Mexican immigrant parents and their children encounter multiple stressors as their families adapt to life in the US, placing the children at risk for depressive symptoms, poor health self concept and poor school work habits. Research shows that affirming; less incendiary (harsh, inciting conflict) family communication patterns may be protective for children against stressors and accompanying depressive symptoms. However, to date, there are no parent-child communication programs designed for Mexican immigrant families of school-aged children. The proposed study addresses this gap by (a) partnering with a Mexican immigrant parent and child advisory committee to adapt an established 6-week parent-child communication program, Mission Possible: Parents and Kids Who Listen (MP), and (b) assessing its feasibility for use with Mexican immigrant mothers and their 4th 6th grade children for strengthening communication prior to the onset of adolescence. Guided by the Mexican American Mental Health Promotion Model for Children, the proposed study will take place in 2 phases. Phase 1 includes working in partnership with a 16 member Mexican immigrant mother and child advisory committee to adapt the 6 week MP Program so that it is culturally relevant for Mexican immigrant mothers and their children. Based on the recommendations of the advisory group, the adapted program will use a variety of culturally compatible strategies to foster skills for improved mother- child dyad communication. In Phase 2, we will pilot the feasibility of implementing the MP-adapted program with 72 Mexican immigrant mother- child dyads. Four schools serving 4th-6th grade children in Chicago will be matched and randomly assigned to intervention (MP-adapted) and control (no intervention) conditions. Background variables (acculturative stress, maternal depressive symptoms, demographic variables), mother-child communication (affirming communication, incendiary communication, and problem-solving skills), and child mental health (depressive symptoms, health self-concept, and school work habits) will be assessed at baseline, post- intervention (6 weeks), and 24 weeks post-baseline. The 6 week program will be conducted by a bilingual school nurse in groups of 9 mothers -child dyads. Feasibility of the MP-adapted program will assessed by number of sessions attended, reasons for non-attendance, parent-child satisfaction, and improvements in mother-child communication patterns and child mental health outcomes. Relevance: The goal of this study is to develop a culturally relevant program for Mexican immigrant mothers and their children by enhancing mother-child communication and improving the mental health outcomes of their children. This goal is highly consistent with the known centrality and value of family in the Mexican culture. 7.
This research is designed to promote mental health for school aged children of Mexican immigrant women a population known to experience high rates of depressive symptoms. Based on a large body of research showing the positive influence of affirming mother-child communication on the mental health of children, this study proposes to adapt a mother-child communication program specifically for Mexican immigrant mothers and their children. ? ? ?
| McNaughton, Diane B; Cowell, Julia Muennich; Fogg, Louis (2015) Efficacy of a Latino mother-child communication intervention in elementary schools. J Sch Nurs 31:126-34 |
| McNaughton, Diane B; Cowell, Julia Muennich; Fogg, Louis (2014) Adaptation and feasibility of a communication intervention for Mexican immigrant mothers and children in a school setting. J Sch Nurs 30:103-13 |
