Posts by Margarita Alegria, PhD
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Community-based Psychosocial–Exercise Intervention Benefits Racial/Ethnic Minority Older Adults
A randomized controlled clinical trial found that mental health intervention and exercise training administered concurrently by community-based paraprofessionals was associated with improved mood symptoms and physical functioning in older adults of racial/ethnic minorities.
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Minority Status and Social Context Contribute to Risk of Depression and Anxiety in Latinx Youth
The stress related to discrimination, intercultural conflict and low social support appears to elevate the risk of depression and anxiety among ethnic minority youth. To promote minority youth mental health, interventions should target social interactions at the community level.
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Culturally Tailored Intervention Improves Mental Health Symptoms in Latino Immigrants with Dual Diagnosis
Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital and in Spain have developed a cognitive-restructuring, mindfulness-based therapy for co-occurring mental health and substance use disorder symptoms that is culturally tailored to Latino immigrants.
Biography
Margarita Alegría, PhD is the Chief of the Disparities Research Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital, and a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.
Dr. Alegría is currently the PI of four National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded research studies: the International Latino Research Partnership; Effects of Social Context, Culture and Minority Status on Depression and Anxiety; Building Community Capacity for Disability Prevention for Minority Elders; and Mechanisms Underlying Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Mental Disorders. She is also the PI of a Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) project: Effectiveness of DECIDE in Patient-Provider Communication, Therapeutic Alliance & Care Continuation.