescents and how to prevent it. This prospective study investigated the effect of ecological risk and protective factors at the individual, family, and school levels on SU for NH/PI adolescents. This prospective study utilized longitudinal data from 120 NH/PI adolescents who were7 part of an SU prevention program. Information was collected at two time points-Time 1 and Time 2 (32 weeks later)and included adolescents' SU behaviors and individual, family, and school factors. The parents of these adolescents also provided data; all information was self-report. Positive academic attitudes at Time 1 were negatively associated with alcohol and other drug (e.g., marijuana) use at Time 2. Specifically, NH/PI adolescents who had more positive attitudes toward their school, peers, and teachers reported less alcohol and other SU. Prevention efforts may be most effective for NH/PI adolescents if addressed within the school context. This may include programs implemented in schools, utilizing teachers as role models, and/or promoting prosocial peer relationships to support positive behaviors. Additional implications are discussed. Public Policy Relevance StatementNative Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (NH/PI) adolescents have some of the highest rates of substance use (SU). Yet, they are regularly combined with Asian American adolescents in research, which deflates their actual rates of SU. By identifying risk and protective factors in SU for NH/PI adolescents, SU intervention and prevention strategies can be tailored specifically for this high-risk, underserved population. aaa A dolescent substance use (SU) remains a serious health concern in the United States (U.S.), with clear racial/ ethnic group differences in rates and trends of SU (Hall et al., 2016; Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration [SAMHSA], 2013). Within SU research, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (NH/PI) and other Asian American(AA) adolescents are often aggregated into one group due to their relative smaller sample size in the U.S. Collectively, AA and NH/PI adolescents appear to have the lowest rates of SU compared to other racial/ethnic groups-rates as low as 3.7% were found for these adolescents, compared to 9.2% for White adolescents (SAMHSA, 2013). Yet, these findings are misleading, since NH/PI adolescents This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.

This mixed-method study examined whether Brazilian students in the US use an indigenous problem-solving practice, jeitinho, as a coping strategy for acculturative stress. Forty-two participants answered an online survey, which was a culmination of demographic information, the Acculturative Stress Scale for International Students, BriefCOPE, jeitinho questionnaire, and three open-ended questions about how Americans may perceive jeitinho. Results showed that a negative dimension of jeitinho was associated with nonadaptive coping strategies, but it was not a significant predictor of acculturative stress. Qualitative themes highlighted the multidimensionality of jeitinho, which could help in students’ adjustment (positive) or reinforce stereotypes and prejudices (negative) against Brazilians. Findings elucidate the complexity of jeitinho Brazilian students can be mindful about and when to use it to avoid stereotyping.

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La comprensión y aplicación del concepto de recuperación, a pesar de sus posibles beneficios para los servicios de salud mental, aún se encuentra en incipiente desarrollo en América Latina. Si bien la reforma psiquiátrica en la región ha tenido algunos avances, el marco de la recuperación no ha sido suficientemente explorado. Whitley y Drake (2010) sugirieron un marco conceptual integral para la recuperación que incluye cinco dimensiones: clínica, existencial, funcional, física y social. El presente estudio tuvo como objetivo explorar las perspectivas de los usuarios chilenos y brasileños sobre la recuperación identificando su adscripción y aplicabilidad de estas cinco dimensiones. Se entrevistó a treinta participantes de la Intervención en Momento Crítico-Delegación de Funciones (CTI-TS) realizada en Santiago (Chile) y en Río de Janeiro (Brasil) sobre sus experiencias de recuperación. Se exploró la aplicabilidad del marco de Whitley y Drake al contexto de Chile y de Brasil. Los resultados mostraron que: 1. El marco era aplicable a esta población; 2. Las dimensiones presentaban un tipo particular de entrelazamiento y estaban influenciadas por una serie de procesos tales como la continuidad en el proceso de atención/cuidado/autocuidado, y sobresalía la funcionalidad y la esfera social; 3. Los valores culturales, el estigma y los determinantes sociales emergieron como factores cruciales que afectan el tratamiento y la recuperación. Se propuso una reinterpretación del esquema referencial. Los hallazgos representan un aporte a la literatura internacional sobre recuperación al aumentar la validez de este marco referencial multidimensional y su aplicabilidad a diversas poblaciones.

Introduction: A functional variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) polymorphism of the promoter region of the monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) gene has been described and many studies have investigated the association of this polymorphism with human behaviors, as well as with several psychiatric disorders. Objective: This study aimed to review the literature on the role of the VNTR functional polymorphism of the promoter region of the MAOA gene on the modulation of human behavior for the development of psychiatric disorders. Method: Searches on the Medline, Embase, Web of Science and PsycInfo databases were performed including works from January 1998 to June 2009. The words used were: "MAOA and human behavior" and "MAOA and psychiatry". Results: Several studies were found (N = 3,873). After the selection process, 109 papers were included in the review. There was found an association of MAOA low activity alleles with antisocial personality disorder, conduct disorder, ADHD, pathological gambling, and substance abuse. High activity alleles were associated with neuroticism, anorexia nervosa and depression and anxiety disorders. There was no association between the MAOA polymorphisms and bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Discussion: The main findings, summarized in this paper, support a role of MAOA VNTR polymorphism in some psychiatric disorders although some divergences were found due to methodological difficulties in genetic studies. In general, the studies associated the low activity alleles with impulsivity and aggressive behavior ("hyperactive behaviors"), and the high activity alleles of the gene with "hypoactive behaviors", such as depression and anxiety, which demonstrates a modulation of the MAOA enzyme in "hyperactive" and "hypoactive" disorders.

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