A latent profile analysis of psychological sense of community and ethnic identity among racial–ethnic minority young adults from the southwestern United States

Abstract

Among young adults fof color, both sense of community and ethnic identity, as developmental processes, have been associated with wellness, empowerment, and civic action. Additional research is needed that provides empirical support for the connection between psychological sense of community and ethnic identity on outcomes that relate to human development such as intrapersonal psychological empowerment, civic engagement, and depression symptoms. The current study of young adults of color (N = 243; 70% Hispanic/Chicano(a)/Spanish and 10% American Indian/Native American; 70% female) investigates heterogeneity according to dimensions of psychological sense of community and the ethnic identity construct. Latent profile analyses (LPA) were conducted. Using LPA, five profile groups emerged. Profile group differences were present on reported levels of intrapersonal psychological empowerment, civic engagement, and depression symptoms. Majority of sample participants were classified with moderate to high psychological sense of community and ethnic identity. Findings provide insights for efforts on developing community belongingness based on ethnic group identity and engaging young adults in civic life.

Radically reframing studies on neurobiology and socioeconomic circumstances: A call for social justice-oriented neuroscience

“…There is ample room and need for resilience modeling (also known as strength-based approach) in studies on socioeconomic circumstances and neurobiology. In the field of neuroscience, exploring the effects of individual, familial, and community factors that are known to mitigate risk of poor mental health outcomes, such as social support/engagement, civic action, critical consciousness, neighborhood cohesion, and racial-ethnic identity, may be extraordinarily beneficial (e.g., Bracey et al, 2004;Dassopoulos and Monnat, 2011;Gapen et al, 2011;Forsyth and Carter, 2012;Johns et al, 2012;Karb et al, 2012;Neblett et al, 2012;Neergheen et al, 2019;Burt et al, 2021;Lardier et al, 2021).…”