Recent surveillance data indicate an estimated 1 in 36 children are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). More males than females are diagnosed with ASD and children of color are less likely to be identified with ASD than White children. Given the rising prevalence estimates and persistent gender and racial/ethnic differences in diagnostic rates, it is time that we seek to better understand ASD as it relates to culture, care, and lived experience from the perspective of those we serve. Utilizing qualitative methods, the current research study sought to understand the lived experiences of three autistic women and three women caregivers of autistic children as it relates to the identification, diagnostic, and service delivery processes. In-depth focus group research revealed five major themes ranging from feelings associated with the diagnosis, dissatisfaction with services, the perspective of culture within autism and the family, and how culture should be considered by service providers in treatment planning and implementation. These results are discussed in the context of future research, and implications for autism service providers are provided.

There are clear signs of the growing use of the internet across all cultures, which generate new behaviors in the virtual environment such as media multitasking, phubbing, and cybergossip, all associated with online risks and less positive modes of socialization. FoMO (Fear of Missing Out) along with virtual emotional experiences could be relevant predictors, where literature suggests that FoMO is a trigger for problematic social media use, and socio-emotional e-competencies facilitate adaptive behaviors in virtual environments. Hence, understanding which variables predict these phenomena is crucial and whether they can be generalized across different countries. The objective of this study is to analyze whether two dimensions of socio-personal development used to interact in virtual environments, FoMO (Fear of Missing Out) and socio-emotional e-competencies (e-COM), are predictors of different cyberbehaviors (cybergossip, phubbing and media multitasking) in university students from two different countries. It also aims to verify if socio-emotional e-competencies act as a moderator of this relationship. In order to achieve this, we used a sample of 1524 university students from Mexico and Spain (19.74 years old). The results of the path analysis models show that FoMO is the strongest predictor of the three online behaviors regardless of country and gender, especially in the case of phubbing. In addition, socio-emotional e-competencies help to explain the behaviors in a differential way for each country, and the dimension of e-self-control of impulsivity plays a moderating role in FoMO in the case of phubbing and media multitasking. Some differences between countries and genders are discussed.

Closed religious communities cultivate a robust communal identity, shared faith, values, and norms among their members, providing them with social and emotional support. Deviance carries significant consequences, specifically disintegrating members' sense of belonging. Gambling disorder (GD) is characterized by harmful gambling behaviors that negatively affect individuals' lives. While gambling is a prevalent recreational activity, within closed religious communities, addiction, including GD, is viewed as a violation of religious teachings, values, and communal norms. This study explores GD's impact on the sense of belonging of Jewish Ultra-Orthodox men and their spouses in Israel. This research employed constructivist grounded theory, interviewing twenty-two men with GD and eleven spouses and uncovered two complementary themes. The first, "Depleting versus replenishing of the personal aspects of sense of belonging," elucidates GD's different effects on the men and spouses' sense of belonging. The second, "Paying the toll," illuminates the emotional experiences and actions of the men and the spouses in reaction to societal conditional negative regard directed at them, disintegrating the sense of belonging of the men, but also that of the spouses who did not deviate from communal norms. The paper introduces the novel concept of "an empty pool/pull," portraying these individuals' limbo state. The "empty pool" represents the depletion of faith, adherence to religious commandments, and communal values for the men, while the "empty pull" signifies the inclination of the men and the spouses to conform amid the community's unfulfilled promise of protection. The study advocates for further research and offers clinical insights for therapists.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) encompass childhood trauma linked to chronic health issues. Often discussed on a micro-level, ACEs need a holistic perspective, emphasizing community-based research and contextual resilience to address systemic barriers effectively. Following the principles of community-based participatory research, two focus groups, composed of 15 people, were conducted to learn about community members' recommendations on what would be supportive for their communities. The study investigates the built environment, values, and resource accessibility, emphasizing the importance of outdoor access, community spaces, connectedness, and inclusive resource provision. The findings contribute to the literature by comprehensively understanding residents' perspectives on neighborhood well-being, explicitly highlighting the significance of a well-designed built environment, shared values, and accessible resources in fostering resilient and vibrant communities.

