Lemon Emily D, Ruiz Kenia, Ling Audrey, Campos Jonathan Peraza, Roche Kathleen M, Suglia Shakira, Livingston Melvin, Woods-Jaeger Briana
Department of Health Promotion and Behavioral Science, UTHealth Houston School of Public Health in Brownsville, Brownsville, Texas, USA.
Department of Behavioral, Social and Health Education Sciences, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Am J Community Psychol. 2025 Jun;75(3-4):433-446. doi: 10.1002/ajcp.12812. Epub 2025 Apr 22.
Latinx adolescents, representing 25% of the U.S. child population, face significant mental health challenges due to aggressive immigration enforcement and policies rooted in racism, nativism, and ethnocentrism. These systemic issues contribute to increased rates of sadness, hopelessness, and suicidal behaviors among Latinx adolescents. Addressing this crisis requires interventions that mitigate the harms of these policies and promote youth voice and agency to foster resilience and resistance and, ultimately, liberation from oppression. This study explores how Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) can empower Latinx immigrant youth to build resilience and resist oppressive systems threatening their well-being. Using a grounded theory qualitative approach, we examined the PARA Jóvenes YPAR project, which engaged 10 Latinx immigrant youth from a community with a history of aggressive immigration enforcement. Through triangulating in-depth interviews, facilitator reflections, and photovoice transcripts, we identified key YPAR components-near-peer mentorship, community building, cultural affirmation, creative expression, and critical inquiry-that promoted and supported youth in developing critical consciousness, cultural authenticity, self-knowledge, and connectedness. This study highlights the transformative potential of YPAR to promote mental health and liberation for Latinx immigrant youth impacted by immigration policies. It underscores the need for further research on its efficacy as an intervention.
拉丁裔青少年占美国儿童人口的25%，由于激进的移民执法以及植根于种族主义、本土主义和民族中心主义的政策，他们面临着重大的心理健康挑战。这些系统性问题导致拉丁裔青少年中悲伤、绝望和自杀行为的发生率上升。应对这一危机需要采取干预措施，减轻这些政策的危害，促进青年发声并赋予其权力，以培养复原力和抵抗力，并最终从压迫中解放出来。本研究探讨了青年参与式行动研究（YPAR）如何能够增强拉丁裔移民青年的能力，以建立复原力并抵抗威胁他们福祉的压迫性制度。我们采用扎根理论定性研究方法，考察了“为了青年的PARA YPAR项目”，该项目让来自一个有激进移民执法历史社区的10名拉丁裔移民青年参与其中。通过对深度访谈、促进者反思和照片声音转录本进行三角互证，我们确定了YPAR的关键组成部分——近龄同伴指导、社区建设、文化肯定、创造性表达和批判性探究，这些促进并支持青年培养批判意识、文化本真性、自我认知和联系感。本研究凸显了YPAR对受移民政策影响的拉丁裔移民青年促进心理健康和解放的变革潜力。它强调了进一步研究其作为一种干预措施的有效性的必要性。
