TERTULIAS: Addressing Social Isolation to Reduce Depression Among Female Mexican Immigrants

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PROJECT SUMMARY Overview. We will conduct a randomized controlled trial of TERTULIAS, an innovative social isolation support group model, with 240 female Mexican immigrants (FMIs) to contribute to the science of a holistic, multi-level (individual, family, and group) intervention to reduce immigrant health disparities related to social isolation and depression. Our transdisciplinary team will use a rigorous, mixed-method, community-engaged approach that includes a cutting-edge biological assessment of hair cortisol as a biomarker for chronic stress. Research Aims. 1.) To measure whether a culturally situated peer group intervention will reduce depression and stress associated with the experience of immigration. 2.) To test whether an intervention using a “women’s funds of knowledge” approach results in improved resilience, knowledge and empowerment. 3.) To investigate whether a culturally situated peer group intervention using a women’s funds of knowledge approach can give participants’ a sense and experience of social and physical connection (“emplacement”) that is lost in the process of immigration. Approach. We will gather survey data for domains of interest using validated instruments. Interpretation of quantitative results will be supported by triangulation with the qualitative analysis of data sets that include observational notes, meeting logs, and transcripts from interviews and group sessions. Expected Outcomes. We will demonstrate a strategy for reducing health disparities related to social isolation produced in the process of immigration. Our novel intervention will address social isolation-related health disparities for FMIs by leveraging positive cultural dynamics and women’s funds of knowledge to nurture transformative social connectedness, knowledge, and resiliency factors in the lives of participants. Long-term Impact. The long-term impact of this work will be to contribute to developing a culturally and contextually situated health promotion model for reducing health disparities in the immigrant community. Broader Significance. In line with the NIMHD Research Framework, the proposed research will build scientific knowledge toward solutions to health disparities that operate in multiple domains and at multiple levels of influence. This study goes beyond identifying that health disparities exist to discover a creative health science solution and intervention. Per our theoretical architecture that integrates theories of cultural situatedness, funds of knowledge, and gendered emplacement, this study will demonstrate that an innovative, holistic, multi-level, community-engaged approach can be successful without a large expenditure of financial resources, extensive institutional infrastructure, or high-cost medically trained professional staff. This trial of TERTULIAS will create a replicable, scalable model for culturally appropriate health promotion with FMIs that has implications for health promotion work with other women from recent and first generation immigrant populations.