This study evaluates whether the association between neighborhood cohesion and frequency of anxiety symptoms varies by racial/ethnic group in the United States (US). Our study includes 89,617 respondents ages 18 and older from the National Health Interview Survey (2013-2018). We fit multivariate generalized linear regression models with interactions between neighborhood cohesion and race/ethnicity to test our hypotheses. We find that greater neighborhood social cohesion is associated with a lower frequency of anxiety symptoms for all racial/ethnic groups. However, this relationship was strongest for NL-Whites and Asians compared to NL-Black and Latine adults. No significant differences in this relationship were found between NL-Black, Latine, and Asian adults. Our study suggests that examining markers of mental health, such as anxiety symptoms, among the US population should consider variations in associations by race/ethnicity to expand our understanding of contextual factors that are associated with these outcomes. Population-based assessments of mental health markers should consider how sociocultural mechanisms operate differently by race/ethnicity.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) youth face disparities in mental health and substance use. LGBTQ+ community-based organizations (CBOs) offer resources that may combat stress and mental health concerns; however, limited research has examined their programs or practices. We explored the facets of youth mental health services offered by LGBTQ+ CBOs in the US. Qualitative interviews were conducted with staff at 16 LGBTQ+ CBOs in the US. Findings revealed four overarching themes. Mental health program objectives and characteristics included four sub-themes: counseling and therapy, safe spaces and community, case management, and education. Factors influencing the development of LGBTQ+ mental health programs included two sub-themes: program creation and youth influence. Factors influencing the delivery of LGBTQ+ youth mental health programs included four sub-themes: program planning and coordination, inclusive and intersectional processes, training and curriculum resources, and capacity-building resources. Implications for LGBTQ+ CBOs are discussed.

Risky Kids is an Australian community-based program that seeks to build resilience in children and adolescents by teaching 'risk intelligence' through parkour, ninja, and free-running skills, underpinned by psychological approaches. The aim of this study was to explore children's and parents' experiences of the Risky Kids program. We interviewed 18 children aged 6-13 years and held three focus groups with 15 parents and caregivers across three sites (two metropolitan and one regional). Guided by phenomenological design, template analysis was used to generate codes, categories and themes. We identified four overarching themes: (1) Learning to Navigate Risk; (2) Risky Kids is Different; (3) Coaches Facilitating Growth and Change; and (4) Stronger Minds and Bodies. Findings suggest that a facilitated risky play program can offer a supportive, safe space for children to develop confidence and resilience, and may particularly benefit children who prefer non-competitive group activities that nurture individual strengths and accommodate all abilities. Families reported that the program offered valuable opportunities to enhance children's mental wellbeing, including social, emotional and behavioural regulation. Large-scale quantitative evidence is required to examine children's outcomes-both physical and psychological, with a focus on resilience-including investigation of mechanisms of change.

The community attitudes towards mental illness scale (CAMI) is widely used to measure authoritarianism, benevolence, social restrictiveness, and community mental health attitudes held by general populations and medical professionals. This study compares the fit of published alternative factor structures of the CAMI to a general population English-speaking sample and examines what mental illnesses individuals think about when responding. Using data from 749 US MTurk participants, confirmatory factor analysis supported a modified version of Morris' (2012) structure - fear/exclusion, social control, and goodwill - χ(183) = 1094.44, p < 0.001, RMSEA = 0.08, CFI = 0.90, SRMR = 0.06. Most participants (73.6%) considered specific mental illnesses, with bipolar disorder, depression, and schizophrenia most common. Some found challenges defining mental illness. Comparing structures of a widely cited tool and identifying what respondents think about while completing the scale assists the many researchers using the CAMI. This clarifies our understanding of community stigma and improves our capacity to reduce it.

