Trial Summary
What is the purpose of this trial?The goal of this clinical trial is to increase and strengthen connections between Latinx individuals and mental health services. Through this intervention, the investigators aim to improve mental health literacy, decrease stigma, increase coping skills, and increase mental health help seeking, even before they are in crisis. Participants will be asked to participate in six educational sessions hosted by Promotores de Salud.
Will I have to stop taking my current medications?
The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.
What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Overcoming Life's Hurdles for the Latinx community?
The research on the Amigas Latinas Motivando el ALMA (ALMA) program shows that using community leaders to share mental health strategies can effectively reduce stress among Latina immigrants. This suggests that community-based, culturally tailored approaches like Overcoming Life's Hurdles may also be effective in improving mental health in the Latinx community.
12345Is the Mental Health Education for Latinx Community program safe for participants?
The studies reviewed focus on psychoeducational programs like La CLAve and a fotonovela, which are designed to improve mental health literacy among Spanish-speaking communities. These programs have been shown to increase knowledge and reduce stigma without any reported safety concerns, suggesting they are generally safe for participants.
15678How is the treatment 'Overcoming Life's Hurdles' unique for mental health in the Latinx community?
The treatment 'Overcoming Life's Hurdles' is unique because it likely incorporates culturally tailored education and outreach models, similar to the ALMA intervention, which uses community-based approaches to address mental health challenges specifically within the Latinx community. This approach emphasizes the importance of cultural sensitivity and community involvement, which may not be present in standard treatments.
3791011Eligibility Criteria
This trial is for Latinx individuals who identify as Hispanic, Latino/a, or Latinx/e, speak English or Spanish, and live in the zip codes 95116, 95122, or 95127. It's not open to multiple people from the same household.Inclusion Criteria
Has heritage or self-identifies as Hispanic, Latino/a, or Latinx/e
I speak English or Spanish.
Primary residence is in 95116, 95122, or 95127 zip codes
Exclusion Criteria
Persons from the same household
Trial Timeline
Screening
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial
2-4 weeks
Treatment
Participants attend a 6-week educational series covering mental health topics
6 weeks
6 sessions (in-person)
Follow-up
Participants are monitored for mental health service use and self-efficacy
6 months
3 follow-up assessments (1 week, 3 months, 6 months)
Participant Groups
The trial tests 'Overcoming Life's Hurdles,' a program with six educational sessions aimed at improving mental health literacy and connections to services among Latinx communities through Promotores de Salud.
2Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Active Control
Group I: Mental health use, education, and skill-buildingExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
Participants randomly assigned to this arm will attend a 6 week educational series that will cover topics around mental health.
Data will be collected form participants at baseline (before the start of the first session), 1 week after the last session, and at 3- and 6- months after the sessions (follow ups).
Group II: Resources in the communityActive Control1 Intervention
Participants randomly assigned to this arm will attend a 6 week educational series that will cover topics on resources in the community.
Data will be collected form participants at baseline (before the start of the first session), 1 week after the last session, and at 3- and 6- months after the sessions (follow ups).
Find a Clinic Near You
Research Locations NearbySelect from list below to view details:
Stanford UniversityPalo Alto, CA
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Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?
Stanford UniversityLead Sponsor
National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)Collaborator
References
La CLAve to increase psychosis literacy of Spanish-speaking community residents and family caregivers. [2021]The authors developed and tested a 35-min psychoeducational program with the goal of increasing Spanish-speaking persons' literacy of psychosis. The program uses popular cultural icons derived from music, art, and videos, as well as a mnemonic device--La CLAve (The Clue)--to increase (a) knowledge of psychosis, (b) efficacy beliefs that one can identify psychosis in others, (c) attributions to mental illness, and (d) professional help-seeking. Assessments were conducted before and after administering the program to both community residents (n = 57) and family caregivers of persons with schizophrenia (n = 38). For community residents, the authors observed increases across the 4 domains of symptom knowledge, efficacy beliefs, illness attributions, and recommended help-seeking. For caregivers, increases were observed in symptom knowledge and efficacy beliefs. La CLAve is a conceptually informed psychoeducational tool with a developing empirical base aimed at helping Spanish-speaking Latinos with serious mental illness obtain care in a timely manner.
Effectiveness of the Engagement and Counseling for Latinos (ECLA) intervention in low-income Latinos. [2021]Persistent disparities in access and quality of mental health care for Latinos indicate a need for evidence-based, culturally adapted, and outside-the-clinic-walls treatments.
Amigas Latinas Motivando el ALMA (ALMA): Development and Pilot Implementation of a Stress Reduction Promotora Intervention. [2021]Use of mental health care services for psychological distress is limited among Latino immigrants. In geographic areas where migration has been rapid, mental health systems possess limited capacity to provide bilingual and bicultural assistance. The development of a bilingual and bicultural workforce is a necessary yet long-term solution. More immediate strategies, however, are needed to meet the needs of immigrant Latinos. This paper describes the development of a stress-reduction focused, lay health advisor training that targets individual behavior change among Latina immigrants. The theoretical foundation, curriculum components, and pilot implementation of the training are discussed. As natural leaders, Latina promotoras disseminated learned strategies and resources within their communities. The lay health advisor model is a salient method for disseminating information regarding mental health and stress reduction among Latinas.
Prioritizing the healthcare needs of Latinos with mental illness. [2023]Latinos with serious mental illness have higher morbidity and mortality rates than same age peers. In this paper, we review findings of a community based participatory research project meant to identify important health needs of this group, barriers to these needs, solutions to the barriers and the promise of peer navigators as a solution. Findings from a prior qualitative study yielded 84 themes related to needs, barriers and solutions. These findings were transposed into individual items, to which 122 Latino participants with mental illness responded using a 7-point importance scale. Results showed item importance means ranging from 4.34 to 5.47, with counseling/therapy services and mental health treatment topping the list for healthcare needs. Analyses also examined differences between those born in the USA versus those born elsewhere. Latinos who were native to the USA differed significantly from those born abroad in over one quarter of importance ratings. Implications of these findings for integrated care of Latinos with serious mental illness are discussed.
