Community Psychology Research Articles

Statement on the effects of law enforcement in school settings.

School-based law enforcement (SBLE) have become increasingly common in U.S.schools over recent decades despite the controversy surrounding their presence and lack of consensus around their associated benefits and harms. Drawing on the history and evidence base regarding SBLE, we advocate for an end to SBLE programs. Grounding our argument in principles of Community Psychology and positive youth development, we outline how the presence and actions of SBLE negatively affect individual students as well as school systems, with particularly harmful outcomes for students with minoritized and marginalized identities. Research on SBLE and school crime does not provide consistent evidence of positive impacts, and many studies find null effects for the relationship between SBLE and school crime or increases in crime and violence in schools. Though funding for SBLE is often prompted by high-profile acts of gun violence in schools, evidence suggests that SBLE neither prevents these incidents, nor lessens the severity when they do occur. Thus, we advocate for removing law enforcement from school settings and redirecting resources into inclusive, evidence-informed responses that are generally safer and more effective than SBLE. We close by outlining the policy landscape governing SBLE programs and ways communities can lobby for change.

Civic engagement training at a school for youth with a history of dropping out.

Community psychologists have made significant contributions to the study of civic engagement, yet scarce studies have examined the impact of civic engagement training among youth with a history of dropping out. We describe an effort to promote civic education and action through a curriculum implemented at an alternative school that focuses on (a) developing awareness of the importance of engaging in social/political issues; (b) increasing civic participation; and (c) acquiring political advocacy and organizing experience. This evaluation of the civic engagement training summarizes the issues students reported in a public presentation as having had an impact in their lives; their historical, political, and social understanding of the issues; the ways in which they used a variety of social media to communicate information to different audiences; and their engagement in civic actions to impact their selected issues. Overall, students became more aware of their role as citizens and voters and wanted to share their experiences with their peers, friends, and families. The implications of promoting civic engagement among youth with a history of dropping out of school are discussed, as well as the challenges of the training implementation.

Then and now: A 50-year retrospective thematic analysis of Society for Community Research and Action presidential addresses.

The Society for Community Research and Action (SCRA) is the primary professional home for community psychologists in the United Statesand increasingly around the world. Since the formation of the American Psychological Association Division 27: Community Psychology in 1966, now SCRA, 54 people have served in the Presidential role. Presidential leaders' annual addresses both reflect the current state of the field and have the ability to shape the future of both SCRA as an organization and community psychology as a discipline given their positions as leaders. This commentary explores the trajectory of SCRA as an organization via 33 available presidential addresses, 28 of which were published in the American Journal of Community Psychology (AJCP). Using thematic analysis and drawing on both dialectical and life cycle organizational processes, three periods of SCRA and community psychology more broadly were identified: defining community psychology, applying community psychology, and re-imagining community psychology. Themes speak to tensions between the ideals of the society and the work of the society. We conclude by offering a series of questions for consideration as SCRA positions itself for the future.

Being fractal: Embodying antiracism values in course-based participatory action research.

In the winter and spring of 2021, I-a White, female, graduate student-taught a six-month course surrounding the theme: Disrupting Systemic Racism at our University Through Action Research. I was challenged to lead a meaningful course in a two-dimensional virtual space, amidst rising death tolls of the COVID-19 pandemic and the rhythmic beat of calls for racial justice pulsing through our Zoom class periods. This experience opened my eyes as an educator, budding community psychologist, and an antiracist White accomplice. In this critical autoethnographic case study, I recount my experience adapting the community organizing principle of fractalsinto a pedagogical framework that guided my instructional practices in a community psychology course. In doing so, I echo the call for community psychologists to connect our work more tightly to Black, Indigenous, and people of Color social justice organizers and movements to fortify the field's relevance in the struggle for racial justice.

Ecopsychosocial accompaniment: Cocreating with humility.

