Doctor of Psychology (PsyD), Wright State University, 2014, School of Professional Psychology

While group therapy appears to be gaining popularity at University Counseling Centers, scant research has been done on Latino students' group therapy participation. The present study examined the barriers that Latino college students face in considering whether to join group therapy. Participants (N=81) completed three measures. The first measure was a demographic questionnaire. The second measure was a modified version of the Barriers Scale, originally developed by Harris (2012), a 44-item survey in which participants were assessed in terms of: their willingness to consider group therapy, group therapy modality preferences, expectations of group therapy, expectations of group members, expectations of group leaders, coping skills if in distress, and multicultural considerations. The final measure was the Short Acculturation Scale for Hispanics created by Marin, Otero-Sabogal, & Perez-Stable (1987). Data for this study were analyzed employing descriptive statistics, chi-square tests and Spearman rho correlations. Results found that coping strategies for Latino college students were mainly based around seeking help from family and friends, or facing their problems directly on their own. Group therapy was generally found to be one of the least desirable treatment modalities utilized as a coping method. However, results suggest that a barrier to group therapy for Latino college students may be that they do not know what are the purpose and benefits of group therapy. Moreover, when more information is given about types of groups, Latino college students' interest in group therapy increases. In addition, results indicated that other barriers to group therapy included: the expectation that group therapists should have knowledge about Latino culture, leader experience running groups with Latino members and a number of other important factors. Beyond the scope of this dissertation, further research should be done in the area of barriers to group therapy for this population i (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Martyn Whittingham Ph.D., CGP (Committee Chair); Erendira Lopez-Garcia Psy.D. (Committee Member); Leon VandeCreek Ph.D., ABPP (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Education, Cleveland State University, 2023, College of Education and Human Services

Urban ethnic churches across the nation continue to be beacons of light in communities throughout the United States. The people within have endured the same centralized struggles found in every impoverished urban neighborhood, be it crime or gentrification. Many, like the millions of Latinos across America, find respite in belonging to ethnic spaces where they can preserve parts of their cultural identities as they navigate the duality of their culture, what it means to be Latino, while navigating acculturation, what it means to be American. Whether they are immigrants, English Language Learners, or second-and-third-generation Latinos, the meaning-making found in faith-based affinity groups, like ethnic churches, where faith and ethnicity intersect, can serve as a source for understanding leadership and social mobility among minority groups. The leaders of these communities, or pastors, have a unique ability to function as transformational leaders, gatekeepers of social capital, and agents of social and economic advancement in addition to their role as spiritual leaders. This hermeneutic phenomenological study conducted in the Midwest region of the United State States, questions whether urban pastors perceive themselves as social and economic transformational agents, and how keen they are on discovering the meaning-making that happens within the walls of their often small but mighty congregations. When urban Latina/o pastors and their churches discover the intersection of their ethnic and religious identity and their ability to use their social capital through trust (Coleman, 1988), networks (Bourdieu, 1986), and resources (Putman, 2000), they may not only empower their congregations spiritually but also socially and economically.

Committee: Frederick Hampton (Advisor); Steven Sanders (Committee Member); Mary Frances Buckley-Marudas (Committee Member); Katherine Clonan-Roy (Committee Member) Subjects: Hispanic American Studies; Hispanic Americans; Regional Studies; Religion; Spirituality; Theology

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2023, Political Science

How does Conspiracism manifest among minority groups and what is the cause of their endorsement? I aim to identify possible variations in the endorsement of conspiracy theories and misinformation among minority groups. I suggest that the causality of these differences in endorsement among Latinos is primarily due to certain demographic reasons: Latinos tend to be more religious (Judeo-Christian) than white respondents, have different media preferences and consumption patterns and have slightly less educational attainment than average white respondents. Further, I expect to find the causality of these differences in cultural context and media language preferences. Using an observational analysis, I find support that Latinos endorse conspiracy theories more than other racial groups, suggesting that this conspiracy endorsement process is different and that certain demographic factors may become more salient when endorsing a conspiracy. I suggest that future work should also focus on the impact of these types of conspiracy endorsements among minority groups on their political attitudes and policy preferences.

