2024 | Flash Funding | Understanding Latinx Youth and Families' Strength and Resilience Contribute to their Mental Health and Wellbeing in Southwest Virginia
FLASH FUNDED PROJECTÂ | Whole Health Consortium
Understanding Latinx Youth and Families' Strength and Resilience Contribute to their Mental Health and Wellbeing in Southwest Virginia
TEAM:
- Zehra Gulseven, Psychology
- Rosanna Breaux, Psychology
- Rebecca Hester, Science, Technology, and Society; Center for Refugee, Migrant and Displacement Studies
- Le Wang, Agricultural and Applied Economics
- Deirdre Hand, Center for Refugee, Migrant, and Displacement Studies; Center for Rural Education
- Jenny Finn, Springhouse
- Gigi Austin, Springhouse
This project aims to understand the strengths and resilience of Latinx youth and families in Southwest Virginia, contributing to their mental health and wellbeing. Latinx children and adolescents face significant adversity, including discrimination, anti-immigrant xenophobia, language and cultural barriers, and poverty. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these challenges, disproportionately impacting children and youth from minoritized backgrounds. Despite these adversities, Latinx youth have demonstrated significant strengths and resilience. This proposal seeks to study these strengths, including cultural values, biculturalism, bilingualism, ethnic identity, warm and supportive parenting, and family functioning. Understanding these sources of resilience will help develop positive and supportive programs to ensure the wellbeing of Latinx youth and families.
Our multidisciplinary research team, including experts from various fields and community partners, will connect with Latinx youth in Southwest Virginia to gather insights into their strengths and sources of resilience. We will engage community collaborators like Springhouse and Casa Latina to better understand the needs of Latinx youth and families. By investigating these strengths and sources of resilience, our findings can inform programs that promote positive social development, foster coping strategies, and mitigate potential behavioral problems. The project aims to support Latinx youth's mental health and wellbeing, promoting inclusivity and community engagement while building capacity for future research and programs.