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Although undocumented students face numerous stressors that can lead to mental health strain, they often underutilize their campus mental health services. To identify the barriers and motivations for talking to a campus mental health professional (MHP) and to extend the Health Belief Model (HBM), we conducted semi-structured interviews with 24 Latina/o/x undocumented college students. Family communication revealed views that undermined talking to an MHP, but that were deeply rooted in culture and immigration; having to prioritize basic needs; and growing up in an environment where mental health services were unavailable. Our findings reveal important communication, cultural, and structural elements that should be emphasized in the HBM when explicating Latina/o/x undocumented students' beliefs and behaviors about talking to an MHP.

Undocumented college students experience a myriad of stressors (e.g. fear of deportation, limited access to educational resources; Enriquez, Morales Hernandez & Ro. 2018. Deconstructing immigrant illegality: A mixed-methods investigation of stress and health among undocumented college students. Race and Social Problems, 10(3), 193–208. ) because of systemic oppression, and they often engage in various advocacy efforts to challenge those oppressive systems. Although different persuasion (e.g. Reasoned Action Approach, Anger Activism Model; Fishbein & Ajzen. 2010. Predicting and changing behavior: The reasoned action approach. Psychology Press; Turner. 2007. Using emotion in risk communication: The anger activism model. Public Relations Review, 33(2), 114–119. ) and social movements theories (e.g. Mass Society Theory; Theory of Relative Deprivation; Bernstein & Crosby. 1980. An empirical examination of relative deprivation theory. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 16(5), 442–456. ) can describe why minoritized group members advocate on behalf of their ingroup, these theories primarily focus on traditional advocacy efforts. rather than representing advocacy as multidimensional. Consequently, this paper introduces Advocacy Communication Theory (ACT), which argues that advocacy communication is a complex and multidimentional process consisting of advocacy strategies at the individual, interpersonal, community, organizational, and policy levels. ACT also identifies predictors of advocacy communication by drawing from communication and psychological factors, and it discusses the potential health implications associated with engaging in advocacy communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior relational maintenance research primarily (a) considers only one family member's perspective, (b) explores introspective communication, and (c) examines romantic relationships among highly resourced white samples in the United States. This study considered low-income, Latina/o/x/e immigrant families' maintenance before, during, and after migration-related separation, using standpoint theory, social communication theory, and the long-distance relational maintenance model. We conducted semi-structured interviews with Latina/o/x/e parents and children who lived in separate countries (N  =   20 dyads). Findings cast light on temporal (e.g. fathers often provided little to no notice to children of the upcoming separation, complicating the families' ability to prospectively co-construct relational continuity) and cultural factors (e.g. endorsing traditional gender norms, relying on mothers to explain the separation to children after it had begun) in families' maintenance processes. This study offers new insight into how families communicatively construct "ongoingness" in their bonds despite emotional, technological, and legal challenges posed by migration-related separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Undocumented college students face systemic oppression, which they challenge through advocacy. Often, research focuses on one type of advocacy, but Advocacy Communication Theory (ACT) conceptualizes advocacy as multidimensional – minoritized people can engage in communicative strategies at the interpersonal, mediated, community, organizational, and policy levels to challenge oppression. Here, we used three waves of longitudinal survey data from 366 undocumented students, primarily of Latine origin, and conducted latent profile analyses. We found four advocacy communication profiles: Infrequent, Interpersonal, Organizational, and Frequent Advocators. The more students observed their family engage in undocumented advocacy, and the more students saw negative media depictions of undocumented immigrants, the more likely students were to be frequent advocators than infrequent advocators. Our findings support ACT's propositions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, college students faced a number of stressors that threatened their health and well-being. Undocumented college students faced similar stressors and additional ones that were unique to their immigration status. Drawing from communication theory of resilience, we conducted 30 semi-structured interviews with Mexican-origin undocumented college students in California. Our findings extended past research on the communication theory of resilience by identifying triggers that motivated undocumented students to enact resilience at multiple levels. Undocumented students reported (a) individual, interpersonal, institutional, and policy-level constraints that constantly threatened their health and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic; (b) how they enacted resilience at those multiple levels; and (c) how their undocumented status was a source of stress but also a source of empowerment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using primary socialization theory and theory of planned behavior, this study examined how targeted parent-child communication against substance use and parents' references to the negative consequences of their own past substance use (from the youth's perspective) directly and indirectly relate to Latino and European American youth's external norms (e.g., injunctive and descriptive), internal beliefs (e.g., personal norms, attitudes, and refusal efficacy), and substance use. This study used cross-sectional survey data from 253 Latino and 308 European American (N = 561) 6th- to 8th-grade students. Targeted parent-child communication was related to higher levels of antisubstance-use perceptions, whereas parents' references to their own past use was related to lower levels of antisubstance-use perceptions. Ethnic differences emerged with respect to specific mediators. (Contains 2 figures and 1 table.)