Committee: William Minozzi (Advisor); Nicole Yadon (Committee Member) Subjects: Political Science

Psy. D., Antioch University, 2022, Antioch Santa Barbara: Clinical Psychology

Latin American countries tended to access mental health treatment at lower rates than their non-immigrant counterparts. There appeared to be limited to no studies that focused on male Mexican immigrants. Most studies focused on mental health treatment engagement and barriers that fell under the proxy variable of the Latino culture. This could aid in researchers failing to understand specific Mexican-cultural aspects in their research. Therefore, this qualitative descriptive study aimed to describe the experiences of male Mexican immigrants who had immigrated to the United States and explore barriers to treatment engagement they encountered to experiencing depression. Being guided by cultural identity theory, this study collected data from six participants via semi-structured interviews, where male Mexican immigrants described their perceptions and experiences on treatment engagement and any identified barriers when experiencing depression. Four themes emerged from the dataset that included: (a) Mexican culture shapes experiences of depression, (b) depression is experienced as restrictive to daily life, (c) culture is a significant barrier to treatment engagement, and (d) family and faith assist in overcoming treatment barriers toward engagement. The results of this study highlight the importance of clinicians to examine cultural aspects of depression in their Mexican patients. Clinicians need to understand the role that family and faith play in depression and how culture can shape treatment engagement and the success of managing symptoms. This can assist them in building appropriate treatment plans that align with their culture versus that of mainstream society. Additionally, language alone is not the only alignment many treatment providers can offer. Aligning practices with the culture strengthens treatment plans by concentrating on the client's combined lifestyle, culture, and experiences. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA, https://aura/antioch (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Salvador Trevino Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Agnes Regeczkey Ph.D. (Committee Member); Michael Seabaugh Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Clinical Psychology; Psychology; Psychotherapy

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2020, Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services: Educational Studies

This dissertation has three papers which center around a critical socio-ecological stance on literacy acquisition as a tool to access social capital. The three papers focus on underserved populations and employ a more participatory approach towards research methodologies. The first paper, using a storytelling approach, focuses on how a Ukrainian orphan acquired first language literacy, and subsequently second language literacy which, against considerable odds, enabled her to pursue higher education in the United States. The second paper continues to focus on literacy as a tool to social capital, examining how disadvantaged populations with lower first and second language literacies may have difficulty accessing appropriate health care and/or avoiding potentially harmful overtreatment. The final paper, employing action research, examines how Latinos in the US may face substantial obstacles in acquiring English as a Second Language; English is often a tool to access social capital, but social capital is often needed to access English classes—thus, the paper looks at a local program's attempts to make cumulative improvements to enhance learner access and retention. Altogether, the papers reflect my own attempts as an educator to reach underserved populations with literacy and promote more access and equality in the spheres where I work.

Committee: Holly Johnson Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Mary Benedetti Ed.D. (Committee Member); Susan Watts-Taffe Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Education

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2020, Social Welfare

The present study uses in-depth interviews conducted with licensed mental health clinicians (N = 10) with experience serving Latino clients in Cleveland, Ohio. Utilizing a constructivist grounded theory approach, the study explores the views held by participants about the acculturation process, their sources of acculturation knowledge, how acculturation knowledge informs their approach to practice, and how this knowledge is incorporated throughout the helping process. Findings from the study suggest that clinicians' understanding of the concept of acculturation and how it transpires was consistent with the extant literature despite the fact that this knowledge is largely drawn from personal experience with acculturation as well as from clinical practice with acculturating individuals. Clinicians recognized the following clinician attributes as useful in their work with Latino clients: flexibility (eclectic approach), being Latino and bilingual, being directive, understanding that Latino clients at times see the therapist as expert, and being comfortable with a closer interpersonal space (“being called family”). During the assessment phase, several psychosocial variables were identified as mitigating factors that could help or hinder mental health outcomes, such as whether the individual migrated voluntarily or not; whether they have sources of family/social support in the United States; and their views of the help-seeking process. Clinicians did not endorse specific treatment approaches but emphasized the importance of delivering mental health interventions keeping Latino values in mind, tailoring some strategies to Latino culture, using present-focused and behaviorally-oriented interventions, and allowing time for clients to tell their stories. The study corroborates the central role of acculturation in the lives of Latinos in the United States and that this group of clinicians was attuned to the mental health challenges posed by acculturation. It also illu (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: David Hussey (Committee Co-Chair); Anna Maria Santiago (Committee Co-Chair); Elizabeth Tracy (Committee Member); Susan Painter (Committee Member) Subjects: Social Work

Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Education, Cleveland State University, 2019, College of Education and Human Services

There is ample evidence of a leaky teaching pipeline, from attending high school, college, and teacher preparation programs to teaching in urban schools, which puts forth barriers for the success of the Hispanic population in a systemic way (Epstein, 2005; Irizarry & Donaldson, 2012; Sleeter, 2017; Tellez, 1999). This qualitative study, analyzed through a lens of Latino Critical Race Theory and Latina Feminism, focused on gathering information about urban Midwestern Latina teachers' journeys through the pipeline and suggestions to clear the path for future Latina teachers based on testimonios obtained in interviews and a focus group. The inclusion of the experiences in the workplace and the collection of data in a Midwestern city adds to the research, which has focused mostly experiences of Hispanics living in the southwest. Ten educators participated in this study. Findings confirmed earlier research, particularly language, financial, and cultural barriers with added feelings of isolation and gender-based restrictions. Changes in K-16 and community building are suggested as ways to clear the path for prospective Latina teachers.

Committee: Brian Harper (Committee Chair); Joanne Goodell (Committee Member); Anne Galletta (Committee Member); Antonio Medina-Rivera (Committee Member) Subjects: Bilingual Education; Education; English As A Second Language; Hispanic Americans; Teacher Education

Psy. D., Antioch University, 2019, Antioch Santa Barbara: Clinical Psychology

This qualitative research design focused on the various treatment dimensions of Curanderismo and explored it as a possible compliment with traditional Western psychotherapy. The principal investigator gathered information about the treatment provided in Curanderismo and gained a deeper understanding of participant's lived experiences during such healings. This study also aimed to understand how individuals made the choice to seek treatment with a curandero/a, as well as if a deeper understanding of such treatment could help the mental health field be better informed care providers to the Latino/a community. Phenomenological research methodology was used in efforts to grasp how the participants, as individuals, experienced Mexican Curanderismo. Through a semi-structured life world interview, data was collected from eight participants: four Curanderos and four non-Curanderos, both sets represented by two males and two females. The central research questions were as followed: 1) How do curandero/as and clients of curandero/as describe Curanderismo? 2) What is the lived experience of curandero/as when they are providing treatment to a client? 3) What is the lived experience of a Latino/a being treated by an American trained clinical psychologist? 4) What are the traditional assessment and treatment protocols of Curanderismo? 5) What are the positive and negative perceived societal views of Curanderismo? 6) How can Curanderismo be integrated in Western mental health to better serve Latino/as? Twelve themes were the foremost emergent themes throughout this research study as it encompassed much of the combined lived experiences of the eight research participants. The themes that emerged were as follows: 1) La Terminologia [The Terminology]; 2) El Don [The Gift]; 3) Auto-Cuidado [Self-Care]; 4) Los Guias [The Guides]; 5) Puro Cerebro [Pure Cerebral]; 6) La Farmacologia [The Pharmacology]; 7) Pura Magia [Pure Magic]; 8) La Conexion [The Connection]; 9) Es Brujeria [It's Witc (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Brett Kia-Keating EdD (Advisor); George Bermudez PhD, PsyD (Committee Member); David Hoskins PsyD (Committee Member) Subjects: Hispanic American Studies; Psychology; Psychotherapy

