Preventing Adolescent Depression and Suicide Among Latinas

Andrea J. Romero, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor with joint appointments in Family Studies & Human Development, and Mexican American and Raza Studies at the University of Arizona. She has affiliated positions in the Psychology Department, Latin American Studies, Women's Studies, and Public Health. She received her doctorate in Social Psychology from the University of Houston in 1997 with a minor in Quantitative Methods. She then worked at Stanford University in the Stanford Center for Research and Disease Prevention for 2 ½ years on prevention of obesity and substance use among minority children. Dr. Romero has focused her research career on understanding cultural strengths of ethnic minority adolescents and how they relate to health disparities. She has published several articles that investigate the risk and protective factors embedded in families, ethnic identity, discrimination and neighborhoods. A central element of Dr. Romero's research approach is that of participatory action research, which is done in dialogue and collaboration with community members. Over the past 10 years Dr. Romero has been working with the South Tucson Prevention Coalition to address underage drinking and prevention of HIV/AIDS. She conducts professional reviews for the National Institutes of Health, Ford Foundation, and several peer reviewed journals. Dr. Romero has received federal funded grants to conduct research on substance use and HIV prevention programs for middle school aged Latino adolescents. She advocates for equal rights at her institution of higher education as a leader of the Association for Women Faculty, Diversity Coalition, and Minority Women Faculty. Dr. Romero continues to be active in the National Association for Chicana and Chicano Studies and in the National Latino/a Psychological Association.

Since the 1960s, in comparison to other ethnic and gender groups , a higher rate of depression and suicide ideation has been documented for Latina girls. This Brief offers a concise summary of contemporary research on this critical topic. Among the considerations are the influence of bullying, families, immigration, and culture on Latina adolescent mental health. Presenting cutting-edge multiracial feminist frameworks for new and existing empirical findings, this book serves to guide the future research agenda on this topic. Clinical recommendations are also included.

Includes new qualitative and quantitative findings with adolescent girls?

Introduction.- Epidemiological Findings.- State-level Investigation - Bullying Case Study, Arizona.- Multiracial Feminist Framework.- Specific Focus on Discrimination.- Family and Gender.- Voices of Latina Girls.- Future Research Agenda.- Clinical Recommendations