Preventing Health Disparities in Hispanic Youth

This study seeks to investigate the efficacy and mechanisms of a highly promising "Culturally Informed Family Therapy for Adolescents" in preventing the emergence of two important health disparities in Hispanic youth, namely drug use \& HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STI). The proposed study is submitted as part of a P60 application entitled "NCMHD Center for Culturally-Tailored Hispanic Health Disparities Research (El Centro)", in response to the NIH RFA-MD-06-002: Establishing Comprehensive NCMHD Research Centers of Excellence. This study investigates: 1) the efficacy of the treatment in reducing existing psychiatric, behavioral and family problems in youth, and 2) the indicated prevention effects of the intervention on the emergence of drug use and HIV/STI 20 months after baseline. There is a substantial literature linking disruptive behaviors (i.e., conduct disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and mood instability (i.e., depressive disorders) and family conflict to the development of the Hispanic health disparities of drug use and HIV/STI. Conduct disorder (CD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and depressive disorders (DD) will be targets of treatment, as will be the family risk factors (e.g., poor parenting, family conflict) and acculturation-related stressors, all of which have been shown to place youth on a destructive trajectory toward deteriorating health.