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2018, Psychology/Clinical

HIV/AIDS continues to be a problematic disease that affects all ethnic groups. Latinos are likely to experience challenges associated with poor quality of life, HIV stigma, language, and cultural barriers. Latinos are also at risk of experiencing multi-layered stigma. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) has been associated with improved health outcomes among diverse medical and psychiatric populations, including HIV. However, the potential benefits of a mindfulness based intervention have not been explored among Latinos with HIV. The primary goal of this study was to develop and empirically evaluate a brief ACT protocol tailored to HIV-positive Latino individuals living on the U.S./Mexico border with the goal of improving quality of life and reducing HIV stigma. Two separate sets of data are presented. Study 1 evaluated cross-sectional data on measures of acceptance, cognitive fusion, quality of life, viral load, and language among HIV-positive Latinos. Study 2 evaluated the feasibility of a one-day, three-hour ACT group to improve quality of life and reduce HIV stigma. There were three primary hypotheses for this study: a) acceptance would be positively associated with quality of life and lower HIV stigma and viral load; b) cognitive defusion would be positively associated with quality of life and lower reports of HIV stigma and viral load; and c) participants in the ACT group would report improved quality of life and reduced HIV stigma at posttreatment and follow-up assessments compared to pretreatment assessment and to participants attending an HIV education group. Correlational and regression analyses were conducted to evaluate associations among all study variables. Repeated measures ANOVA, nonparametric analyses, and single-subject analyses were conducted to evaluate treatment outcome data. Results were mixed and provide only partial support for study hypotheses. The ACT intervention was not helpful in reducing reports of HIV stigma or improving quality (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: William O'Brien Dr. (Committee Chair); Eric Dubow Dr. (Committee Member); Howard Cromwell Dr. (Committee Member); George Bullerjahn Dr. (Other) Subjects: Clinical Psychology; Health; Psychology

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2017, Arts and Sciences: History

“From Conformity to Protest” examines the visual representations of Latinos in American popular culture—specifically in film, television, and advertising—from the 1930s through the early 1980s. It follows the changing portrayals of Latinos in popular culture and how they reflected the larger societal phenomena of conformity, the battle for civil rights and inclusion, and the debate over identity politics and cultural authenticity. It also explores how these images affected Latinos' sense of identity, particularly racial and ethnic identities, and their sense of belonging in American society. This dissertation traces the evolution of Latinos in popular culture through the various cultural anxieties in the United States in the middle half of the twentieth century, including immigration, citizenship, and civil rights. Those tensions profoundly transformed the politics and social dynamics of American society and affected how Americans thought of and reacted to Latinos and how Latinos thought of themselves. This work begins in the 1930s when Latin Americans largely accepted portrayals of themselves as cultural stereotypes, but longed for inclusion as “white” Americans. The narrative of conformity continues through the 1950s as the middle chapters thematically and chronologically examine how mainstream cultural producers portrayed different Latino groups—including Chicanos (or Mexican Americans), Puerto Ricans, and Cubans. Popular culture portrayed Cubans, as exemplified by Ricky Ricardo on the television show I Love Lucy, as foreign, but able to easily assimilate because of class and race into mainstream, meaning “Anglo,” society. Puerto Ricans and Mexican Americans, however, fared worse as gang members and “illegals” and not acceptable participants in American society. These chapters also explore how Latinos reacted to those portrayals, which ranged from ambivalence, acceptance, disturbance, and, later, rage. As the U.S. moved to an era of seemingly greater equality a (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Stephen Porter Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Isaac Campos-Costero Ph.D. (Committee Member); Lilia Fernández Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: American History

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2017, American Culture Studies

