Citation

Gomez C, Fite PJ. J. Community Psychol. 2022; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1002/jcop.22947

PMID

36184921

Abstract

The current study used a person-centered approach to identify classes of after-school activities that may reduce the harmful effects, including anxiety and depression, of community violence exposure (CVE) in Latino youth. Participants in the current study included 144 students (54.2% male, ages 14-19) who were recruited from a charter high school in a large, Midwestern city. Students provided information on after-school activities, CVE, and internalizing symptoms. Indices supported a two-class model. Classes were characterized by students who reported high participation in extracurricular activities at school (Class 1) and students who reported spending more time completing after school (Class 2). No between-class differences emerged in anxiety or depression symptoms and class membership did not moderate the relationship between CVE and internalizing symptoms.

FINDINGS provide a description of Latino youths' after-school activities and support an individualized, person-centered approach to understanding the risk and protection of environmental factors.

Language: en

Keywords

anxiety; depression; schools; violence exposure; Latino youth