Toward the early recognition of psychosis among Spanish-speaking adults on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. [2021]Lack of knowledge about psychosis, a condition oftentimes associated with serious mental illness, may contribute to disparities in mental health service use. Psychoeducational interventions aimed at improving psychosis literacy have attracted significant attention recently, but few have focused on the growing numbers of ethnic and linguistic minorities in countries with large immigrant populations, such as the United States. This paper reports on 2 studies designed to evaluate the effectiveness of a DVD version of La CLAve, a psychoeducational program that aims to increase psychosis literacy among Spanish-speaking Latinos. Study 1 is a randomized control study to test directly the efficacy of a DVD version of La CLAve for Spanish speakers across a range of educational backgrounds. Fifty-seven medical students and 68 community residents from Mexico were randomly assigned to view either La CLAve or a psychoeducational program of similar length regarding caregiving. Study 2 employed a single-subjects design to evaluate the effectiveness of the DVD presentation when administered by a community mental health educator. Ninety-three Spanish-speakers from San Diego, California completed assessments both before and after receiving the DVD training. Results from these 2 studies indicate that the DVD version of La CLAve is capable of producing a range of psychosis literacy gains for Spanish-speakers in both the United States and Mexico, even when administered by a community worker. Thus, it has potential for widespread dissemination and use among underserved communities of Spanish-speaking Latinos and for minimizing disparities in mental health service use, particularly as it relates to insufficient knowledge of psychosis.
Urban Latinx parents' attitudes towards mental health: Mental health literacy and service use. [2023]Latinx youth report elevated internalizing symptomatology as compared to their non-Latinx White counterparts and are less likely to access mental health care for these problems. This qualitative study examined the knowledge, beliefs and perceptions that Latinx parents (86% foreign-born; 66.7% monolingual Spanish speakers) living in urban communities have about mental health and service use for anxiety and depression in children. We used thematic analysis to analyze interview data from 15 Latinx parents who expressed concerns about their child's (age 6-13) worry or sadness. Analyses revealed that Latinx parents often have difficulty identifying mental health problems, report stigma about mental health problems and help-seeking and want more information about how they can help their children. Although Latinx parents report significant mental health and treatment-seeking stigma, the majority were open to seeking mental health services for their children or were already receiving services. Findings suggest that stigma although prevalent, may not deter service utilization for some Latinx families. Implications for community health and future research are discussed.
Towards a cultural adaptation of family psychoeducation: findings from three latino focus groups. [2021]This study was undertaken among Latinos receiving treatment from a community mental health center in New York City. The primary mental health concern was schizophrenia. We conducted three focus groups and present the viewpoints of consumers, family members, and providers. Using qualitative content analysis we identified four predominant categories: (1) the importance of family ties; (2) stigma about mental illness; (3) respect and trust in interpersonal relationships; and (4) facilitators and barriers to implementing Family Psychoeducation. Analysis of transcripts revealed specific subthemes for each category. Implications for imparting culturally sensitive material into mental health services for Latinos are discussed.
Entertainment-education? A fotonovela? A new strategy to improve depression literacy and help-seeking behaviors in at-risk immigrant Latinas. [2022]Research shows high risk for depression among immigrant Latinas known to increase during the acculturation process. Several barriers such as stigma and low health literacy result in an under-utilization of needed treatment among these women. In response, this study replicated the effectiveness of a Spanish language fotonovela, a form of Entertainment-Education (E-E), designed to increase depression literacy, decrease stigma, and increase help-seeking knowledge and behavior in Latinos. Specifically, this study evaluated a fotonovela delivered in a multifaceted approach to health education used by promotoras. A pretest-posttest randomized control group experimental design with 142 immigrant Latinas at risk for depression was employed. Results indicate significant posttest improvements in depression knowledge, self-efficacy to identify the need for treatment, and decreased stigma in experimental as compared to control group participants. Findings support the application of E-E health literacy tools such as fotonovelas, delivered in multifaceted approaches to health education used by promotoras, to Latinas at risk for mental health concerns.
Reflections on effective nursing partnerships addressing mental health in the Latino community. [2021]An academic/community collaboration assesses attitudes about and knowledge of resources for mental health care in the Latino community and develops interventions and education/outreach models as well as ongoing partnerships.
Promoting mental health in Latina immigrant women: Results from the Amigas Latinas Motivando el Alma intervention trial. [2023]Latina immigrants are at increased risk of depression and anxiety and limited access to mental health care. This study evaluated the effectiveness of Amigas Latinas Motivando el Alma (ALMA), a community-based intervention to reduce stress and promote mental health among Latina immigrants.
Evaluation of Amigas Latinas Motivando el Alma (ALMA): a pilot promotora intervention focused on stress and coping among immigrant Latinas. [2021]Recent immigrant Latinas are at increased risk of poor mental health due to stressors associated with adapting to life in the United States. This study evaluated Amigas Latinas Motivando el Alma, a promotora intervention to reduce stress and promote health and coping among recent immigrant Latinas. Using a pre- and post-test design, we evaluated mental health outcomes, specifically, in promotoras. Promotoras' knowledge levels related to role of promotora and stress management increased, depressive symptoms and stress levels decreased, and coping responses and perceived social support increased as well. Results suggest that promotora programs may be an effective way to improve mental health in recent immigrant Latinas.