MedWorm.com provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest items from the 'American Journal of Community Psychology' source. Sun, 21 Mar 2010 16:10:14 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3384066&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20300821%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, higher ratings of the ASP's emphasis on ethnic socialization were associated with a more developed ethnic identity, while greater intensity of ASP participation and perceptions of ASP quality were associated with higher levels of self-worth. Study 2 examined relations between ASP participation and development of concentration and emotion regulation skills in rural Latino grade-school youth. In this study, youth who regularly attended the ASP demonstrated significantly better concentration and regulation skills than those who did not regularly attend, if they exhibited preexisting concentration and regulation problems. Findings illustrate how ASPs with varying strategies, activities, and assessment tools can be evaluated in the interest of designing future large-scale investi... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3384066 Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3384066 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3384065&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20300822%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Yohalem N, Wilson-Ahlstrom A Over the past decade, structured programming for children and youth during the non-school hours has expanded exponentially. A confluence of recent research studies and program evaluations backs the publicly perceived notion that after-school programs can positively influence important developmental and learning outcomes. The rapid expansion of the field and the potential of programs to contribute to child and youth development have made defining what high quality programs look like and learning how to improve program quality key challenges facing the field. This paper describes what is known about the relation between youth program quality and youth developmental outcomes, summarizes different quality assessment tools being used in the field, and d... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3384065 Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3384065 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3384064&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20300823%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Hirsch BJ, Mekinda MA, Stawicki J A central theme of the articles featured in this issue is the need to improve the quality of after-school programs. In this commentary, we discuss why student engagement, program characteristics and implementation, staff training, and citywide policy are key considerations in the effort to define and achieve high quality programs for youth. PMID: 20300823 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: American Journal of Community Psychology) American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3384064 Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3384064 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3384063&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20300824%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Larson RW, Walker KC To create and sustain high quality youth development programs it is important to understand the challenging situations and dilemmas that emerge in program leaders' daily work with youth. In this research the experiences of leaders in 12 programs were followed over a 2-9 month period, which led to the identification of 250 dilemma situations. Qualitative analyses identified 5 categories and 12 subcategories of dilemmas that reflected distinct types of considerations (e.g., youth's personalities, relationships with the community). The analyses also found that the experienced leaders in the study typically responded to these dilemmas in ways that were youth-centered and that balanced multiple considerations. It is argued that researchers need to go beyond ide... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3384063 Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3384063 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3384062&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20300825%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Durlak JA, Weissberg RP, Pachan M A meta-analysis of after-school programs that seek to enhance the personal and social skills of children and adolescents indicated that, compared to controls, participants demonstrated significant increases in their self-perceptions and bonding to school, positive social behaviors, school grades and levels of academic achievement, and significant reductions in problem behaviors. The presence of four recommended practices associated with previously effective skill training (SAFE: sequenced, active, focused, and explicit) moderated several program outcomes. One important implication of current findings is that ASPs should contain components to foster the personal and social skills of youth because youth can benefit in multiple ways if these comp... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3384062 Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3384062 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3384067&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20238158%26dopt%3DAbstract This article draws on the work in this volume and related studies to suggest that there is an emerging consensus on the importance of staff-youth interactions as a determinant of program effectiveness. The commentary recommends that future research should continue to focus on understanding and improving program practices at the point-of-service. In doing so, two lines of inquiry seem promising. The first involves linking measures of changes in staff-youth interactions to changes in developmental outcomes. The second is to examine how policies or other interventions intended to improve program effectiveness affect the practices of line staff. PMID: 20238158 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: American Journal of Community Psychology) American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3384067 Thu, 18 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3384067 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3378385&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20232243%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Shernoff DJ Using the experience sampling method, this study examined two questions related to outcomes associated with after-school programming. First, does the quality of experience in after-school programs mediate the effect of program participation on social competence and academic performance? Second, among program participants, is the difference in quality of experience when in programs versus other settings after school related to higher social competence and academic performance? Middle school students (N = 196) attending eight programs in three Midwestern states reported a total of 4,970 randomly sampled experiences in and out of after-school programs during 1 week in the fall and spring of the 2001-2002 academic year. Engagement during after-school hours partially me... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3378385 Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3378385 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3378384&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20232244%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Dworski-Riggs D, Langhout RD Community psychologists are increasingly using Participatory Action Research (PAR) as a way to promote social justice by creating conditions that foster empowerment. Yet, little attention has been paid to the differences between the power structure that PAR advocates and the local community power structures. This paper seeks to evaluate the level of participation in a PAR project for multiple stakeholder groups, determine how PAR was adjusted to better fit community norms, and whether our research team was able to facilitate the emergence of PAR by adopting an approach that was relevant to the existing power relations. We conclude that power differences should not be seen as roadblocks to participation, but rather as moments of opportunity for the ... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3378384 Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3378384 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3378374&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20232245%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Culley MR, Angelique H Community narratives are increasingly important as people move towards an ecologically sustainable society. Global climate change is a multi-faceted problem with multiple stakeholders. The voices of affected communities must be heard as we make decisions of global significance. We document the narratives of long-term anti-nuclear activists near the Three Mile Island (TMI) nuclear power plant who speak out in the dawn of a nuclear renaissance/relapse. While nuclear power is marketed as a "green" solution to global warming, their narratives reveal three areas for consideration; (1) significant problems with nuclear technology, (2) lessons "not" learned from the TMI disaster, and (3) hopes for a sustainable future. Nuclear waste, untrustworthy officials and... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3378374 Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3378374 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3378373&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20232246%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Cattaneo LB Using a national dataset of 820 women who had called the police for an incident of intimate partner violence, this study explored the relationship between several components of socioeconomic status (education, income, and employment), race, and the nature of interactions with police. Over and above the effects of control variables (the presence of an advocate on the scene, the severity of violence in the relationship, and prior calls to police), victims with higher education reported less positive interactions, less control during the interactions, and lower effectiveness of police. Race did not moderate these relationships, and the other components of socioeconomic status were not significantly related to any of the outcomes. Exploratory tests of mediation found t... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3378373 Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3378373 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3378387&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20229225%26dopt%3DAbstract This study examines the state of sense of community, neighboring behavior, and social capital in the People's Republic of China, and explores their ability to predict local political participation, in the form of voting in elections for Urban Resident/Rural Villager Committees. Using a nationally representative survey, rural, older and married residents and those with a primary or high school education and higher perceived socio-economic status are more likely to participate. In rural areas, men are more likely than women to vote. For urban residents, knowing one's neighbors is more important whereas in rural areas, neighboring behavior is more important, but both predict voting. Social capital does not generally predict Chinese people's local political participation. Western definitions o... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3378387 Sun, 14 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3378387 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3378386&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20229226%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Cross AB, Gottfredson DC, Wilson DM, Rorie M, Connell N Data collected during an evaluation of a multi-site trial of an enhanced after-school program were used to relate quality of program implementation to student experiences after school. The enhanced after-school program incorporated a drug use and violence prevention component that was shown to be effective in previous research. Building on Durlak and Dupre's (Am J Community Psychol 41:327-350, 2008) dimensions of implementation, we assessed the level of dosage, quality of management and climate, participant responsiveness, and staffing quality achieved at the five program sites. We evaluated how these characteristics co-varied with self-reported positive experiences after-school. The study illustrates how multiple dimensi... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3378386 Sun, 14 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3378386 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3223620&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20112060%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Mankowski ES, Maton KI This paper introduces the special section by presenting a historical and conceptual review of theory and research on the psychology of men and masculinity and then introducing the section's papers. Men have power because of their gender, but differ in access to power based on other individual characteristics such as social class, income, education, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or physical strength. Men typically have been studied as generic rather than gendered beings in psychology. In contrast, a gendered analysis of men highlights the ways in which men's experience, masculinity, and behavior contribute to health and social problems and to resources commonly addressed by community psychologists. Our gendered analysis suggests ways of working with men ... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3223620 Fri, 29 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3223620 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3198701&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20094769%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Jenkins RA The roles for community psychologists have changed over the past several decades. These changes have implications for training, traditional academic roles, and the capacity of the field to maintain its integrity and further development. Changes in the scope of community psychology as a field as well as the roles of community psychologists are described with consideration of how they may affect participation in the field, retention of membership in SCRA, and potential directions for training. PMID: 20094769 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: American Journal of Community Psychology) American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3198701 Fri, 22 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3198701 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3198700&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20094770%26dopt%3DAbstract This study is an examination of The ManKind Project International (MKPI), a community-based organization that provides alternative male gender norms and a community support system to help reinforce them. The MKPI runs an intensive, experiential "Training Adventure Weekend" (TAW), followed by voluntary, on-going peer-led support and integration groups (I-Groups). One hundred men completed a pre-TAW questionnaire, an interview, and a long-term follow-up (>18 mo.) questionnaire. The study examined if there was change on the primary study variables at follow-up, and the relationship of background characteristics (age, self-help group experience) and factors related to participation (MKPI beliefs, social support, I-Group participation) to the criterion variables (depression symptoms, gender ... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3198700 Fri, 22 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3198700 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3191829&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20087761%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Ball J This qualitative study, part of a Canadian national study of fathers' involvement, opened up First Nations and Métis fathering as a new area of inquiry. Conversational interviews with 80 Indigenous fathers illuminated the socio-historical conditions that have shaped Indigenous men's experiences of learning to be a father and becoming a man in the context of changing gender relationships and the regeneration of circles of care. Indigenous fathers' experiences unfold in a socio-historical context fraught with difficulties. However, the study findings suggest cultural strengths and sources of resilience unseen in research and community programs driven by Euro-western perspectives. This research can inform efforts to reduce systemic barriers and reconstitute positive f... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3191829 Wed, 20 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3191829 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3191828&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20087762%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Catlett BS, Toews ML, Walilko V The purpose of this study was to explore the meaning men make of their violence toward intimate partners and to examine if and how these meanings and constructions of violence predicted who drops out of batterer treatment prior to program completion. We used both qualitative and quantitative data collected from 154 men court-mandated to participate in a batterer intervention program. The qualitative findings indicated that the men in this sample minimized and denied responsibility for the violence they used towards their intimate partners while simultaneously rationalizing and justifying their violent behavior. Such findings provide insight into how denial and minimization and, more broadly, men's constructions of masculinity might predict their... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3191828 Wed, 20 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3191828 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3191827&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20087763%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Watts RJ This commentary reviews and integrates several themes described in this special issue on men. Social forces of the past and present such as colonialism and hegemonic masculinity are noted as a continuing influence on men's social roles, as are the social-justice movements that contribute to the liberation of women and sexual minorities. The early sections of the commentary examine the studies in the context of these forces and movements, emphasizing how men both resist and accept traditional masculinities. In the latter sections the commentary turns to the research process -first with a discussion of the structural and constructionist themes in the studies, followed by the issue of how men are classified (implicitly or otherwise) as either agents or targets of oppress... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3191827 Wed, 20 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3191827 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3185755&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20082213%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: PMID: 20082213 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: American Journal of Community Psychology) American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3185755 Sat, 16 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3185755 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3185754&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20082238%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Wilson BD, Harper GW, Hidalgo MA, Jamil OB, Torres RS, Isabel Fernandez M, In the context of a U.S. dominant masculinity ideology, which devalues men who are not heterosexually identified, many gay, bisexual and questioning (GBQ) adolescent males must develop their own affirming and health-promoting sense of masculinity. In order to promote the well-being of GBQ young men, exploration of their reactions and responses to dominant images of masculinity is needed. We qualitatively analyzed interviews with 39 GBQ African American, Latino, and European American male adolescents (15-23 years old). Participants reported a range of responses to traditional masculinity ideologies, most of which centered on balancing presentations of masculine and feminine characteristics. Negotiation ... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3185754 Sat, 16 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3185754 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3185753&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20082239%26dopt%3DAbstract This study evaluated the effectiveness of a theoretically based, culturally specific family intervention designed to prevent youth risky behaviors by influencing the parenting attitudes and behaviors of nonresident African American fathers and the parent-child interactions, intentions to avoid violence, and aggressive behaviors of their preadolescent sons. A sample of 158 intervention and 129 comparison group families participated. ANCOVA results indicated that the intervention was promising for enhancing parental monitoring, communication about sex, intentions to communicate, race-related socialization practices, and parenting skills satisfaction among fathers. The intervention was also beneficial for sons who reported more monitoring by their fathers, improved communication about sex, an... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3185753 Sat, 16 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3185753 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3180475&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20077132%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Connell CM, Gilreath TD, Aklin WM, Brex RA Patterns of substance use are examined in a sample of over 1,200 youth in a non-metropolitan region of New England. Self-reported history and frequency of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, inhalants, pain medications, and other hard drug use was assessed for 9th and 10th grade students. Latent class analyses identified four patterns of substance use: non-users (22%), alcohol experimenters (38%), occasional polysubstance users (29%), and frequent polysubstance users (10%). Contextual risk and protective factors in the individual, family, peer, and community domains predicted substance use patterns. Youth report of peer substance use had the largest effects on substance use class membership. Other individual characteristics (e.g., gender, an... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3180475 Thu, 14 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3180475 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3180474&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20077133%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Roy KM, Dyson O In this analysis, we explore how low-income African American fathers build understandings of successful manhood in the context of community-based responsible fatherhood programs. Drawing on life history interviews with 75 men in Illinois and Indiana, we explore men's attempts to fulfill normative expectations of fatherhood while living in communities with limited resources. We examine the efforts of community-based fatherhood programs to shape alternative African American masculinities through facilitation of personal turning points and "breaks with the past," use of social support and institutional interventions, and the reframing of provision as a priority of successful fatherhood. We refer to Connell's hegemonic masculinity framework (Connell in Masculinitie... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3180474 Thu, 14 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3180474 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3180473&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20077134%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Hammond WP The current study proposed and tested a conceptual model of medical mistrust in a sample of African American men (N = 216) recruited primarily from barbershops in the Midwest and Southeast regions of the United States. Potential psychosocial correlates were grouped into background factors, masculine role identity/socialization factors, recent healthcare experiences, recent socioenvironmental experiences (e.g., discrimination), and healthcare system outcome expectations (e.g., perceived racism in healthcare). Direct and mediated relationships were assessed. Results from the hierarchical regression analyses suggest that perceived racism in healthcare was the most powerful correlate of medical mistrust even after controlling for other factors. Direct effects were found... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3180473 Thu, 14 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3180473 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3176474&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20069355%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Hodgetts D, Rua M Psychologists have paid scant attention to the positive relationships and community contributions of working class men who are not in trouble, and have focused instead on men who are 'in trouble.' In addressing this oversight, we draw on insights from ethnographic observations, life narrative interviews, photographic techniques and media items, which have been compiled by 12 working class men from a shared community of practice in New Zealand. We illustrate how these men often appropriate aspects from contemporary media deliberations regarding what it means to be a man today in order to make sense of their own lives. The implications of participants' emphasis on friendship, support, familial obligations, and community participation are discussed in relation t... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3176474 Wed, 13 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3176474 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3168092&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20066487%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Wu Q, Xie B, Chou CP, Palmer PH, Gallaher PE, Anderson Johnson C Using data from an ongoing longitudinal study of 5,164 adolescents and their parents from seven cities in mainland China, this study investigated how social capital embedded in the family and the community, together with family human capital and financial capital, influenced the depressive symptoms of urban Chinese adolescents within an integrative framework. The structural equation modeling results suggested that higher community social capital was associated with lower level of adolescent depressive symptoms and was the strongest predictor among all these contextual factors. Family social capital played a significant role in mediating the effects of all other contextual factors on adolescent depressive symptoms... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3168092 Tue, 12 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3168092 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3168091&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20066488%26dopt%3DAbstract This study used data from the Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES) and Census 2000 to assess the underlying factor structure and impact of neighborhood factors on child cognitive and behavioral outcomes, including the critical family and social factors that may mediate and/or moderate these relationships. Factor analyses found five factors described Head Start neighborhoods. After controlling for family and child factors, multilevel analyses found significant direct effects of neighborhood factors on Head Start children's cognitive and behavioral outcomes. There were no mediation effects found for family or social variables between neighborhood factors and child outcomes. A large number of moderation effects were found although there was not a clear pattern to the results... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3168091 Tue, 12 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3168091 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3005178&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19915975%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Finn LD, Bishop BJ, Sparrow N The need for a model that can portray dynamic processes of change in mutual help groups for mental health (MHGMHs) is emphasized. A dynamic process model has the potential to capture a more comprehensive understanding of how MHGMHs may assist their members. An investigation into GROW, a mutual help organization for mental health, employed ethnographic, phenomenological and collaborative research methods. The study examined how GROW impacts on psychological well being. Study outcomes aligned with the social ecological paradigm (Maton in Understanding the self-help organization: frameworks and findings. Sage, Thousand Oaks 1994) indicating multifactorial processes of change at and across three levels of analysis: group level, GROW program/community ... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3005178 Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100 3005178 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3005179&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19911267%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Umemoto K, Baker CK, Helm S, Miao TA, Goebert DA, Hishinuma ES Youth violence is a serious public health problem affecting communities across the United States. The use of a social ecological approach has helped reduce its prevalence. However, those who have put the approach into practice often face challenges to effective implementation. Addressing social ecology in all its complexity presents one obstacle; the ability of private non-profit and public agencies to sustain such comprehensive efforts presents another. Here, we provide an example of our efforts to prevent youth violence. We worked with the Asian/Pacific Islander Youth Violence Prevention Center (APIYVPC) and two communities on O;ahu. We provide a case example from the Asian/Pacific Islander Youth Violence Prevent... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3005179 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100 3005179 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2981966&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19902348%26dopt%3DAbstract This study adopts a network approach to explore the relative importance of dense networks of cooperative relationships among members of interorganizational collaboratives for two outcomes of effectiveness: improving interorganizational coordination and fostering systems change. Based on survey and social network data collected from 48 different collaboratives, findings indicate that, relative to other key characteristics of collaboratives identified in previous literature, cooperative stakeholder relationships were the strongest predictor of systems change outcomes. However, for coordination outcomes, stakeholder relationships were overshadowed in importance by the leadership and decision making capacity of the collaborative. Collectively, findings suggest key differences in the requisite ... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2981966 Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100 2981966 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2959128&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19885728%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: PMID: 19885728 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: American Journal of Community Psychology) American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2959128 Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100 2959128 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2940202&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19862615%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Kloos B, Shah S This paper seeks to advance mental health-housing research regarding which factors of housing and neighborhood environments are critical for adaptive functioning, health, and recovery for persons with serious mental illness (SMI). Housing and neighborhood environments are particularly important for persons with SMI because of the prevalence of poor housing conditions among this population. Most mental health-housing research has been limited by a focus on problems in environments and functioning. The paper seeks to expand the mental health-housing research agenda to consider protective factors that promote community integration and adaptive functioning. We provide an account of how social ecology theory transformed a research program, from examining individual ... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2940202 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100 2940202 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2909241&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19838786%26dopt%3DAbstract This study examines how post-secondary educational attainment among young veterans of the first gulf war affects their mental health status. The all-volunteer military attracts recruits by offering them veterans' educational benefits. Education should help veterans adjust to civilian life. Few studies have shown whether education following military service helps improve veterans' mental health, however. Viewing resiliency, life span and life course, and social geography theories through the lens of social ecology, it is hypothesized that selected contextual factors in the personal, interpersonal, and organizational domains could mediate or moderate the relationship between education and veterans' mental health. Informational social networks showed an association with obtaining mental illne... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2909241 Fri, 16 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2909241 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2909240&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19838787%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Olson B, Jason LA, Davidson M, Ferrari JR The authors examine differential changes in values of tolerance among 150 participants discharged from inpatient treatment centers, and randomly assigned to either a self-help-based, communal living setting (i.e., Oxford House), or usual aftercare. Participants were interviewed every 6 months for a 24-month period. Hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) was used to examine the effect of condition (therapeutic communal living versus usual aftercare) on wave trajectories of tolerance (i.e., universality/diversity scores). Over time, residents of the communal living model demonstrated significantly greater values of tolerance than usual aftercare participants. Communal living participants who resided in the house for over 6 months showed the ... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2909240 Fri, 16 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2909240 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2909239&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19838788%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Brodsky AE The study of positive outcomes associated with strong psychological sense of community (PSOC) has grown worldwide. Yet most research explores PSOC as a uni-dimensional (positive) variable operating in a single referent community. Theoretical and empirical literature has suggested, however, that PSOC can be positive, neutral or negative (Brodsky in J Commun Psychol 24(4):347-363, 1996; Brodsky et al. in Psychological sense of community: Research, applications and implications. Kluwer, New York 2002) and since people live in multiple physical and relational communities, there may be multiple PSOCs (M-PSOC) operating simultaneously and interactively (Brodsky and Marx in J Commun Psychol 29(2):1-18, 2001). This paper explores the operation of M-PSOC in the lives of Afgh... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2909239 Fri, 16 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2909239 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2909238&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19838789%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Freedman DA The obesity epidemic has widened the aims of prevention research to include the influence of local food environments on health outcomes. This mixed methods study extends existing research focused on local food environments by examining whether community members' find food accessible. Data from food store audits and one-on-one interviews were analyzed. Results reveal that most of the food stores surrounding the three research sites were convenience stores and non-chain grocery stores; interviewees did not perceive these stores to be "real" food stores. Tobacco and alcohol products were more prevalent in the food stores than all varieties of milk, fresh fruits, or fresh vegetables. Food access varied by site in a manner that was designed to appeal to customers' race,... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2909238 Fri, 16 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2909238 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2909237&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19838790%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Wharf Higgins J, Begoray D, Macdonald M With the rising concern over chronic health conditions and their prevention and management, health literacy is emerging as an important public health issue. As with the development of other forms of literacy, the ability for students to be able to access, understand, evaluate and communicate health information is a skill best developed during their years of public schooling. Health education curricula offer one approach to develop health literacy, yet little is known about its influence on neither students nor their experiences within an educational context. In this article, we describe our experience applying a social ecological model to investigating the implementation of a health education curriculum in four high schools in British Co... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2909237 Fri, 16 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2909237 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2909236&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19838791%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Lytle LA The prevalence of childhood obesity is of great public health concern. A social ecological framework that is transdisciplinary and multilevel by nature is recognized as the most promising approach for studying this problem. The purpose of this paper is to describe longitudinal research using a social ecological framework to study the etiology of childhood obesity. Individual and contextual factors are assessed in a cohort of youth and their parents including psychosocial factors, and home, school and neighborhood environments. The conceptual model guiding the research and the study design and measures used to operationalize the factors in the model and the descriptive characteristics of the baseline sample of youth and parents enrolled in the research are presented. T... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2909236 Fri, 16 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2909236 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2909235&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19838792%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Hoffer LD, Bobashev G, Morris RJ This project applies agent-based modeling (ABM) techniques to better understand the operation, organization, and structure of a local heroin market. The simulation detailed was developed using data from an 18-month ethnographic case study. The original research, collected in Denver, CO during the 1990s, represents the historic account of users and dealers who operated in the Larimer area heroin market. Working together, the authors studied the behaviors of customers, private dealers, street-sellers, brokers, and the police, reflecting the core elements pertaining to how the market operated. After evaluating the logical consistency between the data and agent behaviors, simulations scaled-up interactions to observe their aggregated outcomes. Whil... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2909235 Fri, 16 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2909235 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2909234&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19838793%26dopt%3DAbstract This study responds to the issue by introducing system dynamics as a method for modeling community interventions. The paper presents a model of domestic violence cases moving through a criminal justice response, and uses the simulation model to evaluate the impact of implementing three interventions-mandatory arrest, victim advocacy, and changes in level of cooperation-on two system-level outcomes: improving offender accountability and increasing victim safety. Results illustrate the complex nature of these relationships. Implications for community practice and future research are also discussed. PMID: 19838793 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: American Journal of Community Psychology) American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2909234 Fri, 16 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2909234 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2909233&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19838794%26dopt%3DAbstract This study examined socioeconomic factors associated with the presence of workplaces belonging to industries reported to be at high risk for worker homicide. The proportion of 2004 North Carolina workplaces in high-risk industries was computed following spatial linkage of individual workplaces to 2000 United States Census Block Groups (n = 3,925). Thirty census-derived socioeconomic variables (selected a priori as potentially predictive of violence) were summarized using exploratory factor analysis into poverty/deprivation, human/economic capital, and transience/instability. Multinomial logistic regression models indicate associations between higher proportion of workplaces belonging to high-risk industries and Block Groups with more poverty/deprivation or transience/instability and less h... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2909233 Fri, 16 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2909233 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2909232&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19838795%26dopt%3DAbstract This study examined participants' definitions of infant mortality, views on the community impact of infant mortality, and strengths and vulnerabilities in the health care service delivery system. Qualitative data were gathered in a rural North Florida community where health education groups are conducted. Eight focus groups were arranged with African-American women (n = 46), ranging in age from 14 to 35, who were pregnant, parenting children under the age of two. Respondents poignantly described personal experiences of loss associated with infant mortality. They indicated awareness of problems related to lack of accessibility and availability of medical and social services. The use of social-ecological theory and implications for policy and social justice are discussed. PMID: 19838795 ... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2909232 Fri, 16 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2909232 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2909231&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19838796%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Domínguez S, Maya-Jariego I PMID: 19838796 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: American Journal of Community Psychology) American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2909231 Fri, 16 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2909231 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2909230&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19838797%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Chilenski SM, Greenberg MT Considerable research has demonstrated that substance use and delinquency during early adolescence can have long-term negative health consequences. As the correlates of these behaviors cross levels and contexts, it is likely that a social ecological approach will provide insight to inform community prevention. This approach informs the present study, which focuses on developing a multiple-method measurement strategy to examine associations among community risks, resources, and rates of early adolescent substance use and delinquency in 28 rural and small town communities. Measures include five domains of community risk, four domains of community resources, and population rates of early adolescent substance use and delinquency. Results demonstrated tha... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2909230 Fri, 16 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2909230 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2899860&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19830547%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Wicke T, Silver RC The brutal murder of James Byrd Jr. in June 1998 unleashed a storm of media, interest groups, high profile individuals and criticism on the Southeast Texas community of Jasper. The crime and subsequent response-from within the community as well as across the world-engulfed the entire town in a collective trauma. Using natural disaster literature/theory and employing an ecological approach, Jasper, Texas was investigated via an interrupted time series analysis to identify how the community changed as compared to a control community (Center, Texas) on crime, economic, health, educational, and social capital measures collected at multiple pre- and post-crime time points between 1995 and 2003. Differences-in-differences (DD) analysis revealed significant post-ev... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2899860 Wed, 14 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2899860 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2834507&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19777338%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Lounsbury DW, Mitchell SG We have the potential to make new, substantive contributions to resolving our most pressing community health problems. However, to do so we must adopt a philosophy of science that is directed towards understanding the dynamic complexity and full contextual reality surrounding these issues. A social ecological approach to science is ideally suited to this challenge. This framework is systems-oriented and defines research problems in terms of structures and processes, generating research outcomes that give insight into the dynamic interaction of individuals with their environment across time and space. Though community psychology is built upon social ecological principles, researchers from other disciplines have also noted its utility and implemented in... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2834507 Wed, 23 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2834507 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2834506&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19777339%26dopt%3DAbstract This study explored the influences of a multi-level community intervention aimed at increasing physical activity among tweens (youth 9-13). Two Florida school districts far apart served as intervention and comparison sites in a quasi-experimental post-test design. Youth in grades 5 through 8 in the intervention community (n = 1,253) and comparison community (n = 866) completed an anonymous post-intervention survey. An intent-to-treat analysis did not show any statistically significant group differences for the physical activity outcomes examined. However, a subset analysis revealed that students who reported participating in the intervention were more likely to be physically active than youth in the comparison group, as well as youth in the intervention community who reported not participa... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2834506 Wed, 23 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2834506 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2662705&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19644750%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Cheng ST, Heller K PMID: 19644750 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: American Journal of Community Psychology) American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2662705 Thu, 30 Jul 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2662705 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2606920&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19597984%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Ellis LA, Marsh HW, Craven RG In this article, we describe a mixed-methods study used to examine the effectiveness of a widely-used peer support program designed to facilitate the transition to adolescence and high school by enhancing self-concept and other desirable outcomes. For the quantitative component, a longitudinal design was employed (930 Grade 7 students, 3 schools, 2 years), with control group and baseline (i.e., pre-program) data against which to compare the effects. Using a multilevel approach, the results provide evidence to suggest that the program was largely successful in achieving its aims of enhancing students' school self-concept, school citizenship, sense of self and possibility, connectedness, and resourcefulness. A sub-sample of students from the experim... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2606920 Mon, 13 Jul 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2606920 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2554822&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19562479%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, a person-environment fit model was used to understand the independent and combined roles of family and neighborhood characteristics on the adjustment of adults and children in a sample of 750 Mexican American families. Latent class analysis was used to identify six qualitatively distinct family types and three quantitatively distinct neighborhood types using socioeconomic and cultural indicators at each level. The results showed that members of single-parent Mexican American families may be particularly at-risk, members of the lowest-income immigrant families reported fewer adaptation problems if they lived in low-income neighborhoods dominated by immigrants, members of economically successful immigrant families may be more at-risk in integrated middle class neighborhoods th... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2554822 Fri, 26 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2554822 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2539014&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19554444%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Liu J, Messner SF, Zhang L, Zhuo Y Previous research in the West has established major socio-demographic correlates of fear of crime. The interpretation of these correlates is typically based on the concept of physical or social vulnerability of individuals. These correlates are implicitly regarded as invariant to social or community contexts, reflecting universal human behavioral patterns. The present study argues that social change may alter patterns of perceptions associated with fear among socio-demographic groups, thus affecting socio-demographic correlates of fear of crime. We explore how social changes in China have created a generational gap that influences the effects of age and education on fear of crime. The study finds that, in contrast with the well-established pa... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2539014 Wed, 24 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2539014 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2539013&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19554445%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Putman KM, Lantz JI, Townsend CL, Gallegos AM, Potts AA, Roberts RC, Cree ER, de Villagrán M, Eriksson CB, Foy DW Indigenous aid workers carry out the majority of humanitarian aid work, yet there is little empirical information available on their support needs in different contexts. Focus groups (N = 26: Study 1) and a survey (N = 137; Study 2) were conducted with Guatemalan aid workers to explore their exposure to violence, posttraumatic stress symptoms, burnout, support needs, and motivators. Participants reported experiencing an average of 13 events of community violence and 17% reported symptoms consistent with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Direct community violence exposure and levels of emotional exhaustion were positively related to PTSD symptoms, while lev... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2539013 Wed, 24 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2539013 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2539015&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19543825%26dopt%3DAbstract This study investigates whether socioeconomic development and the HIV/AIDS pandemic are associated with living arrangement patterns in older persons in 23 sub-Saharan African countries. Country-level aggregate data were taken from previous household surveys and information provided by the United Nations, the World Bank, and the World Health Organization. Results showed that 13.5% of older persons (aged 60 years or over) were living with grandchildren but not adult children (i.e., skipped generation households). Countries higher in HIV/AIDS prevalence had more skipped generation households, and also more older persons living with spouse only and fewer older persons living with other relatives. Countries with higher socioeconomic development had fewer older persons living with children young... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2539015 Thu, 18 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2539015 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2539020&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19533329%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Dallago L, Perkins DD, Santinello M, Boyce W, Molcho M, Morgan A In adolescence, children become increasingly independent and autonomous, and spend more time in neighborhood settings away from home. During mid-to-late adolescence, youth often become more critical about the place they live. Their attachment to home and even community may decrease as they explore and develop new attachments to other specific places. The aim of this study is to understand how 15-year-old students from 13 countries perceive their local neighborhood area (place attachment, social capital and safety), and how these different community cognitions are interrelated. We hypothesize that their place attachment predicts safety, and that the relationship is mediated in part by social capital. Result show t... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2539020 Tue, 16 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2539020 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2539019&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19533330%26dopt%3DAbstract This article describes the steps taken to develop and evaluate the activities of an international network promoting collaborative capacity among regional partners involved in the prevention of labor discrimination toward immigrants in three European countries-Spain, Belgium, and Italy. An international team of community psychologists proposed an empowering approach to assess the collaborative capacity of the network. This approach consisted of three steps: (1) establishing a collaborative relationship among partners, (2) building collaborative capacity, and (3) evaluating the collaborative capacity of the network. We conclude with lessons learned from the process and provide recommendations for addressing the challenges inherent in international collaboration processes. PMID: 19533330 ... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2539019 Tue, 16 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2539019 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2539018&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19533331%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Pullmann MD The children's system of care initiative in the United States requires the participation of caregivers of children with emotional or behavioral problems in conducting research and evaluation. This entails a restructuring of traditional power dynamics among families served by the community mental health system and other system stakeholders, including researchers. However, evidence indicates that system of care research may not currently embrace the different types of knowledge possessed by caregivers and may be frustrated by traditional power hierarchies, resulting in research findings that are not useful for the community. In this paper I examine a framework for power and knowledge and examine how, when viewed through this framework, participatory research in the s... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2539018 Tue, 16 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2539018 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2539017&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19533332%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Cheng ST, Heller K Older persons are among the major marginalized, disenfranchised citizens worldwide, yet this group has generally been ignored in the community psychology literature. In this paper, we trace the demographic trends in aging worldwide, and draw the field's attention to the United Nations Program on Aging, which structures its policy recommendations in terms of concepts that are familiar to community psychologists. A central theme of the paper is that community psychology can have a role in producing the conceptual shifts needed to change societal attitudes now dominated by negative age stereotypes. PMID: 19533332 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: American Journal of Community Psychology) American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2539017 Tue, 16 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2539017 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2539016&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19533333%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Mak WW, Cheung RY, Law LS Sense of community (SOC) has been one of the most studied topics in community psychology. However, no empirical study to date has investigated SOC in Hong Kong and its relations with community characteristics and residents' psychological well-being. A representative sample of 941 Hong Kong Chinese based on a randomized household survey was conducted in all 18 districts in Hong Kong. Results of hierarchical linear modeling indicated that SOC was not associated with sociodemographic indicators on both the individual-level (i.e., gender, age, family income, education level, type of residence, and area-to-capita ratio of residence) and the community-level (i.e., proportion of individuals with tertiary education, median family income, ownership of residenc... