The college environment presents risks for the development of mental and behavioral problems, alcohol and drug use, and nicotine dependence for those in late adolescence (e.g., Hingson et al. 2002). This """"""""new"""""""" environment can be especially challenging for individuals from underrepresented groups (i.e., ethnic minorities), who typically experience poorer mental health outcomes and increased drop-out rates. Scarce research has been conducted on ethnic minority individuals that explains or predicts mental health and health behavior outcomes with psychosocial variables, such as coping. Therefore, the goals of the proposed study are four-fold: (a) to develop a predictive model of the stress and coping process within each ethnic minority group, (b) to make between-ethnic group comparisons (including comparisons to Caucasians) to evaluate the similarities and differences of these predictive models, (c) to test severity and frequency of stressors experienced by adolescents in each ethnic group, as well as related coping preferences and psychological health/health behavior outcomes; and (d) to test whether coping styles differentially moderate the relationship between stress and alcohol use dependent upon coping style and the type of stressor experienced. Using an internet-based daily diary approach, 300 ethnic minority (Mexican Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans) and 100 Caucasian participants will complete measures that assess daily stressors, the specific coping strategies employed to deal with stressors, and indices of psychological health and health behaviors over the course of 5 consecutive days. In addition, participants will complete measures of daily alcohol use. Because of the nested nature of this data, hierarchical linear modeling will be employed to examine the proposed relations. The findings from the proposed research will have important clinical implications that reflect the NIMH priorities. Specifically, predictive models will identify both maladaptive/adaptive coping repertoires within specific minority adolescent ethnic groups, thus informing both clinicians and intervention researchers who emphasize coping skills training and psychological health. Moreover, the proposed research is also important because specific coping styles, cultural values, and combinations thereof, might identify individuals who are particularly prone to use maladaptive coping strategies and engage in risky health behaviors. The proposed research will evaluate the relationship between daily stress, coping, and indices of psychological health and health behaviors in several minority adolescent groups. The findings will assist with identifying """"""""at-risk"""""""" youth and inform future intervention and treatment programs. ? ? ? ? ?
