Major Depressive
Disorder is a prevalent and pervasive problem in the United States, and this
mental disorder disproportionately affects adolescents of color. In particular,
there is little research understanding how Hispanic/Latinx adolescents utilize
and engage with mental health services, such as psychotherapy, to reduce their
symptoms of depression, including factors that are positively and negatively
related to engagement. As such, the aims of this study were to understand
whether there were any relationships between presenting characteristics of adolescents
seeking therapy for depression and their subsequent engagement with therapeutic
services, with a focus on analyses examining trends in Hispanic/Latinx
adolescents. To investigate these aims, we utilized data from a pilot study in
which adolescents (n=42) received a mind-body intervention for depression
called Mind-Body Skills Groups. We examined possible relationships between
depression severity, age, Hispanic/Latinx background, and their interactions
with engagement, as measured by attendance rates, self-reported motivation, and
at-home skills practice. We hypothesized that high depression severity, high
age, and being Hispanic/Latinx would all negatively influence engagement; we
also hypothesized the depression-engagement and age-engagement relationships would
be moderated by Hispanic/Latinx background. Results revealed initial relationships between
lower age and being Hispanic/Latinx with higher attendance rates; depression
severity was not related to attendance. When these relationships were further
analyzed using hierarchical regression, no significant relationships between
predictor and outcomes variables, as well as their interactions, were
discovered. In an exploratory analysis investigating factors of adolescent
depression using subscales, greater interpersonal problems predicted higher
attendance rates. Results are interpreted relative to limitations of the small
sample size and possible measurement concerns within this study, including a
discussion of possible ways to improve related studies on Hispanic/Latinx youth
in the future.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:purdue.edu/oai:figshare.com:article/15025419 |
| Date | 06 August 2021 |
| Creators | Eduardo Francisco Salgado (11160333) |
| Source Sets | Purdue University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, Thesis |
| Rights | CC BY 4.0 |
| Relation | https://figshare.com/articles/thesis/DIFFERENTIAL_FACTORS_INFLUENCING_HISPANIC_LATINX_ADOLESCENT_ENGAGEMENT_IN_MIND-BODY_SKILLS_GROUPS_FOR_DEPRESSION/15025419 |
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