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2539016 Tue, 16 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2539016 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2539022&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19533327%26dopt%3DAbstract The objectives of this review were to: (1) provide a comprehensive review and evaluation of the roles, evaluation, and effectiveness of LHA in community-based programs with an emphasis on cardiovascular risk reduction; and (2) provide recommendations for future research involving LHA in such programs. Computer and manual searches were conducted of articles in the English-language literature from 1980 to 2007. Twenty articles were evaluated, which emphasized the role of the LHA in cardiovascular risk reduction. A review of research literature provides a starting point for determining salient approaches for intervention and evaluation, issues related to program implementation and sustainability, and strengths and limitations of existing approaches. PMID: 19533327 [PubMed - as supplied by... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2539022 Mon, 15 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2539022 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2539021&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19533328%26dopt%3DAbstract This study examined parent characteristics and barriers to participation in a community-based preventive intervention with a sample of 201 parents from low-income and predominantly ethnic minority backgrounds. Person-centered analyses revealed five subgroups of parents who demonstrated variability in their parent characteristics, which included psychological resources and level of parental involvement in education. Group membership was associated with differences in school involvement and use of the psychoeducational intervention at home, after accounting for the number of barriers to engagement. For the intervention attendance variable, greater number of barriers was associated with decreased attendance only for parents in the resilient subgroup and the psychologically distressed subgroup... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2539021 Mon, 15 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2539021 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2539023&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19526208%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Perkins DD PMID: 19526208 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: American Journal of Community Psychology) American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2539023 Fri, 12 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2539023 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2539024&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19521765%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Cornish F, Campbell C Peer education is a community-based intervention being implemented worldwide as an approach to HIV prevention. However, its results are inconsistent, with little consensus on why some projects succeed while others fail. Considering peer education as an 'intervention-in-context', we systematically compare the context and the implementation of two peer education interventions run by sex workers, one in India and one in South Africa, which produced contrasting outcomes. In so doing, we aim to identify key factors in the projects' successes or failures that may inform future peer education efforts. The Indian project's relative success was facilitated (1) by a more stable and supportive social, material and political context, and (2) by a community developmen... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2539024 Thu, 11 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2539024 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2539031&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19357946%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Schensul SL, Saggurti N, Singh R, Verma RK, Nastasi BK, Mazumder PG This paper explores the meaning and applicability of multilevel interventions and the role of ethnography in identifying intervention opportunities and accounting for research design limitations. It utilizes as a case example the data and experiences from a 6-year, NIMH-funded, intervention to prevent HIV/STI among married men in urban poor communities in Mumbai, India. The experiences generated by this project illustrate the need for multilevel interventions to include: (1) ethnographically driven formative research to delineate appropriate levels, stakeholders and collaborators; (2) identification of ways to link interventions to the local culture and community context; (3) the development of a model of inte... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2539031 Sun, 31 May 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2539031 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2539030&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19381797%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Diamond S, Schensul JJ, Snyder LB, Bermudez A, D'Alessandro N, Morgan DS "Xperience" is an innovative alcohol and drug prevention program that has adopted a multilevel, community-based strategy to promote drug-and-alcohol free social activities, venues and norms among urban youth ages 14-20. The intervention aims to strengthen protective factors and reduce risk factors for alcohol and other substance use among high school age youth by addressing multiple factors at the individual, peer, community and city level. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the process of building the different levels of this intervention during the 3-year formative phase. We will explain: (1) Why we chose to adopt a multilevel and participatory strategy, (2) Formative research leading to the interv... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2539030 Sun, 31 May 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2539030 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2539029&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19387821%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Schensul JJ, Trickett E This introduction to a special issue of the American Journal of Community Psychiatry is the result of a symposium at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Applied Anthropology, 2006, that brought together anthropologists and psychologists involved in community based collaborative intervention studies to examine critically the assumptions, processes and results of their multilevel interventions in local communities with local partners. The papers were an effort to examine context by offering a theoretical framework for the concept of "level" in intervention science, and advocating for "multi-level" approaches to social/behavioral change. They presented examples of ways in which interventions targeted social "levels" either simultaneously or sequentially ... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2539029 Sun, 31 May 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2539029 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2539028&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19387822%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Schensul JJ, Radda K, Coman E, Vazquez E In this paper we describe a successful multi-level participatory intervention grounded in principles of individual and group empowerment, and guided by social construction theory. The intervention addressed known and persistent inequities in influenza vaccination among African American and Latino older adults, and associated infections, hospitalizations and mortality. It was designed to increase resident ability to make informed decisions about vaccination, and to build internal and external infrastructure to support sustainability over time. The intervention brought a group of social scientists, vaccine researchers, geriatricians, public health nurses, elder services providers and advocates together with senior housing management and a... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2539028 Sun, 31 May 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2539028 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2539027&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19387823%26dopt%3DAbstract We describe the YARP intervention and employ qualitative and quantitative data from the quasi-experimental evaluation study design to assess the way in which the YARP approach empowered individual youth and groups of youth (youth networks) to engage in social action in their schools, communities and at the policy level, which in turn affected their attitudes and behaviors. PMID: 19387823 [PubMed - in process] (Source: American Journal of Community Psychology) American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2539027 Sun, 31 May 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2539027 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2539026&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19387824%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Schensul JJ This paper addresses intertwined issues in the conceptualization, implementation and evaluation of multilevel dynamic systems intervention science (MDSIS). Interventions are systematically planned, conducted and evaluated social science-based cultural products intercepting the lives of people and institutions in the context of multiple additional events and processes (which also may be referred to as interventions) that may speed, slow or reduce change towards a desired outcome. Multilevel interventions address change efforts at multiple social levels in the hope that effects at each level will forge synergistic links, facilitating movement toward desired change. This paper utilizes an ecological framework that identifies macro (policy and regulatory institutions),... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2539026 Sun, 31 May 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2539026 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2539025&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19390961%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Hawe P, Shiell A, Riley T Conventional thinking about preventive interventions focuses over simplistically on the "package" of activities and/or their educational messages. An alternative is to focus on the dynamic properties of the context into which the intervention is introduced. Schools, communities and worksites can be thought of as complex ecological systems. They can be theorised on three dimensions: (1) their constituent activity settings (e.g., clubs, festivals, assemblies, classrooms); (2) the social networks that connect the people and the settings; and (3) time. An intervention may then be seen as a critical event in the history of a system, leading to the evolution of new structures of interaction and new shared meanings. Interventions impact on evolving networks ... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2539025 Sun, 31 May 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2539025 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2315838&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19353264%26dopt%3DAbstract This article uses the Comprehensive Mixed-Methods Participatory Evaluation (CMMPE; Nastasi and Hitchcock Transforming school mental health services: Population-based approaches to promoting the competency and wellness of children, Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press with National Association of School Psychologists 2008; Nastasi et al. School-based mental health services: creating comprehensive and culturally specific programs. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association 2004) model as a framework for addressing the multiplicity of evaluation decisions and complex nature of questions related to program success in multilevel interventions. CMMPE defines program success in terms of acceptability, integrity, social or cultural validity, outcomes (impact), sustainability and institutionaliz... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2315838 Wed, 08 Apr 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2315838 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2315843&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19347576%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Karriker-Jaffe KJ, Foshee VA, Ennett ST, Suchindran C We determined whether effects of neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage on trajectories of aggression were moderated or mediated by neighborhood social organization and examined sex differences in neighborhood effects for rural adolescents. We used five waves of survey data collected over 2.5 years linked with neighborhood data from interviews with parents and the US Census. The sample (N = 5,118) was 50.1% female, 52.0% white and 38.3% African-American; average age at baseline was 13.1 years. Multilevel growth curve models for both girls and boys showed no significant interactions between neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage and indicators of social organization. Neither sample showed evidence of mediated effects. In m... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2315843 Sat, 04 Apr 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2315843 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2315860&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19333749%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Bradshaw CP, Sawyer AL, O'Brennan LM Social disorganization theory suggests that certain school-level indictors of disorder may be important predictors of bullying-related attitudes and behaviors. Multilevel analyses were conducted on bullying-related attitudes and experiences among 22,178 students in 95 elementary and middle schools. The intraclass correlation coefficients indicated that 0.6-2% of the variance in victimization, 5-10% of the variance in retaliatory attitudes, 5-6% of the variance in perceptions of safety, and 0.9% of the variance in perpetration of bullying was associated with the clustering of students within schools. Although the specific associations varied somewhat for elementary schools as compared to middle schools, the hierarchical linear modeling analy... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2315860 Tue, 31 Mar 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2315860 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2315857&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19333750%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Trotter JL, Allen NE Informal social networks play a critical role in buffering the negative effects of stressful life events. For women experiencing the stress of a violent relationship, family and friends are among the first sources of support sought; however, reactions to the abuse by family and friends are not uniformly perceived as helpful by survivors. The current study takes a qualitative approach to examining the range of possible reactions survivors may encounter from their social networks regarding the abuse. Special attention is given to negative and mixed reactions, as they have previously been under-examined in the literature. Findings suggest that survivors (N = 45) regularly experience negative and mixed reactions. Emergent themes suggest that both positive and ... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2315857 Tue, 31 Mar 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2315857 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2315848&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19333751%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Trickett EJ The purpose of this paper is to apply an ecological perspective to the conduct of multilevel community-based culturally-situated interventions. After a discussion of the emerging consensus about the value of approaching such interventions ecologically, the paper outlines a series of questions stimulated by an ecological perspective that can guide further theory development in conducting multilevel interventions. These questions all derive from the importance of assessing the local community ecology where the intervention occurs. The paper concludes with a series of topics which, taken together, provide a roadmap for further conceptual development of multilevel interventions as vehicles for long-range community impact. PMID: 19333751 [PubMed - as supplied by pub... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2315848 Tue, 31 Mar 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2315848 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2315869&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19326207%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Trickett EJ, Schensul JJ In this critical summary the editors summarize main themes that cut across special issue papers including challenges in introducing interventions into communities theorized as dynamic systems, strengths and problems presented by multilevel interventions in single communities, the value of community based culturally situated preventive interventions, and some solutions to evaluation of interventions in complex social settings. PMID: 19326207 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: American Journal of Community Psychology) American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2315869 Fri, 27 Mar 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2315869 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2315866&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19326208%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Weeks MR, Convey M, Dickson-Gomez J, Li J, Radda K, Martinez M, Robles E Peer delivered, social oriented HIV prevention intervention designs are increasingly popular for addressing broader contexts of health risk beyond a focus on individual factors. Such interventions have the potential to affect multiple social levels of risk and change, including at the individual, network, and community levels, and reflect social ecological principles of interaction across social levels over time. The iterative and feedback dynamic generated by this multi-level effect increases the likelihood for sustained health improvement initiated by those trained to deliver the peer intervention. The Risk Avoidance Partnership (RAP), conducted with heroin and cocaine/crack users in Hartford, Connectic... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2315866 Fri, 27 Mar 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2315866 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2291173&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19308724%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Brown LD The goal of this study is to develop a more comprehensive theoretical understanding of the processes by which people can benefit from mental health consumer-run organizations (CROs). To accomplish this goal, the concept of roles is used to create a preliminary framework that draws connections between several established theoretical explanations. To ground theory development in empirical data, 194 CRO members from 20 CROs answered open-ended questions about what personal changes occurred as a result of their CRO involvement and what CRO participation experiences enabled personal change. Data analysis led to the identification of 18 personal change categories and 7 experiences that led to change. These categories were integrated into the preliminary theoretical framewor... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2291173 Tue, 24 Mar 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2291173 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2234974&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19252979%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Llorens M The following paper explores how working in Venezuela, a country that has gone through 20 years of economic and political problems, has highlighted the gap between clinical and community approaches in dealing with the sufferings of our consultants. Our efforts to develop theoretical and practical tools that can address the historical and political dimensions of people's lives are reviewed. These efforts illustrate how the community paradigm can help expand clinical perspectives, thus allowing a practise which can address the needs of people who have neither the time nor the economic means to engage in a traditional therapeutic relationship. The shift in perspective, the revision of our "therapeutic" stance and the use of de-naturalisation and problematization are ill... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2234974 Sat, 28 Feb 2009 05:00:00 +0100 2234974 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2192089&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19219546%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Rodríguez-Ferreyra A This paper approaches social policy (SP) from the political perspective considered by Montero (Critical psychology: An introduction, Sage, London, pp 231-244, 1997; Community, Work and Family 1(1):65-78, 1998; Introducción a la Psicología Comunitaria. Desarrollo, conceptos y procesos, Paidos, Buenos Aires, pp 89-114, pp 255-284, 2004; Hacer para transformar. El método en la Psicología Comunitaria, Paidos, Buenos Aires, pp 229-256, 2004) as a paradigmatic dimension of community psychology. The field of SP, the characteristics of certain SPs and the role of SP in the production and reproduction of the subjectivities of those subject to them in Uruguay are described and an analysis given of the challenge posed by going from a compensa... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2192089 Sat, 14 Feb 2009 05:00:00 +0100 2192089 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2153469&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19184409%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Anne Bogat G A brief overview of the person orientation is provided. It is then argued that research in community psychology, similar to every other field in psychology, has mainly focused on variables, not individuals. Suggestions are provided for how the person orientation can be applied to understanding settings and environments as well as the theoretical and methodological contributions community psychologists can make to further person oriented methods. PMID: 19184409 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: American Journal of Community Psychology) American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2153469 Fri, 30 Jan 2009 05:00:00 +0100 2153469 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2153467&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19184411%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Wandersman A In this article, I attempt to merge two themes. First, there is often a large gap between high hopes about impacts of policies or programs and the demonstrated results. I describe four keys/threats to success in any social problem area: theory, implementation, evaluation, and resource/system support. Second, I present theory and research from over 30 years of work on participation, conducted by my colleagues and myself that can illuminate and be illuminated by theory, implementation, evaluation, and resource/system support. I offer ideas for solutions that increase the probability of success. I conclude with the need to have high hopes tempered by theory and research to develop realistically ambitious solutions to social problems. PMID: 19184411 [PubMed - as s... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2153467 Fri, 30 Jan 2009 05:00:00 +0100 2153467 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2153468&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19184410%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Bishop BJ, Vicary DA, Browne AL, Guard N Policy development and implementation should be fundamental for community psychologists in their endeavors to create social change. Policy necessarily is engaged at broad social and political levels, but it is mediated through communities and individuals, and thus appealing for our discipline. We argue that there are increasing opportunities for social input in liberal democracies with the growing awareness of the need to consider social factors in policy. Public participation is one aspect of policy development, but it can be problematic and can disempowered communities, especially disadvantaged communities. Using the framework of the 'third position', a case study of attempts to ameliorate institutional oppression of Australian Aborig... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2153468 Wed, 28 Jan 2009 05:00:00 +0100 2153468 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2126246&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19160040%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Ramaswamy V, Aroian KJ, Templin T The multidimensional scale of perceived social support (MSPSS) was revised for Arab American adolescents (MSPSS-AA). Items measuring social support from significant others were omitted and items measuring support from school personnel were added based on advice from cultural experts. The sample consisted of 635 Arab American young adolescents in metropolitan Detroit. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) supported the proposed three-factor solution (family, friends, and school personnel). Internal consistency coefficients for the three subscales of family (alpha = 0.63), friends (alpha = 0.75), school personnel (alpha = 0.72) were good. As predicted, perceived support from family, friends, and school personnel were inversely related to self repor... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2126246 Thu, 22 Jan 2009 05:00:00 +0100 2126246 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2122676&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19156512%26dopt%3DAbstract This study investigates the association between school context and adolescent alcohol misuse. Data are from the first two waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (N = 10,574 adolescents nested within 128 schools). Multilevel multinomial logistic regression is used to assess the association between school-level characteristics and the risk for non-, moderate, and heavy drinking. The risk for adolescent alcohol misuse varies significantly across schools after adjusting for adolescent-level predictors. Several school-level characteristics predict alcohol misuse. Notably, the risk for heavy drinking is elevated in schools located in communities that are socioeconomically advantaged, have high proportions of Non-Hispanic White residents, and are located in suburban (versus... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2122676 Wed, 21 Jan 2009 05:00:00 +0100 2122676 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2122675&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19156513%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Mattis JS, Hammond WP, Grayman N, Bonacci M, Brennan W, Cowie SA, Ladyzhenskaya L, So S Contemporary social science paints a bleak picture of inner-city relational life. Indeed, the relationships of low-income, urban-residing Americans are represented as rife with distress, violence and family disruption. At present, no body of social scientific work systematically examines the factors that promote loving or selfless interactions among low-income, inner-city American individuals, families and communities. In an effort to fill that gap, this ethnographic study examined the motivations for altruism among a sample of adults (n = 40) who reside in an economically distressed housing community (i.e., housing project) in New York City. Content analyses of interviews indicated that pa... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2122675 Wed, 21 Jan 2009 05:00:00 +0100 2122675 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2105214&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19142722%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Bess KD, Prilleltensky I, Perkins DD, Collins LV Community psychologists have long worked with community-based human service organizations to build participatory processes. These efforts largely aim at building participatory practices within the current individual-wellness paradigm of human services. To address collective wellness, human service organizations need to challenge their current paradigm, attend to the social justice needs of community, and engage community participation in a new way, and in doing so become more openly political. We use qualitative interviews, focus groups, organizational documents, and participant observation to present a comparative case study of two organizations involved in such a process through an action research project aimed at transforming... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2105214 Wed, 14 Jan 2009 05:00:00 +0100 2105214 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2093469&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19130210%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Montero M PMID: 19130210 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: American Journal of Community Psychology) American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2093469 Wed, 07 Jan 2009 05:00:00 +0100 2093469 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2093468&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19130211%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Montero M Social change, well-being and liberation have been intertwined in community research and action, as much as being used as political common-places. In this paper, it is argued that community research and action can have a political character. The epistemological premises shared by both the community and political spheres are discussed, and concepts are defined. The way community psychological action can produce changes is illustrated by an experience carried out with children from poverty sectors of Caracas, Venezuela, intended to construct citizenship by developing awareness about values, civic rights and duties, while experiencing the advantages of participation, peaceful negotiation and solidarity, during art classes. Topics regarding citizenship values and ethics ... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2093468 Wed, 07 Jan 2009 05:00:00 +0100 2093468 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2093467&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19130212%26dopt%3DAbstract This study, using secondary data analysis, examined a mediation model of acculturation and ethnic pride as predictors of physical and mental health outcomes in a sample of 561 Mexican American women. Factors postulated as mediators were family support and religiosity. Systematic across-group comparison analyses were conducted to examine sources of differences in the mediation model between immigrant and non-immigrant women. The results partially supported the hypothesized mediation model, indicating that family support, but not religiosity, was a significant mediator in the relationship between ethnic pride and mental health problems. In addition, as differences between immigrant and non-immigrant women were observed only in the variables means, but not in the factor loadings or regression... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2093467 Wed, 07 Jan 2009 05:00:00 +0100 2093467 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2093466&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19130213%26dopt%3DAbstract This study tests whether absolute volatility or downward volatility in income predict depression controlling for prior depression. A sample (n = 4,493) from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY79) with depression (CESD) measured at age 40 and prior depression measured eight to 10 years earlier was utilized. Downward volatility (frequency of income loss) was positively associated with depression; adjusting for downward volatility and other covariates, absolute volatility was negatively associated with depression. An interaction indicated a positive association between downward volatility and depression only when absolute volatility was high. These findings apply to respondents in a narrow age range (30 s) and the results warrant replication to identify the mediators linking absol... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2093466 Wed, 07 Jan 2009 05:00:00 +0100 2093466 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2093465&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19130214%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Nafstad HE, Blakar RM, Carlquist E, Phelps JM, Rand-Hendriksen K A longitudinal analysis (1984-2005) of media language in Norway is presented, demonstrating how the current globalized capitalist market ideology is now permeating this long-established Scandinavian welfare state. This ideological shift carries powerful implications for community psychology, as traditional welfare state values of equal services based on a universalistic principle are set aside, and social and material inequalities are increasingly accepted. The methodology developed in the present study may serve as a "barometer of community changes", to borrow a metaphor used by Sarason (2000). PMID: 19130214 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: American Journal of Community Psychology) American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2093465 Wed, 07 Jan 2009 05:00:00 +0100 2093465 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2076221&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19116783%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Linney JA PMID: 19116783 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: American Journal of Community Psychology) American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2076221 Wed, 31 Dec 2008 05:00:00 +0100 2076221 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1921825&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18972204%26dopt%3DAbstract This report longitudinally examined these issues in an ethnically diverse sample of 156 LGB youths (ages 14-21) in New York City. Cluster analytic techniques identified two patterns of sexual identity formation (i.e., early and more recent), and three patterns of sexual identity integration (i.e., high, middling, and low). Gender and sexual abuse were found to predict identity formation; and, gay-related stress, social support, negative social relationships, sexual orientation, sexual identity, and gender were found to predict patterns of sexual identity integration and changes in integration over 1 year. These findings document different patterns of sexual identity development and identify potential contextual barriers and facilitating factors that may be used to develop interventions to ... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1921825 Thu, 30 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1921825 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1915616&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18956238%26dopt%3DAbstract This study examined whether street homelessness, sheltered homelessness, and the severity of psychological symptoms predicted non-violent and violent crime among 207 mentally ill participants who were homeless at baseline. Participants were interviewed at 9 time points over 4 years. Hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) was used to examine whether changes in homelessness status and symptom severity predicted changes in criminal activity over time. Results indicated that homelessness both on the streets and in shelters and psychological symptom severity predicted increases in non-violent crime. Sheltered homelessness and symptom severity predicted increases in violent crime, although street homelessness did not. A separate mediational analysis with 181 participants showed that the relationship... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1915616 Tue, 28 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1915616 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1912278&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18953649%26dopt%3DAbstract This study compares Latino host, Latino immigrant, Asian-American host, Asian-American immigrant and European-American host groups of adolescents with respect to four acculturation-related variables: ethnic identity exploration, ethnic identity affirmation/belonging, outgroup orientation, and American identity. Using the five ethno-generational categories as a grouping variable, we conducted analyses of 313 survey responses to the acculturation items at two time periods, 9 weeks apart. Results showed that differences among the three host racial/ethnic groups can best be explained by a group dominance perspective, whereby the two racial/ethnic minority groups are more similar to each other than they are to the European-American group. Furthermore, the relationship between American identity ... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1912278 Sat, 25 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1912278 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1912277&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18953650%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Keels M Although researchers have consistently found that neighborhoods matter, relatively little is known about the processes through which neighborhood-level characteristics influence individual outcomes, and whether interventions targeting improving neighborhood characteristics will be beneficial for children. I examine whether relocating from high- to low-poverty neighborhoods affected low-income Black children's exposure to promotive developmental experiences. Participating families voluntarily relocated from high-poverty, minority segregated, inner-city Chicago neighborhoods to mostly White, low-poverty, suburban and Chicago neighborhoods. Data come from retrospective qualitative interviews with 22 Gautreaux One families an average of 15 years after initial relocation, a... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1912277 Sat, 25 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1912277 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1906708&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18949551%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Tseng V, Yoshikawa H PMID: 18949551 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: American Journal of Community Psychology) American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1906708 Fri, 24 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1906708 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1906707&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18949552%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Scott Smith R The notable success of an upstate New York community in resettling refugees raises the question of whether multiple waves of resettlement over a 15-year period have resulted in greater accommodation to refugees. Structured interviews based on transactional models of acculturation were used along with archival data to explore ecological factors supporting a host community's behavioral flexibility and perseverance in response to the influx of refugees. Evidence suggests that socioeconomic climate, historical background/social norms, and the organizational structure of agencies involved in resettlement moderate successful inclusion of refugees into a host community in a bidirectional process. PMID: 18949552 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: American J... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1906707 Fri, 24 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1906707 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1906706&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18949553%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Sakamoto I, Wei Y, Truong L While the idea of acculturation (Berry 1997) was originally proposed as the mutual change of both parties (e.g., immigrants and the host society), the change processes of host societies are neglected in research. A grounded theory study explored the efforts of human service organizations to 'acculturate' to an increasingly diverse immigrant population, through interviews conducted with service providers serving Mainland Chinese immigrants. Acculturation efforts of human service organizations (mezzo-level acculturation) were often needs-driven and affected by the political will and resultant funding programs (macro-level forces). Even with limitations, human service organizations commonly focused on hiring Mainland Chinese immigrants to reflect the c... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1906706 Fri, 24 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1906706 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1896546&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18931906%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Hoyt MA, Kennedy CL This research investigated youth leadership experiences of adolescent girls who participated in a comprehensive feminist-based leadership program. This qualitative study utilized a grounded theory approach to understand changes that occurred in 10 female adolescent participants. The words of the participants revealed that initially they viewed leadership in traditional terms and were hesitant to identify themselves as leaders or to see themselves included within their concepts of leadership. Following the program their view of leadership expanded and diversified in a manner that allowed for inclusion of themselves within it. They spoke with greater strength and confidence and felt better positioned and inspired to act as leaders. Participants identified hav... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1896546 Fri, 17 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1896546 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1884188&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18923893%26dopt%3DAbstract This article focuses on the role of host individuals in the networks of relations between immigrant populations and the communities from the dominant culture, as well as the changes experienced by host individuals because of their continuous contact with immigrants. This research applied a network approach to the study of the acculturation of host individuals. Two independent studies were carried out: a systematic analysis of the personal networks of Argentinean (n = 67), Ecuadorian (n = 59), Italian (n = 37) and German (n = 37) residents in Seville and Cadiz (Spain) (Study 1); and an ethnographic study with human service workers for Latin American immigrants in Boston (USA) (Study 2). With two different strategies, the role of host individuals in personal networks of foreigners in the Uni... