Convergence: Connecting Levels of Analysis in Psychological Science
In the past, our field harbored distinct, and often competing, schools of thought that tackled different problems and produced findings that often appeared to diverge. Today, investigators attack shared problems at complementary levels of analysis and produce results that converge. Studies of people in a social world; mental systems of cognition and emotion; and biological mechanisms of the genome and the nervous system interconnect and yield an integrated psychological science. The APS 23rd Annual Convention displays, and celebrates, these advances in our field.

Symposium

The Paradox of Reverse Mental Health Disparities: Reduced Risk Among Ethnic Minorities

Friday, May 25, 2012, 1:00 PM - 2:20 PM
Huron

Chair: Laura P. Kohn-Wood
University of Miami

Despite persistent physical health disparities by race, an interesting paradox exists in that Latino and Black Americans exhibit lower risk for several psychiatric disorders in comparison to White Americans. In this symposium, varying sources of evidence for factors that explain the paradox of reverse mental health disparities will be presented.

Transactional Theory of Coping: “What Works for Whom and Under What Circumstances”
Lauren E. Smith
University of Miami
Transactional theory yields more specific information for examining how stress and coping vary among individuals and groups. Results from 654 participants indicate specific situations mediate the effects of gender and ethnicity on specific coping responses. Implications for understanding the influence of coping across gender and ethnicity will be discussed.

Co-Author: Tiffany Ford, University of Miami

Co-Author: Daniel Birichi, University of Miami

Co-Author: Priscilla Razak, University of Miami

Qualitative Exploration of the Coping Behaviors of Black Women
Casta Guillaume
University of Miami
The research on coping among Black Women indicates that preferred methods of coping are related to the amount of natural resources available. This project utilizes qualitative methodology to examine unique and resilient coping techniques and understand how the use of these strategies may mitigate the psychological risk for Black women.

Co-Author: Andrea Headley, University of Miami

Co-Author: LaRonda Doakes, University of Miami

Co-Author: Varzi Jean-Baptiste, University of Miami

Maladaptive Forms of Coping Among Diverse Emerging Adults
Lily Kofler
University of Miami
Researchers have hypothesized that ethnic minorities mortgage their mental health through maladaptive habits such as drinking alcohol as coping mechanisms. These behaviors are rarely explored in functional, non-addicted populations. Data from 400 diverse students indicate that race, gender, and coping style explain the variance in some, but not all, maladaptive behaviors.

Co-Author: Laura P. Kohn-Wood, University of Miami

Harold Neighbors (Discussant)
University of Michigan

Subject Area: Clinical