Objective: To examine male students' and their parents' human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine communication in relation to males' willingness to discuss the vaccine with their health care provider and the likelihood of being vaccinated. Participants: Dyads (n = 111) of students and parents. Methods: Participants completed a HPV vaccine survey based on the risk perception attitude framework in 2009. Results: Male students' perceived susceptibility for HPV and self-efficacy to talk to their provider were directly related to their intention to discuss the HPV vaccine, and their intention was directly related to their likelihood of being vaccinated. Parents' perceived self-efficacy to talk to their son and response efficacy of the vaccine were directly related to their intention to talk to their son; however, parents' intention was not related to the likelihood of their son being vaccinated. Conclusions: College males may benefit from HPV vaccine educational programs that include communication skills training to discuss the HPV vaccine with their parents. (Contains 4 tables and 1 figure.)

Using latent class/transition analyses, this study: (a) identified subgroups of youth based on their targeted communication about substance use with parents and friends, (b) examined subgroup differences in substance use, and (c) considered changes in subgroup membership over four years. Among 5,874 youth, five subgroups emerged, with parents-only communicators having the lowest substance use. Friends-only and consequence-focused communicators reported the overall highest use. Subgroup membership was mostly stable across the four years. If, however, youth transitioned, those who began as parents-only, consequence-focused, or friends-only communicators during the first year were most likely to transition to comprehensive communicators by the last year. Youth who started as noncommunicators or comprehensive communicators were most likely to end up as parents-only communicators.

This study examined the associations of perceived threat, perceived efficacy, and parent-child communication with the extent to which college-age women received the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. Daughters and their mothers completed a survey about the HPV vaccine (N = 182 dyads). The results showed that mothers' perceived self-efficacy to talk to their daughters and mothers' response efficacy of the vaccine were indirectly related to mother-daughter communication about HPV. Further, mother-daughter communication mediated the relation between mothers' intention to talk to their daughters and daughters' HPV vaccination behavior. This study demonstrates the importance of the social context of health behavior and the role of communication in understanding maternal influence on the HPV vaccination behavior of young adult women. (Contains 3 tables and 1 figure.)

