ABSTRACT

Objective

This study used a randomized clinical trial design to evaluate the success with which The Building a Strong Identity and Coping Skills intervention (BaSICS) engaged the proximal mechanisms of poverty-related stress’s impact on the psychosocial functioning and mental health of young adolescents living in high poverty contexts.

Method

129 youth from very low-income families were randomized to receive the 32-hour group-based intervention or no-treatment control – 16 of these families withdrew before the intervention groups began. The remaining 113 youth aged 11–12 (53% assigned to intervention; 54% female; 40% Hispanic, 63% Black, 20% White) participated in the study, which included four assessment waves: pretest, posttest, 6-month follow-up and 12-month follow-up assessments. Primary control, secondary control, and disengagement coping were assessed via a combination of parent and youth reports as well as via interviews and questionnaires. Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) reactivity was assessed via salivary cortisol responses occurring during a lab-based stress induction (Trier Social Stress Test).

Results

Multilevel regression models with repeated measures nested within subjects revealed that in comparison to controls, intervention youth had sustained significant increases in their knowledge about primary control coping (e.g., problem solving, emotion modulation), knowledge and utilization of secondary control (e.g., cognitive restructuring) coping, as well as decreased reliance on disengagement coping. These were accompanied by decreased cortisol reactivity in intervention versus control youth.

Conclusions

These findings support that BaSICS engages several proximal mechanisms of poverty-related stress’ impact on early adolescent mental health – coping skills and HPA reactivity – during the neurodevelopmentally plastic pubertal period.

中文翻译：

---

针对青春期早期压力适应的近端机制预防贫困青年的心理健康问题

摘要

客观的

本研究使用随机临床试验设计来评估建立强大的身份和应对技能干预 (BaSICS) 是否成功地参与了贫困相关压力对生活在高度贫困中的青少年的心理社会功能和心理健康的影响的近端机制上下文。

方法

来自极低收入家庭的 129 名青年被随机分配接受 32 小时的小组干预或无治疗对照——其中 16 个家庭在干预小组开始前退出。其余 113 名 11-12 岁的青少年（53% 被分配到干预组；54% 为女性；40% 西班牙裔，63% 黑人，20% 白人）参与了这项研究，其中包括四个评估波：前测、后测、6 个月随访--up 和 12 个月的后续评估。主要控制、次要控制和脱离应对是通过家长和青少年报告以及访谈和问卷调查相结合的方式进行评估的。通过在基于实验室的压力诱导（特里尔社会压力测试）期间发生的唾液皮质醇反应评估下丘脑-垂体-肾上腺轴 (HPA) 反应性。

结果

在受试者中嵌套重复测量的多层次回归模型显示，与对照组相比，干预青少年在初级控制应对（例如，解决问题、情绪调节）、次级控制（例如，认知重组）的知识和利用方面持续显着增加）应对，以及减少对脱离应对的依赖。这些伴随着干预与对照青年的皮质醇反应性降低。

结论

这些发现支持 BaSICS 在神经发育塑性青春期期间参与贫困相关压力对早期青少年心理健康影响的几个近端机制——应对技能和 HPA 反应性。