This study examines the community-based political work of the pionero generation of Puerto Rican migrants to New York City from their collective naturalization under the Jones Act in 1917 to 1948, when political changes on the island changed migration flows to North America. Through discourse analysis of media narratives in black, white mainstream, and Spanish-language newspapers, as well as an examination of histories of Puerto Rican and allied activism in Harlem, I analyze how Puerto Ricans of this era utilized and articulated their own citizenship- both as a formal legal status and as a broader sense of belonging. By viewing this political work through the perspectives of a range of Harlem political actors, I offer new insights as to how the overlapping and interconnected multicultural communities in Harlem contributed to New York's status (in the words of historian Juan Flores) as a "diaspora city." I argue that as Puerto Ricans came to constitute a greater social force in the city, dominant narratives within their discursive and political work shifted from a search for recognition by the rest of society to a demand for empowerment from the bottom up and emanating from the Puerto Rican community outward, leading to a diasporic consciousness which encompassed both the quotidian problems of life in the diaspora and the political and economic issues of the island. A localized process of community-building bound diaspora Puerto Ricans more closely together and re-constituted internal social connections, supported an analysis of social problems shared with other Latinx people and African Americans, and utilized ideological solidarities to encourage coalitional politics as a means for mutual empowerment. In drawing Puerto Ricans into a broad and rich history of Harlem, I consider the insights of a range of neighborhood individuals and groups, including African American and West Indian (im)migrants, allied white populations such as progressive Italians and pacif (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Susana Peña Dr. (Advisor); Lara Lengel Dr. (Other); Vibha Bhalla Dr. (Committee Member); Nicole Jackson Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: African American Studies; African Americans; American History; American Studies; Black History; Black Studies; Ethnic Studies; Hispanic American Studies; Hispanic Americans; History; Latin American History; Minority and Ethnic Groups; Sociology

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2016, Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services: Educational Studies

Social support is well documented in the literature to have beneficial effects upon health outcomes. However, less is known about the mechanisms linking social support to health status. In this paper health locus of control (HLC) beliefs were analyzed to determine if this construct mediates the relationships between social support and physical and mental health outcomes. Using a large sample size (n=630), a structural equation modeling (SEM) technique was employed to analyze the relationships. In particular, these associations were examined to determine if unique circumstances exist for Midwestern Latinos, a group with a rapidly increasing population, known to experience health disparities. The cross-sectional study design did not permit confirmation of causality, but the strength of the model, based on fit statistics, gives strong support to the findings. Study results demonstrated positive, direct effects of both social support and internal HLC upon both physical and mental health outcomes. Internal HLC was also found to be a significant partial mediator for the effect of social support upon health outcomes. External HLC was not significantly associated with the other constructs in the study. Statistically, the SEM model results for Latinos and non-Latinos were similar, yet some small variations surfaced suggesting there may be important differences. Supplementary analyses further indicated that distinctions may exist between the two groups. Effect sizes were higher for non-Latinos suggesting there may be room for improving health outcomes for Latinos. Despite overall comparable relationship patterns, closer examination of the constructs with supplemental analyses, revealed differential effects for the separate construct dimensions. For example, the impact of significant other upon mental health outcomes was noticeably less for the Latino group in comparison to the non-Latino group, indicating further examination of these constructs is warranted. Findings from the (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Lisa Vaughn Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Melinda Butsch-Kovacic Ph.D. M.P.H. (Committee Member); Farrah Jacquez Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Health Education

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2016, Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services: Criminal Justice

This individual-level study draws from Elijah Anderson's (1999) Code of the Street theory to examine racial/ethnic differences in levels of code-related attitudes and criminal offending with special attention to Latinos. The code of the street is a normative system of values that emphasizes the use of violence to achieve respect among peers and avoid moral self-sanctions. Using a racially/ethnically diverse sample of serious adolescent offenders from two large U.S. cities and controlling for socio-demographic and risk factors, this study tests whether code-related attitudes are a mediating mechanism linking race/ethnicity and criminal offending. Net of a series of socio-demographic and risk factors, results obtained from path mediation models showed negative direct and total effects of Black non-Latino status on aggressive offending, and negative direct and total effects of Latino status on aggressive and income offending, relative to non-Latino Whites. More importantly, there is evidence of at least one mediation effect of race/ethnicity on criminal offending. Specifically, path mediation models revealed a positive indirect effect of Latino status on aggressive offending. That is, net of statistical controls, differences on aggressive offending among Latinos compared to non-Latino Whites operated indirectly through the adoption of code-related attitudes. Whereas the hypothesized mediation effect of code-related attitudes on aggressive offending was confirmed for Latinos, there is no support for the mediation effect of Black non-Latino status on aggressive and income offending through the adoption of code-related attitudes, nor for the effect of Latino status on income offending through the adoption of code-related attitudes. These results confirm and extend Anderson's theory to describe adherence to street codes among serious adolescent offenders, and among other racial/ethnic minorities such as Latinos. Based on these findings, theoretical and policy implicatio (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Christopher Sullivan Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Anthony Peguero Ph.D. (Committee Member); Ben Feldmeyer Ph.D. (Committee Member); Pamela Wilcox Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Criminology

