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Rural Latinos’ Mental Wellbeing: A Mixed-Methods Pilot Study of Family, Environment and Social Isolation Factors

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Abstract

Upon immigration to the rural areas in the US, Latino families may experience cultural, geographic, linguistic and social isolation, which can detrimentally affect their wellbeing by acting as chronic stressors. Using a community engagement approach, this is a pilot mixed-method study with an embedded design using concurrent qualitative and quantitative data. The purpose of this study is to evaluate family and social environments in terms of protective factors and modifiable risks associated with mental well-being in Latino immigrants living in rural areas of Florida. Latino immigrant mother and adolescent dyads were interviewed by using in-depth ethnographic semistructured interviews and subsequent quantitative assessments, including a demographic questionnaire and three structured instruments: the Family Environment Scale Real Form, the SF-12v2™ Health Survey and the short version (eight items) of PROMIS Health Organization Social Isolation. This mixed-method pilot study highlighted how family, rural, and social environments can protect or impair wellbeing in rural Latino immigrant mother and adolescent dyads.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health Care Environments and Systems, College of Nursing, University of Florida, 101 S. Newel Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA

    Jeanne-Marie R. Stacciarini, Rebekah Smith & Cynthia Wilson Garvan

  2. Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA

    Brenda Wiens

  3. Department of Epidemiology, College of Medicine and College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA

    Linda B. Cottler

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  1. Jeanne-Marie R. Stacciarini
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  2. Rebekah Smith
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  3. Cynthia Wilson Garvan
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  4. Brenda Wiens
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  5. Linda B. Cottler
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Correspondence to Jeanne-Marie R. Stacciarini.

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Stacciarini, JM.R., Smith, R., Garvan, C.W. et al. Rural Latinos’ Mental Wellbeing: A Mixed-Methods Pilot Study of Family, Environment and Social Isolation Factors. Community Ment Health J 51, 404–413 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-014-9774-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-014-9774-z

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