When Seymour Sarason, the founder of American community psychology, looked back on his life and work, he singled out the importance of personal humility and of developing collaborative learning relationships. He worried that humility was too lacking in psychology. To cultivate humility, we need to engage in an ongoing practice of critical self- and group-examination that enables us to understand more fully the effects of our positionalities, historical, and cultural contexts. Alongside this we need to try to understand the ecopsychosocial and historical contexts of those we have been invited to accompany. For those who are European descended, this requires a deepening realization of how we, as W. E. B. Du Bois would say, have been and are a "problem." Unawares, we have saturated psychology with our own cultural perspectives and ways of being. "White" people require their own pedagogy to become more conscious of their standpoints and to redress the harms created by their group. Our task is not to evangelize psychological theories and practices born from within our own particular cultural perspective, but to learn from the cultural workers and community members in the group we are working with. We must ask of ourselves questions that enable us to understand the broader historical, social, and ecological context of the issues that are presenting. To indicate this, I preface the term "accompaniment" with the adjective "ecopsychosocial."Ecopsychosocial accompaniment requires humility. It is humility that opens the door to being able to imagine and desire together, to cocreate, and cosustain the kinds of decolonial spaces, places, and ways of working and living with one another that are so desperately needed.

Prominent discourses in South African education from the perspective of community psychology: Challenges and opportunities for youth liberation and well-being

Community psychology takes an explicitly political stance by identifying where power lies and how it is exercised in ways that maintain privilege and discrimination against particular groups. From this perspective, we consider the challenges facing school education in South Africa today. Education is positioned as an important site for the liberation and well-being of our country's majority. However, the state of education is marked by persistent inequalities. From a Foucauldian perspective, this paper presents a meta-synthesis of school education literature and identifies prominent discourses circulating around the country's basic education sector: the discourses of democracy, human rights, and good governance; rights; development; scarce skills; the crisis in education; and privatisation are discussed. We consider the role of these discourses in the wider social processes of legitimation and power in education, and subjective implications for youth. We note the various ways in which discourses responsibilise youth and surrounding stakeholders, and how others position them as resources for the neoliberal capitalist economy. We argue for the role of counter-discourses and a collective emancipatory perspective to advance transformational educational change and embrace opportunities in the future.

Sense of community and well-being in diaspora festivals

This study was prompted by a lack of empirical research addressing the overlap between sense of community and eudemonic well-being components, the limited attention paid to immigrant perspectives in well-being studies, and the presence of under-researched type of festival and population. To address these gaps, this study aimed to identify the dimensions of sense of community and the well-being outcomes of diaspora festivals. The study targeted an understudied group and its festivals: those of the Ethiopian diaspora community in the United States. Guided by the constructivist grounded theory method, the study obtained data through guided interviews, and simultaneously analyzed them to construct six domains of a sense of community applicable to diaspora festivals. The six elements of a sense of community were a sense of belonging, a sense of togetherness, serving the com­munity, recognition, social support, and connection with diaspora, and comprised at least one eudemonic well-being component. Engagement, positive relationships, finding meaning in life, and a sense of achievement, were inherent in more than three of the six domains of a sense of community. Other well-being elements such as physical health and spirituality were evident in one domain. In conclusion, this study offers theoretical contributions to festival tourism, community psychology, human/tourism geography, and positive psychology research in multiple ways.

Self-help/mutual aid groups for health and psychosocial problems: Key features and their perspectives in the 21st century.

In this virtual special issue, a set of 26 papers previously published in the American Journal of Community Psychology (AJCP), focused on self-help/mutual aid groups (SH/MAGs), are being curated given their significant impact in this domain. SH/MAGs constitute an important component of the community psychology's proposal to address various psychosocial and health problems. The American Journal of Community Psychology has played an important role in exploring the characteristics of self-help/mutual aid groups in various fields. These articles cover important areas of the study of self-help/mutual-aid groups. More specifically, the selected articles address issues such as the definition and key characteristics of self-help/mutual aid groups, the main fields that are applied, such as mental health, addictions, and disabilities. The article also addresses important issues such as the place of self-help/mutual aid groups in health systems, the experiential knowledge generated within these groups and the relationship of health professionals with these groups. The aim is this VSI to contribute to contemporary discussion on self-help/mutual aid groups, their challenges, and their perspectives and to highlight the crucial role that community psychology has in this field.

