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Culturally Tailored Depression/Suicide Prevention in Latino Youth: Community Perspectives

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Abstract

Latino adolescents are at elevated risk for depression and suicide compared to other ethnic groups. Project goals were to gain insight from community leaders about depression risk factors particular to Latino adolescents and generate innovative suggestions to improve cultural relevance of prevention interventions. This project utilized a CBPR approach to enhance cultural relevance, acceptability, and utility of the findings and subsequent program development. Two focus groups of youth and youth-involved Latino community leaders (n = 18) yielded three overarching themes crucial to a culturally tailored depression prevention intervention: (1) utilize a multipronged and sustainable intervention approach, (2) raise awareness about depression in culturally meaningful ways, and (3) promote Latino youth’s social connection and cultural enrichment activities. Findings suggest that both adaptation of existing prevention programs and development of hybrid approaches may be necessary to reduce depression/suicide disparities for Latino youth. One such hybrid program informed by community stakeholders is described.

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Acknowledgments

This project would not have been possible without the cooperation and time of the staff and administrators from Alivio Medical Center, Alternatives, Inc., and Healthcare Alternative Systems. The authors gratefully acknowledge the editorial assistance of Darius Tandon, PhD.

Conflict of interest

The authors do not have financial or any other conflicts of interest regarding the contents of this manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 225 E. Chicago Ave, Box 10B, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA

    Rebecca E. Ford-Paz PhD

  2. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Christine Reinhard PhD

  3. Alternatives, Inc., Chicago, IL, USA

    Andrea Kuebbeler LCSW

  4. Healthcare Alternative Systems, Chicago, IL, USA

    Richard Contreras PhD

  5. DePaul University, Chicago, IL, USA

    Bernadette Sánchez PhD

Authors
  1. Rebecca E. Ford-Paz PhD
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  2. Christine Reinhard PhD
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  3. Andrea Kuebbeler LCSW
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  4. Richard Contreras PhD
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  5. Bernadette Sánchez PhD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rebecca E. Ford-Paz PhD.

Additional information

The project described was supported by the National Center for Research Resources, grant 5UL1RR025741, and is now at the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, grant 8UL1TR000150. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.

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Ford-Paz, R.E., Reinhard, C., Kuebbeler, A. et al. Culturally Tailored Depression/Suicide Prevention in Latino Youth: Community Perspectives. J Behav Health Serv Res 42, 519–533 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11414-013-9368-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11414-013-9368-5

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