Bachelor of Arts, Wittenberg University, 2015, Sociology

Although immigrating typically to improve their living situation and despite the boast of the American dream, Latino immigrants often experience various difficulties following their adjustment into the American culture. This research, completed through interviews with Latino immigrants, is aimed at determining the various barriers these individuals face in regards to accessing American health care and is applied to the theoretical work of Pierre Bourdieu, specifically to his ideas in reference to capital and habitus. The respondents remarked various experiences in the United States in correlation to different levels of discrimination, concluding that safety net services and American perceptions of Latinos can impede their access to quality health care; a pressing concern Americans should have for our Latino neighbors.

Committee: Nona Moskowitz Dr. (Advisor); Keith Doubt Dr. (Committee Member); Ruth Hoff Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Sociology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2015, Spanish and Portuguese

The heroic narratives appearing in U.S. popular culture have been traditionally dominated by Anglo characters, with limited spaces for the representation of ethnic minorities. When they do appear in these narratives, ethnic minorities typically occupy the roles of subservient sidekicks or stereotyped villains—whose main functions, respectively, are to aid the Anglo hero in his pursuits and to serve as cannon fodder in order to highlight his superiority. While few in number, the presence of ethnic minority heroes in popular culture narratives becomes important for examining and understanding the limitations and possibilities of positive portrayals by and about members of historically marginalized communities in the United States. Inventing the Latino/a Hero explores the historical representation of U.S. Latino/a heroic figures and heroism discourses in film, television, and comics. This study concentrates on hero narratives that directly explore, interrogate, or wrestled with the issue of legality, which is central to the construction of Latino/a heroes and their narratives' relationship with ideology and power relations. In this regard, I contend that Latino/a heroes either challenge the dominant, often oppressive system of U.S. law as they seek justice for their communities outside the legal apparatus; or operate as normative heroes who uphold and defend the U.S. legal establishment, obtaining their heroic status from such nationalist endeavors. The nature of the hero's relationship with legality has a profound impact on the way the hero is constructed and the type of ideology supported by the narrative. As a framework for studying these texts, I employ theoretical and analytical tools from narratology and social semiotics that address the way heroic narratives engage with ideology through their plots, character construction, and imagery. Using these tools, I show that Latino/a heroes tend to be represented along a spectrum from resistance to Anglo dominatio (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Ignacio Corona (Advisor); Frederick Aldama (Committee Member); Guisela Latorre (Committee Member); Laura Podalsky (Committee Member) Subjects: American History; American Studies; Ethnic Studies; Hispanic American Studies; Hispanic Americans; Latin American Studies; Mass Media

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, 2015, Psychology - Clinical

