Building a Community-Based Mental Health Literacy Intervention for African American Young Adults

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Project Summary/Abstract Black/African American young adults are at elevated risk for trauma and related mental health concerns (e.g., PTSD, substance use) yet are less likely to engage in mental health care than other groups, due to substantial and complex barriers to care. These disparities have been exacerbated by, and compounded with, psychological and emotional distress due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Promoting mental health literacy (MHL), defined as knowledge and beliefs related to mental health (e.g., recognition, prevention, and management of symptoms) may be an important first step to improving mental health outcomes for Black/African American young adults. This K01 Mentored Research Scientist Development Award will partner with a Community Advisory Board to develop a community based MHL intervention, focused on trauma and substance use, for Black/African American young adults. The culturally tailored intervention will be guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and social ecological model as guiding frameworks, with intervention components designed to promote TPB dimensions (i.e., behavioral, normative, and control beliefs related to mental health care utilization) with resources at the individual, interpersonal, and organizational levels. Following development, the intervention will be piloted among Black/African American young adults aged 18-35 years old (N = 80), recruited from diverse community sites (e.g., colleges/universities, barbershops and hair salons, churches, community organizations). Participants will complete a baseline survey assessing primary and secondary outcomes (e.g., current MHL; stigma; beliefs, attitudes, and norms; history of mental health care), with re-assessment mid-intervention and post-intervention. Post-study focus groups with intervention participants (N = 30) will be held to elicit feedback on relevance, feasibility, acceptability, and satisfaction with the intervention, to inform refinement and future dissemination efforts. Successful completion of the proposed study will also benefit the PI, an early career researcher with goals to A) develop expertise in community engagement and theoretically-driven translational research methods and B) build community capacity to prevent mental illness, support recovery, and improve health outcomes with underserved and oppressed communities. The PI is currently an Assistant Research Professor at Rutgers University at the Center of Alcohol & Substance Use Studies, within the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology. Her long-term career goals include becoming a tenure-track, independent investigator; contributing to recruitment and mentorship of underrepresented students; and advancing health and social equity for underserved and minoritized communities.