This study examined associations between COVID-19 stress and the utilization of engaged and disengaged coping responses among diverse Black youth during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the role of mentor social-emotional support was tested as a moderator of these associations. Participants were 1232 youth ages 11 to 18 year old from the United States who identified as Black/African American. Analyses indicated that COVID-19 stress was positively associated with both engaged and disengaged coping. Results also showed a significant interaction between COVID-19 stress and mentor social-emotional support in the prediction of engaged coping, such that COVID-19 stress positively predicted engaged coping more pronouncedly at lower levels of mentor support than at higher levels of mentor support. Similarly, there was also a significant interaction between COVID-19 stress and mentor social-emotional support in predicting disengaged coping, such that at low levels of mentor support, COVID-19 stress was marginally associated with disengaged coping. At high levels of mentor support, COVID-19 stress was no longer significantly associated with disengaged coping. The current study highlights that the social-emotional support of mentors can attend to the psychosocial strengths of Black youth even in the face of concurrent, ongoing stressors.

Few homeless-experienced individuals use vocational rehabilitation services. Using qualitative methods, as part of a pilot study at VA Greater Los Angeles (GLA), we characterized the perspectives of homeless-experienced persons and homeless program staff on vocational services. We also explored relationships among employment, housing, and well-being in this group. We interviewed homeless-experienced persons enrolled in vocational rehabilitation services embedded in GLA's permanent supportive housing program (PSH) (n = 19); as well as vocational rehabilitation staff (n = 10). Interviews were analyzed using rapid qualitative methods. Our analysis found that embedding vocational services within PSH enabled easy access, continual support, and care coordination, but there was a mismatch between job opportunities and consumers' employment preferences and goals. Employment positively impacted quality of life and recovery. In conclusion, increase vocational service use among homeless-experienced persons, integrating vocational services within PSH programs may improve access. PSH consumers desired tailored services, with meaningful vocational options aligned with their professional goals.

This study explores the development of adult mentors participating in a summer youth program, focusing on how mentoring relationships and shared activities with youth impact mentors' personal and professional growth. The analysis integrates focus group data and participant observations collected over the course of the weeklong program to identify key themes. Findings reveal that affirming mentor-youth connections within the program's youth-initiated, collaborative mentoring model enhanced mentors' sense of hope, purpose, and well-being. However, role ambiguity, particularly around how to collaborate with other adults to support youth, generated challenges for mentors. These insights contribute to the understanding of adult mentor development and adjustment and provide practical recommendations for designing youth programs that foster growth for both mentors and mentees.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been one of the most significant public health events in human history. Domestic violence cases surged globally during the COVID-19 pandemic. In Taiwan, this trend was particularly evident, with a year-over-year increase in reported cases. This study aims to investigate the complex dynamics of domestic violence in Taiwan during the COVID-19 pandemic through the lens of Complexity Theory. The researcher employed a qualitative case study method and conducted semistructured interviews with four participants. A cross-case analysis revealed four themes illustrating polymorphic correlations of factors and five themes related to self-organizing behaviors. This study amplifies the voices of domestic violence victims during the COVID-19 pandemic and offers insights into the intricate dynamics between domestic violence incidents and disasters, individuals, and systems. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

Research suggests that Muslim women wearing the hijab may be particularly vulnerable to the experiences of stigmatization as the hijab represents a dominant marker of "otherness." Using the relational demography perspective, this paper explored the viewpoints of hijab and non-hijab-wearing Muslim women in Delhi regarding the different forms of discrimination and/or social isolation they may have experienced. Thematic analysis was used to explore the participant's narratives, gathered by means of six focus group discussions (n = 38). For the hijab-wearing group, two emergent themes were evident: "Journey of my hijab" and "The two sides of the hijab." For the non-hijab-wearing group, the emergent themes included: "My name is (un)safe" and "Not Muslim enough." The study findings can inform the development of intervention strategies to integrate the community more meaningfully by preventing "othering" and providing agency and autonomy.