Previous research findings have shown that suicide rates have significantly increased within the past few years in Mexico. However, there is a limited amount of evidence available regarding suicidal behaviors in Mexico. The main purpose of the present study is to (1) identify who is at risk of experiencing suicidal ideation, (2) examine the generalizability of the model proposed by the interpersonal theory of suicide to other cultures, and (3) examine the relationship between depression, hopelessness, interpersonal needs, and the acquired capability to die regarding suicidal behaviors, as dictated by the interpersonal theory of suicide in an inpatient adult sample in Mexico. A total of 199 adults receiving inpatient treatment for substance use participated in the present study. The participants completed a survey packet of self-report questionnaires in a paper-pencil format. The survey included the Personal Resources Questionnaire (PRQ-85; Weinert, 1987), the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS; Beck et al., 1974), the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II; Beck, Steer & Brown, 1996), the Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire (INQ; Van Orden et al., 2008), the Acquired Capacity for Suicide Scale (ACSS; Van Orden et. al., 2008), and the Suicide Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R; Osman et al., 2001). The findings showed that depression, hopelessness, thwarted belongingness, and perceived burdensomeness had a significant association with suicidal behaviors. On the other hand, social support had a significant negative association with suicidal behaviors. Additionally, the acquired capacity to die was not associated with suicidal behaviors. Two hierarchical regressions were conducted to further examine these relationships. The results revealed that the interaction between the interpersonal needs did not predict suicidal ideation. However, the main effects for depression were significant predictors of suicidal ideation. In the second set of analyses, the interaction between perc (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Joseph D. Hovey (Committee Chair); Jason C. Levine (Committee Member); Rebecca Lusk (Committee Member); Jon D. Elhai (Committee Member); Jason P. Rose (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2015, Social Welfare

Guided by the Behavioral Model of Health Service Utilization, this study examined predisposing, enabling, and need factors affecting the use of mental health services, the number of visits to mental health service providers and dropouts from mental health services among Latinos and Asians residing in the United States. This is a secondary analysis utilizing data from the National Latino and Asian American Study. Seven hundred eighty-eight Latinos and 392 Asians with mental illness were included in this study. Logistic regression and OLS Multiple regression analyses were conducted. Results indicate that being younger, having health insurance, having self-perceived need for mental health services, having mental health service need perceived by others, and a greater number of probable psychiatric disorders were associated with the use of mental health services among Latinos with mental illness. Among Asians with mental illness, being younger and having self-perceived need for mental health services were related to the use of mental health services. Among both Latino and Asian mental health service users, having self-perceived need for mental health services was related to a greater number of visits to service providers in a 12 month period. Among Latino mental health service users, being younger, not having health insurance, and having a lower level of family cohesion were associated with dropouts from mental health services. Among Asian mental health service users, being younger, having better English proficiency, and a greater number of probable psychiatric disorders were related to dropouts from mental health services. The findings suggest that education is needed to help Latinos and Asians recognize the need for mental health services. In addition, policies are needed to make insurance available for Latinos and to help uninsured Latinos access mental health services.

Committee: David Biegel (Committee Chair); Meeyoung Oh Min (Committee Member); Martha Sajatovic (Committee Member); Mark Singer (Committee Member) Subjects: Social Work

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2009, Education : Health Promotion and Education

The purpose of this research study was to determine the sources of health information and the health literacy levels of Latinos in the tri-state area and to determine possible relationships with acculturation levels, country of familial origin, or other demographical characteristics. Variables were observed through focus groups and person-to-person orally-administered surveys with a convenience sample of Latino adults (N = 214) living in a large, metropolitan area (tri-state are") in the Midwest region of the United States. The results of this study may facilitate the ability of health educators and other health professionals to understand preferences and abilities of the Latino community and contribute to their ability to deliver culturally competent communication and health education messages. The 14 hypotheses that the researcher investigated were to see if the sample population's sources of health information varied with their respective health literacy levels (in English and/or Spanish), acculturation, and/or other demographic variables such as country/region of familial origin, length of residence in the U.S., education level, age, or gender. Because the variables mentioned above did not meet the assumption of normality distribution, non-parametric statistical analyses were performed to determine if any statistically significant relationships existed. The results of the analyses showed statistical significance for all of the relationships studied, such that all of the 14 null hypotheses were rejected. Regarding the main source of health information for all of the surveyed participants, almost half chose a medical source as their main source for health information. Two-thirds of the participants that took the S-TOFHLA in Spanish had adequate functional health literacy in Spanish. A little more than three quarters of the participants read at or below the 7th -8th grade level in English as measured by REALM-SF, and less than a quarter at the >=9th grade level in (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Liliana Guyler PhD (Committee Chair); Lisa Vaughn PhD (Committee Member); Judy Murnan PhD, MPH (Committee Member); Keith King PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Health Education