Family immigration-related separation is incredibly stressful; however, Latina/o/x separated families might engage in communal coping to help mitigate those stressors. Utilizing the extended theoretical model of communal coping, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 family triads (i.e. separated parent, separated child, primary caregiver) who were experiencing or had recently experienced immigration-related family separation. We explored cultural and structural elements associated with communally or individually coping, and we considered why family members, all of whom experienced separation stress, might cope differently. Among the different types of family members, gender norms were related to communally coping, relying on extended family for support, and protective buffering. Physical distance, as well as limited technology access and literacy also hindered communal coping. When exploring within-family-triad experiences, three themes were apparent: (a) one-sided communal coping, (b) protective buffering at the cost of one's own needs, and (c) communal coping impeded by relational strain. Our findings emphasize the importance of considering the multidimensional nature of a stressor (i.e. family separation) when determining whether people are communally coping; how cultural and structural elements relate to coping; and including multiple family members' perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Right-heart catheterization is currently the gold standard method for detecting pulmonary hypertension (PH) and grading its severity. Our study determined the utility of computerized tomography (CT) scans for detecting PH in patients with left-sided heart disease, thereby potentially avoiding the overuse of invasive right-heart catheterization. Methods A retrospective review was conducted on 40 patients with left-sided cardiac pathology who had undergone both right-heart catheterization and CT scanning of the chest. Mean pulmonary artery diameters (MPADs) were measured on CT scans and compared with pulmonary artery pressures measured by right-heart catheterization. Results Patients with mild-to-moderate PH had significantly greater CT-measured MPADs (34.89 ± 1.01) than patients without PH (controls) (27.36 ± 0.83, p < 0.001). Patients with severe PH had significantly greater MPADs (38.31 ± 0.88) than both mild-to-moderate PH patients (p < 0.01) and controls (p < 0.001). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that CT scanning predicted PH with an area under the curve of 0.95 (p < 0.0001). A cutoff MPAD of [33.3 mm had 100 % specificity and 100 % positive predictive value (N = 40, p < 0.0001), and a cutoff MPAD of Conclusions CT scanning correctly identified all patients with PH with MPADs [34 mm and excluded all patients without PH when MPADs were Keywords Pulmonary hypertension * Computerized tomography * Catheterization * Echocardiography * Pulmonary artery pressure * Pulmonary artery diameter, Introduction Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a progressive disease characterized by an elevation in pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) above 25 mmHg at rest [1]. Chronic elevation of PAP progressively dilates pulmonary [...]

Given the stress that college students with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) experience and their minoritized status, some colleges have offered allyship training that informs campus personnel of the unique experiences of DACA and DACA-ineligible students. Although such trainings are promising, limited research has explored what actions communicate allyship to undocumented college students, including those with DACA. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 40 DACA college students and identified six themes: (a) allyship as an action-oriented, lifelong learning process, (b) allyship through supportive communication, (c) allyship without judgment or abnormal treatment, (d) visible allyship through the creation of safe spaces, (e) allyship as advocacy, and (f) allyship without self-promotion. Academics and activists have conceptualized and critiqued allyship. Nevertheless, this study extends past work by considering how DACA college students view the communication of allyship, which is important if allyship is to be encouraged or challenged in higher education and elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing from an extended version of a focus theory of normative conduct, the extended parallel process model, and self-stigma, this study examined factors that predict undocumented college students' (UCS) intentions to talk to an on-campus mental health professional (MHP). Two hundred thirty-seven UCS completed an online survey between January-June, 2019. Structural equation modeling analyses revealed that the more UCS believed their friends talked to an on-campus MHP (i.e., descriptive norms), the more likely UCS were to believe that talking to an on-campus MHP would help them manage their undocumented-related stress (i.e., response efficacy). In turn, UCS were more likely to report intentions to talk to an on-campus MHP. Furthermore, family injunctive norms were positively associated with self-efficacy and communication efficacy, and in turn, intentions to talk to an on-campus MHP. Unexpectedly, friend injunctive norms were not significantly associated with the three types of efficacy or intentions. Lastly, although family and friend injunctive norms were negatively associated with self-stigma, self-stigma was not significantly associated with intentions to talk to an on-campus MHP. This study's findings emphasize the importance of addressing different types of norms and efficacy when attempting to reduce UCS' under-utilization of on-campus mental health services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing upon sensitive interaction systems theory, this study investigated Latinx immigrant youth's indirect and direct disclosures about their family-undocumented experiences (i.e., informing others of their own or family's undocumented experiences, including details surrounding their undocumented situation) to a teacher(s) or a friend(s). Furthermore, this study examined how such disclosures relate to subsequent disclosure and to received emotional support across an academic year. Received emotional support, in turn, was theorized to predict youth's depressive symptoms. Survey data were collected in the beginning, middle, and end of the 2015-2016 academic year from 410 Latinx family-undocumented students (ninth-12th grades). Latinx students reported more indirect than direct disclosures about their family-undocumented experiences, potentially as a way to seek support. They also reported greater indirect and direct disclosure about their family-undocumented experiences to a friend(s) compared with a teacher(s). Emotional support did not significantly mediate the associations between disclosure and depressive symptoms; however, indirect and direct disclosures to a friend(s) positively related to depressive symptoms within various waves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]