Diversity Issues in Pediatric Behavioral Health Care

Youth from racial/ethnic, sexual, and gender minority groups have significant disparities in health and mental health outcomes. While the literature suggests that evidence-based cognitive behavioral therapies benefit youth and families with minority or marginalized status, less research has focused specifically on these populations in pediatric behavioral health care. Existing evidence pointing to the potential positive impact of pediatric psychologists working with marginalized communities including racial/ethnic minority and LGBTQ youth will be reviewed, along with a brief discussion of the relevance of culturally adapted or tailored interventions in pediatric behavioral health care. Important considerations for practitioners working with minority or marginalized youth and families will be discussed, including issues of mistrust, stigma, and accessibility of services.https://nsuworks.nova.edu/cps_facbooks/1668/thumbnail.jp

Disability Among Native-born and Foreign-born Blacks in the United States

Using the 5% Public Use Micro Data Sample (PUMS) from the 2000 U.S. census, we examine differences in disability among eight black subgroups distinguished by place of birth and Hispanic ethnicity. We found that all foreign-born subgroups reported lower levels of physical activity limitations and personal care limitations than native-born blacks. Immigrants from Africa reported lowest levels of disability, followed by non-Hispanic immigrants from the Caribbean. Sociodemographic characteristics and timing of immigration explained the differences between these two groups. The foreign-born health advantage was most evident among the least-educated except among immigrants from Europe/Canada, who also reported the highest levels of disability among the foreign-born. Hispanic identification was associated with poorer health among both native-born and foreign-born blacks

Importance of investing in adolescence from a developmental science perspective.

This review summarizes the case for investing in adolescence as a period of rapid growth, learning, adaptation, and formational neurobiological development. Adolescence is a dynamic maturational period during which young lives can pivot rapidly-in both negative and positive directions. Scientific progress in understanding adolescent development provides actionable insights into windows of opportunity during which policies can have a positive impact on developmental trajectories relating to health, education, and social and economic success. Given current global changes and challenges that affect adolescents, there is a compelling need to leverage these advances in developmental science to inform strategic investments in adolescent health