Indo-Caribbean Immigrants' Well-being: An Intersectional Exploration of the Social Determinants of Health on an Under-studied Population

There is growing research that is examining the impact of social-economic inequities on peoples health and well-being. While there is an increased focus on the pathways between inequities, and health and well-being, there is a lack of research that specifically addresses how societal power structures cause these inequities and how peoples intersecting social identities are impacted differently by power structures. Health research predominantly focuses on identity variables as being categorical rather than interconnected. However, a categorical and disconnected focus limits the understanding of how peoples lived experiences are impacted by interconnected social and economic inequities. With a social determinants of health (SDOH)-intersectional framework, this qualitative study explored the pathways between Canadian power structures that result in social-economic inequities, and how these inequities impact peoples well-being on the basis of their intersecting identities that include being a first-generation immigrant, a visible minority, and of Indo-Caribbean ethnicity. Examining Indo-Caribbean immigrants settlement experiences with an intersectional lens will both deepen and broaden the understanding of how power structures impact their settlement and well-being experiences. Individual interviews (n = 31) and 2 group interviews (n = 3; n = 2) were thematically analyzed. Themes relating to power-over, power-with and power-within in the context of SDOH were identified. Power-over themes included language challenges, deskilling and survival employment, and perceived discrimination. Gender-specific power-over themes included skilled males work-life imbalance and post-secondary educated males job promotion discrimination. Power-with and power-within themes included settlement support from family and friends. Gender specific power-with and power-within themes included male youths sense of belonging through sport and female mothers sense of independence and accomplishment from work. These findings provide new understanding regarding how nativist power structures result in the dismissal of Indo-Caribbean immigrants cultural capital. Findings also indicate how Indo-Caribbean immigrants utilize power-with and power-within to socially progress in the face of these inequities. This study contributes to a shift from focusing on singular identity factors to simultaneously including intersecting multiple identities when examining inequities and well-being. This shift will contribute to new understandings and will serve to better inform policies that aim to reduce structural barriers

Heart rate variability is enhanced in controls but not maladaptive perfectionists during brief mindfulness meditation following stress-induction: A stratified-randomized trial

Heart rate variability (HRV) is a vagal nerve-mediated biomarker of cardiac function used to investigate chronic illness, psychopathology, stress and, more recently, attention-regulation processes such as meditation. This study investigated HRV in relation to maladaptive perfectionism, a stress-related personality factor, and mindfulness meditation, a stress coping practice expected to elevate HRV, and thereby promote relaxation. Maladaptive perfectionists (n=21) and Controls (n=39) were exposed to a lab-based assessment in which HRV was measured during (1) a 5-minute baseline resting phase, (2) a 5-minute cognitive stress-induction phase, and (3) a post-stress phase. In the post-stress phase, participants were randomly assigned to a 10-minute audio instructed mindfulness meditation condition or a 10-minute rest condition with audio-description of mindfulness meditation. Analyses revealed a significant elevation in HRV during meditation for Controls but not for Perfectionists. These results suggest that mindfulness meditation promotes relaxation following cognitive stress and that the perfectionist personality hinders relaxation possibly because of decreased cardiac vagal tone. The results are discussed in the context of developing psychophysiological models to advance therapeutic interventions for distressed populations.The authors have no conflicts of interest: they have no financial or personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence their work. The authors gratefully acknowledge the assistance of all persons and volunteers whose participation was essential in the successful completion of the study. The authors would also like to thank Professor John B. Allen for his advice on HRV analysis, and the Statistical Consulting Service offered by the Institute for Social Research at York University. Joel Katz is supported by a Canadian Institutes of Health Research Canada Research Chair in Health Psychology

Mindfulness as an Alternative for Supporting University Student Mental Health: Cognitive-Emotional and Depressive Self-Criticism Measures

Increases in university-based mental health problems require alternative mental health programs, applicable to students with elevated psychological risks due to personality traits. This study examined the cognitive-emotional outcomes of a university mindfulness meditation (MM) program and their relationship with Self-Criticism (SC), a personality factor linked to depressive vulnerability. University students (n = 71) were assessed at baseline with the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire (DEQ), a measure of depressive personality traits, and two outcome measures: Profile of Mood States (POMS) and Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI). Students attending the MM program were reassessed for outcomes at 3 follow up assessments over 2 semesters. Repeated measures analyses of variance revealed improved within-subjects effects with large or very large effect sizes for the subsample that completed the MM program (n = 18) on the POMS Tension-Anxiety, POMS Depression, POMS Fatigue, and Anxiety Sensitivity Index. Multiple linear regression using self-criticism as a predictor of change in depressed mood revealed that higher self-criticism predicted greater reductions in POMS Depression. This study provides evidence for MM-related cognitive-emotional benefits, suggesting that students with elevated self-critical traits may derive exceptional benefits evident in greater reductions of depressed mood

Mindfulness as an Alternative for Supporting University Student Mental Health: Cognitive-Emotional and Depressive Self-Criticism Measures

Increases in university-based mental health problems require alternative mental health programs, applicable to students with elevated psychological risks due to personality traits. This study examined the cognitive-emotional outcomes of a university mindfulness meditation (MM) program and their relationship with Self-Criticism (SC), a personality factor linked to depressive vulnerability. University students (n = 71) were assessed at baseline with the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire (DEQ), a measure of depressive personality traits, and two outcome measures: Profile of Mood States (POMS) and Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI). Students attending the MM program were reassessed for outcomes at 3 follow up assessments over 2 semesters. Repeated measures analyses of variance revealed improved within-subjects effects with large or very large effect sizes for the subsample that completed the MM program (n = 18) on the POMS Tension-Anxiety, POMS Depression, POMS Fatigue, and Anxiety Sensitivity Index. Multiple linear regression using self-criticism as a predictor of change in depressed mood revealed that higher self-criticism predicted greater reductions in POMS Depression. This study provides evidence for MM-related cognitive-emotional benefits, suggesting that students with elevated self-critical traits may derive exceptional benefits evident in greater reductions of depressed mood