A Learning Assessment to Increase Diversity in Academic Health Sciences.

Importance: Strategies and innovations to advance racial and ethnic equity in recruitment, promotion, and retention at academic health science institutions are needed.

Objective: This learning assessment aims to isolate evidence-based strategies to advance racial equity in the academic health sciences, which have implications for policy and institution-level interventions.

Evidence Review: This learning assessment used a mixed-methods approach, including a quantitative survey, qualitative in-depth interviews, and a scoping literature review.

Referrals to Community and State Agencies to Address Social Determinants of Health for Improving Mental Health, Functioning, and Quality of Care Outcomes for Diverse Adults.

To examine whether referral for social determinants of health (SDH) needs decreases psychological distress and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and improves level of functioning and quality of care among diverse adults. Data are from control participants (n = 503 adults) in a randomized controlled trial testing a mental health intervention in North Carolina and Massachusetts. We fitted multilevel mixed-effects models to repeated assessments (baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months) collected between September 2019 and January 2023.

Resilience of racial and ethnic minority older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic: The role of a prior disability prevention intervention.

Older adults from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds and with preexisting mental illness have been disproportionately vulnerable to severe illness, disability, and death due to the adverse impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study used a sample of older adults (60 +; = 307) from a randomized clinical trial (Positive Minds-Strong Bodies [PMSB]) conducted between May 25, 2015, and March 5, 2019. Participants were recontacted to assess symptoms of anxiety, depression, general distress, and physical functioning during the COVID-19 pandemic between March 2, 2021, and July 18, 2022 (62.

Uncovering Barriers to Engagement in Substance Use Disorder Care for Medicaid Enrollees.

Objective: The authors aimed to uncover factors that affect engagement in substance use disorder treatment among Medicaid beneficiaries in New York State.

Methods: The authors conducted 40 semistructured interviews with clients, plan administrators, health care providers, and policy leaders directly involved with substance use care in New York State. Data were analyzed with thematic analysis.

Role of social determinants in anxiety and depression symptoms during COVID-19: A longitudinal study of adults in North Carolina and Massachusetts.

Trajectory studies of the COVID-19 pandemic have described patterns of symptoms over time. Yet, few have examined whether social determinants of health predict the progression of depression and anxiety symptoms during COVID-19 or identified which social determinants worsen symptom trajectories. Using a racially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse sample of adults participating in a randomized clinical trial with pre-existing moderate to severe depression and/or anxiety symptoms, we compare symptom patterns before and during COVID-19; characterize symptom trajectories over a 20-week follow-up period; and evaluate whether social determinants are associated with within- and between- person differences in symptom trajectories.

Key stakeholder perspectives on the use of research about supported employment for racially and ethnically diverse patients with mental illness in the United States.

Objective: To explore how stakeholders responded to research evidence regarding supported employment (e.g., vocational rehabilitation), and ways evidence could be incorporated into policy and action.

Barriers and strategies for implementing community-based interventions with minority elders: positive minds-strong bodies.

Background: By 2040, one out of three older adults in the USA are expected to belong to a racial/ethnic minority group. This population has an increased risk of mental and physical disability with significant barriers to access care. Community-based organizations (CBOs) often provide programming to serve minority and immigrant elders.

Predictors of Research Assessment Completion in a Latino Sample with Dual Disorders.

Latinos are underrepresented in clinical trials, where they encounter challenges in participation and a lack of effective recruitment and retention strategies. For Latino migrants with mental health and substance use problems, these challenges are even greater. Analyzing results from a multicenter randomized clinical trial for Latino migrants with mental health and substance use problems in Boston, Massachusetts, USA as well as Madrid and Barcelona, Spain, we describe six retention strategies used to facilitate participant engagement in follow-up assessments, and report the sociodemographic, clinical, and educational factors associated with research assessment completion.

The effect of minority status and social context on the development of depression and anxiety: a longitudinal study of Puerto Rican descent youth.

Few longitudinal studies have explored to date whether minority status in disadvantaged neighborhoods conveys risk for negative mental health outcomes, and the mechanisms possibly leading to such risk. We investigated how minority status influences four developmental mental health outcomes in an ethnically homogeneous sample of Puerto Rican youth. We tested models of risk for major depressive disorder (MDD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), depressive and anxiety symptoms (DAS), and psychological distress, as Puerto Rican youth (aged 5-13 years) transitioned to early adulthood (15-29 years) in two sites, one where they grew up as a majority (the island of Puerto Rico), and another where they were part of a minority group (South Bronx, New York).

Effectiveness of a Disability Preventive Intervention for Minority and Immigrant Elders: The Positive Minds-Strong Bodies Randomized Clinical Trial.

Objective: To test the acceptability and effectiveness of a disability prevention intervention, Positive Minds-Strong Bodies (PMSB), offered by paraprofessionals to mostly immigrant elders in four languages.

Design: Randomized trial of 307 participants, equally randomized into intervention or enhanced usual care.

Setting: Community-based organizations in Massachusetts, New York, Florida, and Puerto Rico serving minority elders.

Trauma, immigration, and sexual health among Latina women: Implications for maternal-child well-being and reproductive justice.

Latina immigrant women are vulnerable to traumatic stress and sexual health disparities. Without autonomy over their reproductive health and related decision-making, reproductive justice is elusive. We analyzed behavioral health data from 175 Latina immigrant participants (M age = 35; range = 18-64) of the International Latino Research Partnership (ILRP) study.

HIV Testing in Clinical and Community Settings for an International Sample of Latino Immigrants and Nonimmigrants.

Latino/as in the U.S. and Spain make up a disproportionate percentage of cases of HIV infection, and often are diagnosed later than their non-Latino/a counterparts.

High HIV/STI Test Acceptance Through a Behavioral Health Encounter in Latino Immigrants with Substance Use and Mental Health Problems.

Latino immigrants with substance use and mental health problems are at risk for undiagnosed HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Participants in a randomized control trial were recruited in Boston, USA and Madrid and Barcelona, Spain. Eligibility criteria were Latino self-identification, age 18-70, elevated substance use and mental health symptoms, and not currently in substance or mental health care.

Successful validation of the CAT-MH Scales in a sample of Latin American migrants in the United States and Spain.

We examined cultural differences in the item characteristic functions of self-reported of symptoms of depression, anxiety, and mania-hypomania in a Latino population taking Computerized Adaptive Tests for Mental Health (CAT-MH) in Spanish versus a non-Latino sample taking the tests in English. We studied differential item functioning (DIF) of the most common adaptively administered symptom items out of a bank of 1,008 items between Latino (n = 1276) and non-Latino (n = 798) subjects. For depression, we identified 4 items with DIF that were good discriminators for non-Latinos but poor discriminators for Latinos.