Study protocol: assessment of the usefulness and practicability of a psychoeducational intervention to prevent the negative psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on primary care health workers

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has constituted an extraordinarily stressful situation for healthcare professionals and has led to psychological distress and an increase in various mental disorders. In the post-pandemic context, it is necessary to provide professionals with strategies and skills to manage this stressful situation and prevent or minimize its negative impact.MethodsAims: To assess the feasibility and clinical effects of a group psychoeducational program focused on preventing the adverse psychological and emotional effects of the pandemic on primary care workers, and to explore the experience and perceptions of participants with regard to the program from a qualitative perspective. Design: A single-arm, before-and-after study conducted in primary care. Setting: The 332 primary care centers of the Catalan Institute of Health (Catalonia, Spain) Participants: The target population of the intervention is primary care workers, including clinical profiles (e.g., nurses and doctors), and non-clinical profiles (e.g., administrative staff). The implementation strategy will also involve community psychologists, who will lead the psychoeducational groups, and the health organization promoting the implementation. Intervention: A group psychoeducational program targeting primary care workers to promote emotional well-being and the ability to cope with stressful situations. Community psychologists will deliver it in the primary care centers they are linked to. Measures: Mixed-methods evaluation, combining quantitative and qualitative research. A prospective assessment of the main outcomes (professional quality of life, psychological state, and resilience) will be performed using online questionnaires before and immediately after the intervention, and at 3 and 6 months. A qualitative study will be conducted, comprising focus groups and individual in-depth interviews with the participants in the intervention and the psychologists who provide it. Ethics: The Research Ethics Committee of the Jordi Gol Primary Care Research Institute (IDIAP) has approved the protocol (22/086-PCV).DiscussionThis project proposes an intervention to promote mental health and psychological well-being in primary care workers by learning skills and integrating them into personal and professional life. The expected results will allow us to determine the usefulness and effectiveness of this psychoeducational intervention under the conditions of real clinical practice, provide data to model and perfect it, and promote its dissemination.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05720429; registered on 09/02/2023.

Deficit fear as a modulator of disbelief in the framework of self-perception among students at the stage of self-isolation

The article examines how deficit fear affects the formation of the actual self-perception of “believer” among students during the period of self-isolation (Covid-19 pandemic). The deficit fear in the causal picture was determined as the reason influencing the dynamics of the actual self-perception of the “Unbeliever-believer”. To analyze statistical relationships, the author’s method was used, based on a general comparison of all quantile data partitions for each studied parameter. This dependence is represented as an asymmetric oscillation when the correlation is very weak and not even significant. It demonstrates one of the two main types of errors in the interpretation of the results of correlation analysis, which are ignored in the psychological community. A detailed psychological interpretation of the revealed connection shows how dangerous it is, especially when using the results in practice, to remain within the framework of linear representations when considering complex psychological phenomena and processes. In addition, three graphs of the dependencies of the indicator of the actual self–perception “Unbeliever – believer” on three indicators of fear (constructive, deficit and destructive) are clearly analyzed, when all the connections within the correlation analysis are extremely weak, but with a nonlinear approach, one of the three dependencies is strong as the simplest nonlinear.

Ranking the community psychology research output of institutions and authors: A new system of evaluating the field.

There have been multiple efforts to evaluate the contributions of the field of Community Psychology, and one of the more popular methods has involved gathering citations and articles published in Community Psychology journals. In recent years, several sites have gathered citation analysis and article publication rates so that it is now relatively easy to summarize settings and scholar rankings. In the current study, articles published in the two major journals of the field of Community Psychology over the past five decades were evaluated for these publications and citations. Findings indicated that several of the settings with highest publication and citation rates have not developed Community Psychology graduate programs, thus indicating that many publishing authors are in settings without formal graduate programs in Community Psychology. The benefits and limitations of this method of ranking programs and individuals are reviewed.