This study aims to explore the association between community-based social capital, namely clan identity and sense of community (SOC), and perceived neighbourhood walkability (PNW) in relation to depressive symptoms among rural older adults in urbanisation. A sample of 489 older adults in an urbanising county of Western China participated and moderated mediation analysis was utilised. PNW was negatively associated with depressive symptoms, and SOC mediated the focal association. Moreover, clan identity was found as a moderator of the direct effect of PNW on depressive symptoms as well as on the indirect effect of the association through SOC. Specifically, the negative role of higher PNW on depressive symptoms was observed for older adults without clan identity. Also, clan identity significantly buffered the positive association between PNW and SOC. The study revealed the significant role of community-based social capital in the association between PNW and depressive symptoms among the elderly experiencing urbanisation.

The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly impacted population mental health worldwide. Few studies examined how the neighborhood environment and online social connections might influence the social gradient in mental health during the pandemic lockdown. We aim to examine the moderating and mediating role of neighborhood environment and online social connections in the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and mental health outcomes. We conducted a cross-sectional online survey of 3763 Shanghai residents during the COVID-19 lockdown between April 29 and June 1, 2022. Employing OLS linear regression analyses, our findings reveal that SES was negatively associated with depressive symptoms (B = 0.173, p < 0.001) and anxiety (B = 0.147, p < 0.001). The findings supported our hypotheses that this disparity in mental health was partially mediated by neighborhood social capital, community management, and the extent of online social connections measured by the frequency of social connection through the social media WeChat (all p < 0.05). Additionally, neighborhood social capital, community management, and online social connections also mitigated SES-driven mental health inequalities (all p < 0.05). The study underscores the significance of the neighborhood environment and online social interactions in amplifying SES-related mental health effects, offering valuable insights for urban planning and health equity strategies.

Neighborhood factors and the built environment (e.g., sidewalks, bike lanes and public transportation) are important social determinants of mental health. Yet scarce research explores their impact on Latinx mental health in Colonias (unincorporated, rural communities with limited access to basic utilities like water and electricity) along the U.S.-Mexico border. Secondary analysis of baseline data from a promotora-led, physical activity intervention in Colonias examined relationships between neighborhood environment and mental health among Spanish-speaking Latinas (N = 620) mostly born in Mexico (86%). The Physical Activity Neighborhood Environment Scale (PANES) assesses the perceived neighborhood environment such as neighborhood safety, infrastructure, and access to destinations. Multivariate linear regressions assessed associations between the PANES, the Built Environment Index (BEI), stress (PSS-10) and depression (CESD-10), controlling for age, marital status, education, income, and nativity. Most participants (90%) reported moderate to high stress (PSS ≥ 14), and approximately 30% were at risk for clinical depression (CESD ≥ 10). Analyses indicated that higher PANES total scores were significantly associated with lower depression (β = -0.88, p < 0.05) and stress (β = -1.67, p < 0.001). Similarly, higher BEI total scores were significantly associated with lower stress (β = -0.53, p < 0.001). Individual BEI items, including greater housing density (β = -1.26) and neighborhood access to recreation facilities (β = -0.97), were significantly associated with lower depression scores (p < 0.05). The built environment had a significant impact on mental health among Latinas residing in Colonias. Neighborhood density and access to recreation facilities were particularly important, potentially serving as protective factors for mental health. Investment in the built environment in Colonias could improve mental health.

The purpose of the present interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) study was to understand how military service members and veterans (MSMVs) make sense of their reintegration experiences following deployment. IPA provides the ability to gain a deeper understanding of a shared experience, or phenomenon, such as reintegration following deployment. Data collection involved semi-structured interviews via Zoom. Participants included seven men and three women who met eligibility criteria. The present study provides important insights into how MSMVs make sense of their reintegration experiences following deployment through exploration of transitional challenges, transitional support aspects, and growth through deployment experiences, as well as the urgent need for comprehensive community-based, growth-focused initiatives to support their reintegration following deployment.

