Cultural expectations and perceptions of risk communication among Afro-Caribbean mothers and daughters in the United States

INTRODUCTION

Mothers are key influencers in daughters' decision making about risk behaviors. Much research on parent-child relationships and communication has been conducted among predominantly White, nonimmigrant families. However, parent-child relationships and communications about risk behaviors may significantly differ for Black immigrant families. In particular, transnational behaviors that serve to maintain multiple social identities with attributes from both the receiving and sending nations may shape communication about risky behaviors. The current study evaluated the association between transnational behavior and risk communication mediated by the mother-daughter relationship.

METHOD

A total of 285 first- and second-generation Afro-Caribbean women, most of whom (80%) identified as Black, were recruited via purposeful sampling from Caribbean organizations, Caribbean-focused social media, and Caribbean festivals. Participants (daughters) completed a survey assessing their transnational behavior, perceptions of their relationship with their mother (in terms of interdependence, connectedness, and trust in hierarchy), and perceptions of their mother's communication about sex, alcohol use, and other drug use.

RESULTS

Only the relationship between transnational behavior and communication about drugs was fully mediated by connectedness. The relationship between transnational behavior and communication about both alcohol use and other drug use was partially mediated by other facets of the mother-daughter relationship.

DISCUSSION

Findings confirm previous research on parent-child closeness and communication about difficult topics and suggest that such relationships can promote healthy communication in multiple cultures. Children who stay connected to their country of origin stay connected to parents and, therefore, may have greater opportunity to engage in integrated communication about possible risk behaviors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Policies during COVID-19 and their impact on immigrant families' psychological well-being: A critically engaged practice

INTRODUCTION

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated, and complicated stressors related to immigrant families' experience with U.S. immigration policies.

METHOD

This article uses a critically engaged practice (CEP) framework to examine three policies and their implications for the health and well-being of immigrant families during the COVID-19 pandemic (a) Detention and Removal of Alien Parents or Legal Guardians policy, (b) Order Suspending the Right to Introduce Certain Persons from Countries where a Quarantinable Communicable Disease Exists, and (c) Field Guidance on Deportability and Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds.

RESULTS

Our article presents a CEP framework to empower clinicians in integrated healthcare settings to better understand and communicate policies with their patients.

DISCUSSION

Policy-informed CEP asks clinicians to (a) remain current with policy change; (b) have the ability to interpret policy and or policy change to clients; and (c) be aware of not only the primary effects of policy on the family but also the secondary impacts to their system. Clinical implications are provided. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Daily discrimination, church support, personal mastery, and psychological distress in black people in the United States

OBJECTIVE

This study used the stress process model to test the mediating effects of personal mastery and moderating effects of church-based social support on the relationship between daily discrimination and psychological distress across three age groups of African American and Afro-Caribbean adults.

METHODS

Using a national sample of 5008 African Americans and Afro-Caribbean adults from the National Survey of American Life Study, this study employs structural equation modeling to investigate the relationships between daily discrimination, personal mastery, church-based social support, and psychological distress.

RESULTS

Daily discrimination was an independent predictor of psychological distress across all groups. Group- and age-specific comparisons revealed significant differences in the experience of daily discrimination and psychological distress. Mastery was a partial mediator of the relationship between discrimination and psychological distress among Afro-Caribbeans while church support was a significant moderator only among the young and older African Americans.

IMPLICATIONS

Together, our study findings provide useful first steps towards developing interventions to reduce the adverse psychological impacts of daily discrimination on African Americans and Afro-Caribbeans. Intervention efforts such as individual psychotherapy aimed to improve Afro-Caribbean individuals' sense of mastery would be a partial solution to alleviating the adverse effects of discrimination on their psychological health.

The Grieving Process of Opioid Overdose Bereaved Parents in Maryland

In recent years, the opioid epidemic in the United States has garnered attention due to the increasing number of fatal overdoses. Research on overdose death has increasingly focused on the psychological impacts of drug-related bereavement and disenfranchised bereavement. This study aims to contribute to the growing body of emergent literature on drug death bereavement, by exploring the experiences of parents whose children passed away due to opioid overdose. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with six parents living in the state of Maryland who had an adult child die from opioid overdose two or more years prior to the study. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis. Themes that emerged included the grieving process, stigmatization, and social support. While overall adaptation levels varied among participants, all participants reported positive and negative outcomes related to their experience of grief and loss. Implications for clinical practice and intervention are discussed.

An Exploration of Mothers' Successful Completion of Family-Centered Residential Substance Use Treatment

Behavioral health and substance use centers have started focusing efforts on creating, adopting, and implementing evidence-based practices and programs that effectively address the needs of women and, particularly, mothers entering treatment with children. However, women with substance use disorders (SUDs) remain an underserved and understudied population; even less studied are the complexities and unique SUD treatment needs of women who have children. Family therapists' systemic training is a valued approach in conceptualizing and implementing treatment for mothers with SUDs and their families. This study explored the construct of mothering children during family-centered substance use treatment using a transcendental phenomenological approach. Analysis revealed themes related to motherhood, parenting, and support for mothers and children. Two themes emerged from the data: (a) grappling with motherhood and addiction leading to the decision for treatment and (b) specific aspects of the treatment program conducive to motherhood. Results indicated the positive impact of mothers' experiences in family-centered substance use treatment, aligning with previous literature that suggests mothers are more engaged in treatment when their children remain in their care. The insights gleaned from the participants in this study provide suggestions for further improving programming that supports mothers and their children during the recovery process. Treatment considerations are offered for family therapists working with mothers with SUDs and their families.