MCP, University of Cincinnati, 2005, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning : Community Planning

The title of the thesis “Unveiling the Picture of the New Neighbors: Integration Issues for Latino Immigrants in Hamilton, Ohio” encapsulates its essence. It is a search for understanding the characteristics and impacts of the so-called “new wave” of Latino immigrants in the United States. The change from the new wave to the new neighbors is an attempt to analyze the new patterns of Latino immigration at the local level. This study analyzes how the city of Hamilton, Ohio, has been coping with the large and rapid increase of Latino immigrants and how Latinos are adapting to the city based on the level of accessibility of basic services provided by governmental institutions, banks, health services, schools and faith-based institutions and their role in integrating immigrants. The contact zone theory was chosen among other theories to test the hypothesis that the level of integration can be measure by the accessibility of the city's public services based on language barrier. The use immigrants make of social services and the interaction with “outsiders” thus become the major indicators of the extent of the integration of the Latino population in U.S. society. Contact Zone departs radically from other theories such as Assimilation theory. Model of assimilation which assumes that ethnic groups were first culturally incorporated, they adopted American mores and only then were “structurally incorporated” into the mainstream of American economic and political life. The census was utilized as a base for the demographic data, to supplement and verify the data from the census, qualitative data sources were utilized. These data consist of 13 community leader interviews and two focus groups. Analyzed through the contact zone theory, the thesis shows that the Latino population in Hamilton has not been integrated into the local society. In 2004, some institutions have made a stronger effort to reach the Latino community, but Latinos in Hamilton are not directly using the local soc (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Dr. Johanna Looye (Advisor) Subjects:

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2008, Public Health

Objective: To examine 4-year incidence of diabetic retinopathy (DR) and to assess relationships between both biologic indicators and barriers to care on the development of DR. Methods: The Los Angeles Latino Eye Study (LALES) is a population-based study of primarily Mexican-Americans. Participants were considered at risk for DR if both diabetes was present and they were free of DR at baseline. Definite diabetes was defined as either having 1) a self-reported history and treatment of diabetes, or 2) levels of hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c), or 3) random blood glucose of at least 7.0% and 200 mg/100 mL. All participants underwent a standardized ophthalmic examination. DR was detected by grading of stereoscopic fundus photographs using the modified Airlie House classification scheme. Biologic risk factors, such as HbA1c, random blood glucose, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, were assessed to determine its relationship with incidence of DR. Measures impacting barriers to health care, such as insurance status, were also evaluated to determine its relationship to development of DR. Trend tests were done to assess differences in incidence when stratifying by age and duration of diabetes (defined at baseline). Risk variables were analyzed using logistic regression. Results: Of the 893 participants with diabetes who were seen at follow-up, 745 had gradable photographs. Of those, only 412 were free of retinopathy at baseline and were considered to be at-risk for DR at follow-up. The four-year cumulative incidence of DR was 27.9% (115/412). Significant increases in incidence were seen across both increasing age (p=0.04) and increasing duration of diabetes (p<0.001) strata. Biologic risk factors shown to increase risk of DR were smaller waist-hip ratio (OR: 1.4; 95% CI: 0.8, 2.6), longer duration of diabetes (OR: 2.5 to 8.3 for 1-4 years to 15+ years, respectively), higher HbA1c (OR: 1.5; 95% CI: 1.3, 1.7), and an increase in HbA1c level from baseline to follow-up (OR: 2.3; 95% C (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: John Wilkins PhD (Committee Chair); Judith Schwartzbaum PhD (Committee Member); Randi Love PhD (Committee Member); Stanley Azen PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Epidemiology; Ophthalmology; Public Health