Project Salud
As a research assistant for Project Salud, I am working on a study examining how caregiver interventions influence the mental health of Latine adolescents. This research aims to understand how family support helps mitigate the effects of stress, discrimination, and other challenges affecting adolescent well-being. My role involves listening to, transcribing, and coding qualitative interviews with adolescents and their caregivers, identifying recurring themes related to mental health, resilience, and family dynamics.
This experience is strengthening my qualitative research skills, particularly in data coding, thematic analysis, and extracting meaningful insights from interviews. It also deepens my understanding of culturally informed psychology, reinforcing the importance of considering family, community, and cultural factors in mental health research and interventions. Engaging with real-world experiences of Latine families is helping me recognize the systemic barriers to mental health care and the need for interventions that are both accessible and culturally responsive.
As I pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology, Project Salud is preparing me to conduct culturally competent research that prioritizes mental health equity and community-based interventions. It also reinforces my commitment to studying how social and familial environments influence mental health outcomes, a perspective I plan to integrate into my future research and clinical practice.
Reflection
Working on Project Salud has been a transformative experience, allowing me to see firsthand how family support shapes adolescent mental health in Latine communities. Through analyzing interviews and identifying key themes, I am gaining a deeper appreciation for the complexities of cultural influences on mental well-being. This research is teaching me that mental health care is not one-size-fits-all—effective interventions must consider social, economic, and cultural contexts to truly support diverse populations.
This experience is also reinforcing my passion for clinical psychology and mental health equity. As I engage with qualitative data, I am realizing the importance of giving individuals a voice in research and ensuring that interventions reflect the lived experiences of those they aim to help. Project Salud is shaping my ability to conduct culturally competent research, and I hope to carry these lessons forward in my future work, developing accessible, evidence-based interventions that support underrepresented communities.