New Research Article on Racism & Discrimination Experienced by Agricultural Workers in California (June 2021)Dr. Hovey is a co-author on a new article published in Ethnicities. Through the use of focus groups, this study assessed the impact of the experience of widespread racism and discrimination on Latino/a agricultural workers and their families living in California. Participants reported being the targets of increasingly hostile behavior, including hate crimes, that they attributed to anti-immigration rhetoric during the previous administration. In response to these experiences, the participants reported that they felt an increased sense of fear and psychological distress that led them to avoid community participation. For a copy of this article, please click here.
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New Research Article on the Applicability of the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide for Latino/a Trauma Victims (November 2020)
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Dr. Hovey is a co-author on a new article published in Death Studies. This study assessed the applicability of the interpersonal theory of suicide for Latino/a students who were victims of multiple experiences of trauma as a child. As predicted, the authors found that childhood polyvictimization of trauma was strongly associated with suicide ideation as an adult, and that this relationship was significantly mediated by perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness. In other words, the consistent experience of trauma may erode one's sense of belonging and may create a sense of being a burden on others which, in turn, may lead to suicidal thoughts. This study is one of the first to incorporate childhood trauma into the interpersonal theory framework. The study also contributes to the burgeoning literature that assesses the interpersonal theory across cultures. For a copy of this article, please click here.
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New Research Findings Presented at the Behavioral & Social Oral Health Sciences Summit (October 2020)
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Dr. Hovey and colleagues presented new research findings at the Behavioral and Social Oral Health Sciences Summit. These findings support a theoretical model proposed by Seligman, Hovey, et al. (2017), in which individuals with high fear of pain are more vulnerable to experiencing dental conditioning events as aversive experiences. Because dental events may be more salient to individuals with high fear of pain, these individuals are more susceptible to fear conditioning, which in turn may lead to dental anxiety. For a copy of this presentation, please click here.
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How to Manage Anxiety & Distress Related to COVID-19 (May 2020)
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The Anxiety Disorders Association of American (ADAA) has created a "Managing COVID-19 Anxiety" resource webpage, which they update daily. This webpage provides helpful tips and strategies for coping with anxiety around the coronavirus and health anxiety. Please click here to access the ADAA's resource page. Similarly, the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health has created a "Resources for Mental Health and COVID-19" webpage, which they update regularly. This page lists informational, supportive, and counseling resources for COVID-19 and mental health. Please click here to access the Hogg Foundation's resource page.
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Laura D. Seligman, PhD, ABPP, Elected as President of the Association for Behavioral & Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) (December 2019) |
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Laura D. Seligman, PhD, ABPP, Professor of Psychological Science at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, has been elected by ABCT members to serve as president of ABCT. Congratulations to Dr. Seligman for this well-deserved honor. She joins the list of distinguished scholars who have served as president of ABCT, including numerous pioneers and leaders in the field of clinical psychology. Please click here for a story on Dr. Seligman published in UTRGV's The Rider.
New Research Article on Latino/a Parents' Treatment Preferences for Their Children's Anxiety (December 2019)
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Laura D. Seligman, PhD, ABPP, Professor of Psychological Science at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, and Dr. Hovey have a new article entitled "Latino and Non-Latino Parental Treatment Preferences for Child and Adolescent Anxiety Disorders" published in Child Psychiatry and Human Development. Their study compared Latino/a and non-Latino/a parents' preferences for parental involvement and perceptions of burdens in cognitive behavior treatment (CBT) for youth anxiety. They found that Latino/a parents and non-Latino/a parents did not differ in their perceptions of parental treatment involvement. However, they found that Latino/a parents did report greater concerns about the feasibility of obtaining CBT for their child's anxiety. They conclude that cultural adaptations of CBT for child anxiety should focus on decreasing the burdens associated with treatment rather than increasing parental involvement. For a copy of this article, please click here.
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New Research Findings Presented at the Annual Convention of the Association for Behavioral & Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) (November 2019) |
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Dr. Hovey and colleagues presented two sets of new research findings at the recent ABCT convention. The first study they presented examined factors that help explain the relationship between obesity and suicide behavior in young Latina adults. In specific, their findings suggest that in young Latina adults, obesity can lead to an increase in sleep problems, health problems, and dissatisfaction with personal appearance and that these, in turn, may lead to an increase in suicidal ideation. Although previous research found that Latina women are more accepting of their body image and size compared to non-Latina women, Dr. Hovey and colleagues' findings suggest that obesity and body image are indeed important determinants of mental health in Latina women. For a copy of this presentation, please click here.
In the second study they presented, Dr. Hovey and colleagues used longitudinal data to parse the relative influences of depression and insomnia on suicidal ideation in young adults. Their findings indicate that insomnia does not have a direct influence on suicidal ideation -- rather, insomnia's association with suicidal ideation is through depression. Their overall findings strongly suggest that insomnia is a clinically meaningful intervention point and clinicians should thus assess for insomnia in the presence of depression and suicidal ideation. For a copy of this presentation, please click here.
In the second study they presented, Dr. Hovey and colleagues used longitudinal data to parse the relative influences of depression and insomnia on suicidal ideation in young adults. Their findings indicate that insomnia does not have a direct influence on suicidal ideation -- rather, insomnia's association with suicidal ideation is through depression. Their overall findings strongly suggest that insomnia is a clinically meaningful intervention point and clinicians should thus assess for insomnia in the presence of depression and suicidal ideation. For a copy of this presentation, please click here.
Featured Speaker at the Rio Grande Valley Mental Health Coalition Conference (September 2019) |
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Dr. Hovey was a featured speaker at the annual Rio Grande Valley Mental Health Coalition conference. The title of his talk was Risk and Protective Factors for Suicide Behavior in Latino/a Individuals: Implications for Treatment and Prevention. Dr. Hovey discussed some of his past and current work on suicide risk in Latino/a individuals, including new findings on (1) the influence of cyberbullying on suicide behavior, (2) obesity and suicide risk in young Latina adults, and (3) the influence of Latin cultural values on suicide behavior in Latina adolescents. For a copy of the PowerPoint slides for Dr. Hovey's presentation, please click here.