Latino girls (Latinas) experience disproportionate rates of emotional distress, including suicidal ideation, which may be indicative of inadequate coping abilities. Prevention of mental health problems, a U.S. public health priority, is particularly critical for Latina adolescents due to lack of access to mental health treatments. The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility of Project Wings, a 14-session stress management/coping intervention. Latinas in school (ages 15−21) met weekly for 2-hr with two bilingual experienced facilitators to participate in sharing circles, relaxation exercise, and skill building. Intervention participation and post-intervention focus group data were analyzed. Fall semester intervention (n = 10) occurred during school (72% attendance rate); spring semester intervention (n = 11) was after school (84% attendance rate). Focus group data confirmed acceptability. Latina adolescents will participate in a school-based, group-based stress management/coping intervention. The findings offer insights about intervention recruitment and retention that are specifically relevant to school nurses. Future research includes intervention testing using a randomized study design.
AlegriaM.CaninoG.ShroutP. E.WooM.DuanN.VilaD.. (2008). Prevalence of mental illness in immigrant and non-immigrant U.S. Latino groups. American Journal of Psychiatry, 165, 359–369.
BernatD.ResnickM. (2006). Healthy youth development: Science and strategies. Journal of Public Health Management Practice, November Supplement, S10–S16.
4.
BruzzeseJ.UnikelL.GallagherR.EvansD.CollandV. (2008). Feasibility and impact of a school-based intervention for families of urban adolescents with asthma: Results from a randomized pilot trial. Family Process, 47, 95–113.
5.
Center for Mental Health in Schools. (2007). Suicide prevention in schools. A center policy issues analysis brief. California University, Los Angeles. Retrieved May 8, 2008, from http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/policyissues/suicide/pdf
6.
ChoiH.MeiningerJ. C.RobertsR. E. (2006). Ethnic differences in adolescents' mental distress, social stress, and resources. Adolescence, 41, 263–283.
7.
CoatsworthJ. D.DuncanL. G.PantinH.SzapocznikJ. (2006). Retaining ethnic minority parents in a preventive intervention: The quality of group process. Journal of Primary Prevention, 27, 367–389.
8.
CohenS.KamarckT.MermelsteinR. (2004). Perceived stress scale—“English.”. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 9, 129–146.
9.
Department of Health and Human Services. (2001). Mental health: Culture, race, and ethnicity. A Supplement to Mental Health: A report of the Surgeon General. Washington, DC: Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Public Health Service.
10.
DishionT. J.KavanaghK. (2003). Intervening in adolescent problem behavior. A family-centered approach. New York: The Guilford Press.
11.
DuntonG. F.SchneiderM.CooperD. M. (2007). Factors predicting behavioral response to a physical activity intervention among adolescent females. American Journal of Health Behavior, 31, 411–422.
12.
EdwardsL. M.RomeroA. J. (2008). Coping with discrimination among Mexican descent adolescents. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 30, 24–39.
13.
ElderJ. P.ShulerL.MoeS. G.GrieserM.PrattC.CameronS.. (2008). Recruiting a diverse group of middle school girls into the trial of activity for adolescent girls. Journal of School Health, 78(10), 523–531.
14.
GarciaC.LindgrenS. (2009). “Life Grows Between the Rocks” Latino adolescents' and parents' perspectives on mental health stressors. Research in Nursing and Health, 32, 148–162.
15.
GarciaC.SkayC.SievingR.NaughtonS.BearingerL. (2008). Family and racial factors associated with suicide and emotional distress among Latino students. Journal of School Health, 78, 487–495.
GuszkowskaM. (2005). Physical fitness as a resource in coping with stress among high school students. Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 45, 105–111.
18.
IrvineA. (2005). Girls circle: Summary of outcomes for girls in the juvenile justice system. Ceres Policy Research. Retrieved May 8, 2008, from http://www.girlscircle.com/docs/Final_Report.pdf
19.
KelleyT. M. (2003). Health realization: A principle-based psychology of positive youth development. Child & Youth Forum, 32, 47–72.
20.
KirschbaumC.HellhammerD. H. (1994). Salivary cortisol in psychoneuroendocrine research: Recent developments and applications. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 19, 313–333.
21.
KnopfD.ParkM. J.MulyeT. (2008). The mental health of adolescents: A national profile, 2008. San Francisco: National Adolescent Health Information Center.
22.
McNairD. N.LorrM.DropplemanL. (2005). Profile of mood states—“Spanish.”. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 73, 272–283.
23.
MikolajczykR. T.BredehorstM.KhelaifatN.MaierC.MaxwellA. E. (2007). Correlates of depressive symptoms among Latino and non-Latino White adolescents: Findings from the 2003 California Health Interview Durvey. BMC Public Health, 7, 21.
24.
MorganD. (1998). The focus group guidebook. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
25.
Mulvaney-DayN. E.RappaportN.AlegriaM.CodianneL. M. (2006). Developing systems interventions in a school setting: An application of community-based participatory research for mental health. Ethnicity & Disease, 16, S107–S117.
26.
National Institute of Mental Health. (2005). Center for epidemiologic studies depression scale—“English.”. Psychosomatic Medicine, 67, 1006–1012.
27.
OlshanskyE. (2005). Toward alleviating health disparities through collaboration. Journal of Professional Nursing, 21, 197–198.
28.
PantinH.CoatsworthJ. D.FeasterD. J.NewmanF. L.BrionesE.PradoG.. (2003). Familias Unidas: The efficacy of an intervention to promote parental investment in Hispanic immigrant families. Prevention Science, 4, 189–201.
29.
PantinH.SchwartzS. J.SullivanS.PradoG.SzapocznikJ. (2004). Ecodevelopmental HIV prevention programs for Hispanic adolescents. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 74, 545–558.
30.
PattersonJ. M.McCubbinH. I.NeedleR. H. (1985). Adolescent-coping orientation for problem experiences—“English.”. Family Relations, 34, 51–62.
PuskarK.SereikaS.Tusaie-MumfordK. (2003). Effect of the teaching kids to cope (TKC) program on outcomes of depression and coping among rural adolescents. Journal of Child & Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing, 16, 71–80.
RodriguezM. C.MorrobelD. (2004). A review of Latino youth development research and a call for an asset orientation. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 26, 107–127.
35.
ScheierM. F.CarverC. S.BridgesM. W. (1994). Distinguishing optimism from neuroticism (and trait anxiety, self-mastery, and self-esteem): A reevaluation of the Life Orientation Test. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 67, 1063–1078.
36.
SedgemanJ. A. (2005). Health Realization/Innate health: Can a quiet mind and a positive feeling state be accessible over the lifespan without stress-relief techniques?Medical Science Monitor, 11, HY47–HY52.
37.
TackerK. A.DobieS. (2008). MasterMind: Empower yourself with mental health. A program for adolescents. Journal of School Health, 78, 54–57.
38.
Umana-TaylorA. J.Vargas-ChanesD.GarciaC. D.Gonzales-BackenM. (2008). A longitudinal examination of Latino adolescents' ethnic identity, coping with discrimination, and self-esteem. Journal of Early Adolescence, 28, 16–50.