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1884188 Thu, 16 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1884188 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1884187&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18923894%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Silka L PMID: 18923894 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: American Journal of Community Psychology) American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1884187 Thu, 16 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1884187 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1884186&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18923895%26dopt%3DAbstract This study provides implications for understanding mutual acculturative influences between different ethnic groups in the United States. PMID: 18923895 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: American Journal of Community Psychology) American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1884186 Thu, 16 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1884186 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1884185&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18923896%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Dinh KT, Bond MA PMID: 18923896 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: American Journal of Community Psychology) American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1884185 Thu, 16 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1884185 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1884184&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18923897%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Lehrner A, Allen NE Social movement theorists have emphasized the important role of meaning-making for social change movements (e.g., D. A. Snow and R. D. Benford, 1992, In: A. D. Morris & C. M. Mueller (Eds.) Frontiers in social movement theory. Yale University Press, New Haven, CT, pp 133-155; C. M. Mueller, 1992, In: A. D. Morris & C. M. Mueller (Eds.) Frontiers in social movement theory. Yale University Press, New Haven, CT, pp 3-26). Using the domestic violence movement as a case study, this study undertakes a close analysis of advocates' narratives about the phenomenon of domestic violence. This analysis sheds light on the current status of the movement as a social change movement attempting to promote alternative understandings of domestic violence as a social, ... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1884184 Thu, 16 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1884184 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1884183&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18923898%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Prilleltensky I Research demonstrates that the well-being of migrants is a multilevel, dynamic, and value dependent phenomenon. It is multilevel because risk and protective factors are present at various ecological planes, from the individual to the social sphere. It is dynamic because objective and subjective risk and protective factors interact across ecological levels, creating favorable or unfavorable conditions for migrants to adjust to the new surroundings. Finally, it is value dependent because access to resources is conditioned by norms of justice prevalent in the host society. Findings from this special section on acculturation are combined with previous literature to support the three claims advanced in this article. PMID: 18923898 [PubMed - as supplied by publis... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1884183 Thu, 16 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1884183 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1684044&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18679792%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Pistrang N, Barker C, Humphreys K This paper reviews empirical studies on whether participating in mutual help groups for people with mental health problems leads to improved psychological and social functioning. To be included, studies had to satisfy four sets of criteria, covering: (1) characteristics of the group, (2) target problems, (3) outcome measures, and (4) research design. The 12 studies meeting these criteria provide limited but promising evidence that mutual help groups benefit people with three types of problems: chronic mental illness, depression/anxiety, and bereavement. Seven studies reported positive changes for those attending support groups. The strongest findings come from two randomized trials showing that the outcomes of mutual help groups were equivalen... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1684044 Tue, 05 Aug 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1684044 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1672358&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18668362%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Salem DA, Reischl TM, Randall KW The effects of partnership between Schizophrenics Anonymous (SA, a mutual-help organization) and the Mental Health Association in Michigan (MHAM, a professionally staffed advocacy organization) on SA's growth and development were explored. Following the initiation of a formal partnership, SA groups were more available throughout the state, more likely to be associated with formal mental health settings, and less likely to have leaders who had been participants in other SA groups. Groups with consumer leaders had significantly greater longevity than groups with professional leaders. Changes in the organizational structure and process of SA were also identified. SA leaders reported that SA moved from a collective to a more bureaucratic structure.... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1672358 Thu, 31 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1672358 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1643304&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18642073%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Ryerson Espino SL, Trickett EJ One distinctive approach to community psychology intervention research involves finding ways to contribute to the development of communities. Ecological inquiry is a primary theoretical framework for this work. The purpose of this paper is to explore how the spirit of ecological inquiry may be expressed in the descriptions of how we design, conduct, and evaluate community interventions. We first elaborate a set of criteria as a heuristic framework for carrying out and documenting community intervention writing, theory, and action. We then pilot the application of these criteria to explore the presence of an ecological emphasis within intervention studies published in the AJCP between 1994 and 2002. This exercise helped illuminate the extent to wh... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1643304 Sat, 19 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1643304 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1627587&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18626766%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Greenfield TK, Stoneking BC, Humphreys K, Sundby E, Bond J This experiment compared the effectiveness of an unlocked, mental health consumer-managed, crisis residential program (CRP) to a locked, inpatient psychiatric facility (LIPF) for adults civilly committed for severe psychiatric problems. Following screening and informed consent, participants (n = 393) were randomized to the CRP or the LIPF and interviewed at baseline and at 30-day, 6-month, and 1-year post admission. Outcomes were costs, level of functioning, psychiatric symptoms, self-esteem, enrichment, and service satisfaction. Treatment outcomes were compared using hierarchical linear models. Participants in the CRP experienced significantly greater improvement on interviewer-rated and self-reported psychopathology ... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1627587 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1627587 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1603613&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18612808%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Anglin DM, Alberti PM, Link BG, Phelan JC Members of racial/ethnic minority groups are less likely than Caucasians to access mental health services despite recent evidence of more favorable attitudes regarding treatment effectiveness. The present study explored this discrepancy by examining racial differences in beliefs about how the natural course and seriousness of mental illnesses relate to perceived treatment effectiveness. The analysis is based on a nationally representative sample of 583 Caucasian and 82 African American participants in a vignette experiment about people living with mental illness. While African Americans were more likely than Caucasians to believe that mental health professionals could help individuals with schizophrenia and major depression, they were ... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1603613 Wed, 09 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1603613 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1603612&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18612809%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Dworkin SL, Pinto RM, Hunter J, Rapkin B, Remien RH DEBI, or the Diffusion of Effective Behavioral Interventions is the largest centralized effort to diffuse evidence-based prevention science to fight HIV/AIDS in the United States. DEBI seeks to ensure that the most effective science-based prevention interventions are widely implemented across the country in community-based organizations. Thus, this is a particularly timely juncture in which to critically reflect on the extent to which known principles of community collaboration have guided key processes associated with the DEBI rollout. We review the available evidence on how the dissemination of packaged interventions is necessary but not sufficient for ensuring the success of technology transfer. We consider additional prin... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1603612 Wed, 09 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1603612 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1597587&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18607719%26dopt%3DAbstract This study uses an interrupted time-series design to examine the effects of a strategic planning intervention on community change in two urban neighborhoods in the Kansas City metropolitan area. Results showed that strategic planning was associated with increased rates of community change in the two urban neighborhood coalitions. Under appropriate conditions, such as the presence of consistent leadership, strategic planning may be a particularly effective mechanism for stimulating community change and addressing locally-determined goals in urban neighborhoods. PMID: 18607719 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: American Journal of Community Psychology) American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1597587 Tue, 08 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1597587 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1597586&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18607720%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, we examine whether neighborhood social processes are associated with differences in child behavior problems in an economically and racially diverse sample of 405 urban-dwelling first grade children and whether parenting behavior mediates and/or moderates the effects of neighborhoods. Furthermore, we examine whether neighborhood social processes play the same role with regards to child behavior problems at differing levels of neighborhood economic impoverishment. Results of multivariate multilevel regression analyses indicate that a high negative social climate is associated with greater internalizing problems. High potential for community involvement for children in the neighborhood was associated with fewer behavior problems, but only in economically impoverished neighborho... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1597586 Tue, 08 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1597586 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1579140&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18597167%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Lucksted A, Stewart B, Forbes CB Family members of people with serious mental illnesses (SMI) need information and support to cope with the considerable stresses they experience. The Family to Family Education Program (FtF) is a structured, peer-led, 12-week information and support self-help class for such individuals. Previous research by Dixon et al. (2004) shows reduced subjective burden and increased empowerment among graduates. The present study sought to understand what processes take place during FtF participation that might lead to these benefits, as a first step in building a conceptual model of how FtF causes its effects, using semi-structured interviews with 31 FtF graduates. Qualitative data analysis suggested that new factual and emotional information from FtF shi... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1579140 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1579140 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1579139&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18597168%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Brown LD, Shepherd MD, Wituk SA, Meissen G Since the 1950s, people with mental illness and their families have been organizing a wide range of self-directed, mutual support oriented initiatives, including self-help groups, nonprofit organizations, and businesses. These initiatives have become increasingly widespread over the years and today mental health self-help initiatives outnumber traditional mental health organizations in the United States (Goldstrom et al., Admin Policy Mental Health Mental Health Serv Res 33:92-103, 2006). Mental health self-help embodies much of what community psychologists promote, including the self-directed organization of people to create social change and facilitate personal transformation. This special issue provides new insight into several pro... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1579139 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1579139 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1579138&cid=s_37383_36_f&fid=37383&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18597169%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Brown LD, Shepherd MD, Merkle EC, Wituk SA, Meissen G The goal of this study was to examine how different types of participation in a consumer-run organization (CRO) are related to recovery. More specifically, this study uses structural equation modeling to examine the relative impact of empowering and socially supportive participation experiences on progress towards recovery among 250 CRO members from 20 CROs. An empowering participation experience refers to involvement in leadership roles and contribution to organizational functioning. A socially supportive participation experience refers to social involvement in mutually supportive friendships with intimacy and sharing. Results indicate that both types of participation are associated with recovery, although a socially suppo... American Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1579138 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1579138