What is Community Psychology?
Social justice. Action-oriented research. Global in nature. Influencing public policy. Working for empowerment. Multidisciplinary in focus. Celebrating culture. Preventing harm. Behavior in context. Social action. Supporting community strengths. Reducing oppression. Promoting well-being. Scientific inquiry. Honoring human rights. Respecting diversity.
Community psychology goes beyond an individual focus and integrates social, cultural, economic, political, environmental, and international influences to promote positive change, health, and empowerment at individual and systemic levels.
Featured New Content
Brief Report: Analyzing Radical Self-Care Origins and Community Self-Care Practice
Posted in: Marginalized Groups, Self Help | Tags: Featured ContentPublished in: The Community PsychologistIt seems very normalized for Black women to make ultimate sacrifices to personal health and wellness for the betterment of others. Heart disease, stroke, diabetes, breast cancer, cervical cancer, fibroid tumors, premature birth rates, sickle cell disease, sexually transmitted diseases, and mental health issues are killing Black women in the United States at disproportionate rates. […]
The Great Replacement Theory: Linkage to The Possessive Investment in Whiteness
Posted in: Marginalized Groups | Tags: Featured ContentPublished in: The Community PsychologistHow do we begin to make sense out of these continuous attacks on Black and Brown bodies in America? We can decenter whiteness and move equity and inclusion to the forefront. by dismantling conspiracy theories and ideologies that seek to destroy and harm.
Using Storyboarding to Train School Staff to Deliver Mental Health Interventions
Posted in: Children, Youth and Families, Mental Health | Tags: Featured ContentPublished in: American Journal of Community PsychologyStoryboarding can creatively engage families to share their experiences with mental health problems. Community-engaged tools such as storyboarding can be used to increase awareness and reduce stigma of maternal depression among staff training to deliver family-focused mental health programs in schools.
Dreams Assessment Model and Dreamandments Outline how Black Students can Thrive
Posted in: Anti-Racism, Education | Tags: Featured ContentCommunity Researchers can drive transformative research methodologies to address racial justice. The Village of Wisdom guided new Community Researchers to develop a dream plan equipping community members with a set of tools to organize, advocate, and advance equity.
Drawing on the Experiences of Trans Students to Inform Pronoun Disclosure in Higher Education Settings
Posted in: Blog, Marginalized Groups | Tags: Featured ContentPublished in: The Community PsychologistHow pronouns are addressed can seriously impact a student’s well-being. I provide some considerations for how an instructor or mentor might approach pronoun disclosure with the goal of increasing comfort and decreasing coercion, based on the experiences of six trans undergraduate students who advised these recommendations through qualitative interviews and text submissions, and my own […]
Screen Mothers, Help Kids: An Innovative Community-Based Partnership Helps Amplify the Voices of Children
Posted in: Violence Prevention | Tags: Featured ContentChildren are often the unheard voices of domestic violence. Screening mothers for the impact of domestic violence on their kids is one way to connect kids with appropriate DV services in the community.
Featured Research
Importance of Social Supports to Resiliency for Youth
Posted in: Children, Youth and Families, Housing, Poverty and Socioeconomic Status | Tags: Featured ResearchPublished in: American Journal of Community PsychologyInformal supports are an important sources of resilience for low-income families who may be excluded from or are reluctant to engage with formal social systems. Social ties can help households withstand threats to their living arrangements and may be a powerful tool in disrupting pathways to behavior problems among teens.
Bystanders Respond to Microaggressions to Develop Welcoming and Inclusive Workplaces
Posted in: Marginalized Groups | Tags: Featured ResearchPublished in: American Journal of Community PsychologyRepeated exposure to micro-aggressions can have a negative impact on psychological and physical health. Expanding collective organizational capacity to address bias in respectful ways (by promoting active bystanders) has been shown to have an empowering impact and to foster more equitable workplaces.
Support for Evidence-Based Mentoring for Youth in Foster Care
Posted in: Children, Youth and Families | Tags: Featured ResearchPublished in: American Journal of Community PsychologyFostering Healthy Futures (FHF) is one of very few evidence-based youth mentoring interventions for youth in foster care. FHF has positive effects on youth in foster care and improves the mental health of children with varied relational histories.
Marginalized LGBTQ Identities and the Minority Stress Theory
Posted in: Marginalized Groups, Mental Health | Tags: Featured ResearchPublished in: American Journal of Community PsychologyYouth exposed to a greater number of minority stress experiences are among those at highest risk for attempting suicide. Disproportionate exposure among marginalized members of the LGBTQ community highlight the need for suicide prevention to prioritize those at greatest risk.
Critical Reflection as an Antidote for Oppression
Posted in: Marginalized Groups | Tags: Featured ResearchPublished in: American Journal of Community PsychologyCritical reflection is associated with lower levels of internalized oppression and higher levels of collective efficacy. It can liberate people from oppressive ideologies and empower them to resist social injustice.
