Featured Research
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Featured Research
Here we showcase a sample of current research conducted within and about communities.

Posted in: Criminal Justice, Marginalized Groups, Poverty and Socioeconomic Status | Tags: Featured ResearchPublished in: American Journal of Community PsychologySubmitted by: Megan M. Card There is a clear connection between food deserts and structural racism. Food deserts are areas/locations where residents lack convenient access to affordable healthy foods like fresh fruit and vegetables. Food deserts are disproportionately located in communities of color. Bailey et al. defines structural racism as “the totality of ways in […]
Read MorePosted in: Children, Youth and Families, Marginalized Groups | Tags: Featured ResearchPublished in: Prevention ScienceParent training programs designed in partnership with parents can be effective for a culturally and economically diverse population of parents. Parents who attended at least 50% of the CPP intervention reported increased parenting self-efficacy, consistency in discipline, greater expression of warmth toward their children, and fewer child behavioral problems.
Read MorePosted in: Marginalized Groups, Prevention Science | Tags: Featured ResearchPublished in: American Journal of Community PsychologyTransplanting evidence-based practices into new contexts requires extensive thought and consideration as most interventions are not developed with populations at highest risk in mind. Our study highlights the importance of including community members and everyday people in plans to take action for social change.
Read MorePosted in: Criminal Justice, Public Policy | Tags: Featured ResearchWe can scale up prevention science through policy frameworks to improve lives. Policies can be used to improve social justice through more effective and preventative solutions for justice-involved youth.
Read MorePosted in: Children, Youth and Families | Tags: Featured ResearchPublished in: American Journal of Community PsychologyData were collected from a large national sample of Big Brothers/Big Sisters mentors and mentees. Assessment data can provide a signal for those who may be at risk for terminating the program relationship early. Additional support can be offered in struggling dyads.
Read MorePosted in: Healthcare | Tags: Featured ResearchPublished in: Journal of Public Health Management and PracticeHospitals, public health, and policy makers seek to reduce health disparities. Community Health Needs Assessments can be more representative of the population to ensure that the data used to make decisions includes populations with the greatest need.
Read MorePosted in: Children, Youth and Families, Marginalized Groups | Tags: Featured ResearchPublished in: American Journal of Community PsychologyIndigenous Peoples are revitalizing our culture and way of life, improving our ability to self-heal. When accounting for an individual’s cultural efficacy in our study, cultural engagement was related to lower levels of anxiety and was significantly related to flourishing mental wellbeing.
Read MorePosted in: Children, Youth and Families, Healthcare, Violence Prevention | Tags: Featured ResearchA domestic violence shelter successfully launched a behavioral health screening program for adults and children who have experienced IPV. Offering behavioral health screening for families who have survived IPV can help determine concerns and get them the services they need to continue their healing journey.
Read MorePosted 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.
Read MorePosted 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.
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