New research from Fordham GSS Assistant Professor Jenn Lilly, Ph.D., examines the factors influencing Latina young people’s mental health views, uncovering a novel theoretical construct in the process.
The article, “‘I Learned to Bottle Up My Feelings From a Young Age’: A Narrative Analysis of Latina Young People’s Family Mental Health Socialization,” was published in Families in Society this January.
The study analyzed 25 participants’ narratives and revealed that Latina young people described three stages in the development of their mental health-related beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors:
- undergoing a process of family mental health socialization
- suffering in silence
- attaining a new perspective
Lilly’s research uncovered a novel theoretical construct, “family mental health socialization,” which “elucidates how young people internalize mental health-related beliefs, behaviors, and norms within their cultural and family context.” Results found that social workers should include the need for culturally sensitive, family-centered interventions that promote open communication about mental health in their practice.
