Citation

Handal AJ, Vasquez Guzman CE, Hernandez-Vallant A, Lemus A, Hess JM, Casas N, Galvis M, Medina D, Huyser K, Goodkind JR. Am. J. Orthopsychiatry 2022; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, American Orthopsychiatric Association, Publisher Wiley Blackwell)

DOI

10.1037/ort0000637

PMID

36375031

Abstract

[The use of the term Latinx/@ in this project is the result of discussion among community and university research team members and feedback from other community members. We discussed terminology early on in the collaboration, and the term “Latinx” was suggested by members of one community partner organization as a gender inclusive term. It was adopted by the team, though some members had never heard the term and others expressed reservations. The word was included as a term of reference in our interview questions. However, at the outset of the interviews, we decided to let participants know why we used this term and then ask them what their preferred terminology was. After a year of data collection, we noted that “Latinx” was not the preferred term for the majority of participants. Thus, in order to be most inclusive in the dissemination of our work, the research team decided to use the term Latinx/@ because it includes Latino and Latina within the @, which were the terms with which most participants identified. Given the ongoing discussions around this term, we expect the academic and general consensus to change, but we did not want to privilege a predominantly academic term. In light of our community-based participatory research orientation, we will continue to make shared decisions about terminology preferences with academic and community partners.]


Migration processes encompass uncertainty, discrimination, racism, stigma, social isolation, lack of access to resources, fear of deportation, and family separation, having a critical impact on the health of Latinx/@ immigrants in the United States. It is essential to accurately measure the ways in which social, legal, economic, and political contexts impact mental health. This article discusses adaptation and use of discrimination and historical loss measures in a multilevel community-based advocacy, learning, and social support intervention (Immigrant Well-Being Project) with Latinx/@ immigrants in New Mexico, using participatory research approaches. Participants (n = 52) were recruited through community partner organizations and completed four qualitative and quantitative interviews over a 12-month period. The present analysis draws on the baseline quantitative data.

RESULTS show it is possible to adapt standardized measures of discrimination developed to assess the experiences of other racial/ethnic groups; however, the most common responses involved response options added by our research team. For the historical loss instrument, there was a high frequency of "never" answers for many items, suggesting that they were not relevant for participants or did not capture their experiences of loss. As with the discrimination measures, the items we added resonated the most with participants. The contexts of discrimination and loss for Latinx/@ immigrant populations are complex, thus the tools we use to measure these experiences and their impact on health must account for this complexity. This study contributes to these endeavors through involving community members in the conceptualization and measurement of discrimination and historical loss among Latinx/@ immigrants. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Language: en