The purpose of this study was to describe and evaluate the implementation of the Chicago Parent Program (CPP) in a community setting. Included are details of the co-designed implementation by academic and community partners, and parenting and child behavior outcomes. Two hundred eighty caregivers of children aged 2-5 years participated in the CPP in seven community sites. Measures of parenting and child behavior were administered at pre-intervention, post-intervention, and 3-month follow-up. Caregivers reported broad improvements in parenting and child behavior from pre-intervention through 3-month follow-up. No effects were found for attendance, COVID-19 exposure, and remote versus in-person delivery. The CPP was successfully implemented in a community setting and demonstrated significant changes in parenting and child behavior.

Via observational data from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods collected between 1994 and 2001, this study examined the degree to which neighborhood disorder, collective efficacy, and youth-centered institutional resources are directly associated with adolescents' depressive symptoms across time, and the mediating role of adolescents'neighborhood self-efficacy. Latent variable structural equation models were estimated among an unweighted representative sample of 1448 adolescents (59% male, mean age 15.19), across 79 neighborhoods in Chicago, to examine the direct effects of neighborhood disorder, collective efficacy, and availability of youth-centered resources at baseline (measured at timepoint 1; reported by an independent sample of Chicago adults) on adolescents' depressive symptoms (measured a timepoint 3), and the mediating effect of adolescents' neighborhood-anchored self-efficacy (measured at timepoint 2). Indirect effects were assessed using bootstrap testing. Adolescents' neighborhood self-efficacy partially mediated the effects of greater social and physical neighborhood disorder (indirect β = 0.03, 95% CI [0.008, 0.075]) and less availability of neighborhood youth-centered resources (indirect β = -0.01, 95% CI [-0.030, -0.001]) on depressive symptoms over time. Adolescents who perceived themselves to have greater neighborhood self-efficacy reported lower levels of depressive symptoms across time (β = -0.13, 95% CI [-0.24, -0.03]), as did those in neighborhoods with greater availability of youth-centered resources (β = -0.11, 95% CI [-0.19, -0.03]). Those living in neighborhoods with more disorder reported lower neighborhood self-efficacy (β = -0.24, 95% CI [-0.36, -0.11]). Neighborhood-anchored self-efficacy may be one mechanism by which adolescents internalize their neighborhood environments in ways that, over time, affect depressive symptoms. Interventions aimed at fostering community environments that nurture opportunities for youth to build efficaciousness may be promising for mitigating adolescent depression.

Using data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study (n = 3928), we examined how police contact relates to sleep problems, anxiety, and depressive symptoms during middle adolescence (M age = 14.09; SD = 0.68). Consistent with racialized disparities in the presence of police in schools and communities, descriptive data revealed that Black children, particularly boys, reported more positive and negative contact with police than other children. Results of regression analyses that adjusted for potential selection factors further revealed that negative interactions with police were associated with increased risk for sleep disturbances and/or internalizing symptoms among White boys, Black girls, and Hispanic youth. Contact with police was not, however, associated with outcomes assessed here for White girls or Black boys, findings that likely reflect fundamentally different lived experiences with police, gendered racial socialization processes, and access to social support that warrant continued investigation in future research.

To explore the impact of perceived environmental pollution on individual depression risk and the mechanisms involved, particularly the mediating roles of health level and life confidence. Ordinary least squares, Ologit, and Oprobit models were employed to analyze data from the 2020 China Family Panel Studies to test the hypothesized relations outlined above. The findings indicate that perceived environmental pollution significantly increases depression risk (β = 0.052, p < 0.01). Both health level and life confidence serve as mediators in this relationship, forming a serial mediation mechanism. This study reveals the negative impact of perceived environmental pollution on mental health. It emphasizes the importance of improving public health levels and life confidence and provides an evidence base for related policies.