Development of project wings home visits, a mental health intervention for Latino families using community-based participatory research

Health Promot Pract. 2012 Nov;13(6):755-62. doi: 10.1177/1524839911404224. Epub 2011 Apr 8.

Abstract

As the Latino population in the United States experiences rapid growth, the well-being of Latino adolescents is a growing concern because of their high rates of mental health problems. Latino adolescents have higher rates of mental health problems than their peers, including depressive symptoms, suicide attempts, and violence. Sophisticated, realistic health promotion efforts are needed to reduce these risk behaviors and enhance protective factors. Parents and schools can be key protective factors, or assets, in adolescents' lives. This article details the steps undertaken to develop Project Wings Home Visits, a collaborative school-based, community-linked mental health promotion intervention for Latino adolescents and their families. Core to the intervention is the use of a community health worker model to provide home-based outreach and education to parents of Latino adolescents. The intervention was developed using a community-based participatory research approach that involved the cooperation of a community health care system, a public high school, and a university. Our process demonstrates the benefits, strengths, and challenges of using community-based participatory research in creating and implementing health promotion interventions.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adolescent Behavior / ethnology*
  • Adolescent Behavior / psychology
  • Community Mental Health Services / methods
  • Community Mental Health Services / organization & administration*
  • Community-Based Participatory Research
  • Health Promotion / methods
  • Health Promotion / organization & administration*
  • Hispanic or Latino / psychology*
  • House Calls
  • Humans
  • Mental Disorders / ethnology*
  • Mental Disorders / prevention & control
  • Minnesota
  • Parents / education