Impact of family, neighborhood, and schools on behavioral health needs of justice-involved Latinx adolescents.

Abstract

Latinx adolescents are overrepresented in the justice system and have high untreated behavioral health needs. We examined the family as well as promotive and inhibitive environments (i.e., neighborhood and school) and their associations on behavioral health among 181 first-time justice-involved Latinx adolescents. Results showed that more optimal caregiver-adolescent attachment was associated with fewer behavioral health needs; more negative caregiver-adolescent communication with greater behavioral health needs. Increased neighborhood disadvantage and negative school interactions served as inhibitive environments and were associated with greater behavioral health needs. Moderation analyses indicated that negative communication was associated with greater behavioral health needs among dyads with large acculturation differences but not for dyads close in acculturation. Findings underscore the need to assess the family relationships and communication, promotive/inhibitive environments, and acculturation differences when determining how to meet behavioral health needs among justiceinvolved Latinx adolescents.

Applying ecological systems theory to juvenile legal system interventions outcomes research: a measurement framework

“…The mesosystem consists of interactions between various subsystems in a youth's life, including between the family subsystem and other subsystems (see Table 3). For example, a recent study of Latinx JLS-involved youth reported that higher levels of caregiver school contact was linked with greater externalizing concerns; whereas, higher levels of positive caregiver school engagement was negatively associated with externalizing behaviors (Hoskins et al, 2021). This work highlights the need to for investigators to assess for caregiver-school relations in intervention studies.…”

A novel multifamily treatment targeting symptoms related to Latinx caregiver deportation.

“…Conway et al (2020) found that after separation, adolescents were 4.7 and 3.4 times more likely to report poor relationship quality with their mothers and fathers, respectively. Highlighting the need for treatment, family protective factors might subvert the negative impacts of immigration challenges (Hoskins et al, 2021). More specifically, Calzada et al (2020) found severe externalizing behaviors in children of parents who had experienced adverse immigration environments.…”