Exploring the Intersections of Community and Cross-Cultural Psychology: Enhancing Well-being and Understanding Diversity

This abstract delves into the dynamic interplay between community psychology and cross-cultural psychology, highlighting their roles in promoting psychological well-being, addressing social issues, and fostering a deeper understanding of cultural diversity. Community psychology focuses on the reciprocal relationship between individuals and their communities, emphasizing the importance of context in shaping human behavior and well-being. By employing an ecological perspective, community psychologists strive to empower communities, prevent social problems, and advocate for social justice. This approach recognizes the impact of various factors, including economic disparities, social support networks, and neighborhood environments, on individual psychological experiences. Cross-cultural psychology, on the other hand, investigates the intricate connections between culture and psychology. It seeks to uncover both universal and culturally specific aspects of human behavior, cognition, and emotion. By comparing psychological phenomena across cultures, cross-cultural psychologists illuminate the diverse ways in which cultural norms, values, and traditions influence individuals’ thoughts and actions. This field plays a crucial role in challenging ethnocentric biases and enriching our understanding of the human experience. The abstract highlights the convergence of these two fields, emphasizing how they mutually enrich one another. Community psychology benefits from the insights of cross-cultural psychology by recognizing the importance of cultural context in community dynamics and interventions. Cross-cultural psychology gains depth by integrating the community perspective, recognizing that culture is not solely an individual attribute, but a collective phenomenon shaped by the communities in which people reside. Through collaborative research, interventions, and advocacy efforts, these fields contribute to building more inclusive and equitable societies. By acknowledging the importance of community and cultural influences on psychological well-being, researchers and practitioners can better address societal challenges, bridge gaps in mental health care, and create interventions that are sensitive to the diverse needs of individuals from various backgrounds. In conclusion, the synergy between community psychology and cross-cultural psychology holds great potential for advancing our understanding of human behavior and well-being within the contexts of communities and cultural diversity. This abstract encourages continued exploration and integration of these fields to create meaningful impact and positive change in diverse societies around the world.

Creative Communication as a Catalyst for Change: Shaping Urban Development Through Psychology and Art

This research discusses the role of creative communication in Indonesia as a catalyst in the formation and development of urban areas. Adopting an interdisciplinary approach that integrates psychology, art, and communication, this study reveals the dynamics between creativity and urban development. Firstly, the research explores the influence of creative design in urban spaces on community psychology and behavior, including the effects of color, shape, and other visual elements. Secondly, a case analysis of art installations and interactive media in public spaces highlights their role as communication tools that enrich urban experiences. Thirdly, the research emphasizes innovation in urban planning that combines creative design and advanced technology. Fourthly, this analysis includes the impact of digital media and social platforms on urban perception, covering the use of social media in urban campaigns. Lastly, the study underscores the importance of community engagement through art and creativity in city development. This research provides evidence that well-designed urban environments can enhance mental health and social well-being.

PROGRAM FOR PROMOTING POST-TRAUMATIC GROWTH OF TEENAGERS INJURED AS A RESULT OF RUSSIA'S MILITARY AGGRESSION

Abstract. This article focuses on a program that aims to create a rehabilitative environment to assist adolescents in dealing with the aftermath of traumatic experiences caused by armed conflicts and to facilitate their post-traumatic growth. The paper offers theoretical support for a program that centers on establishing a specialized rehabilitation environment. The main objective is to notably diminish the adverse effects of psychological trauma on children and activate positive transformations in their personalities, serving as indicators of post-traumatic growth. The purpose of this article is to acquaint the psychological community with the main outcomes of implementing this program in the practical work of an extracurricular child institution. The program was designed for a specific target group, underwent practical testing, and demonstrated positive advancements in the psychological rehabilitation process of adolescents affected by armed conflicts.

Social capital and happiness in university students: a higher-order analysis

ABSTRACT Social capital is a valuable asset in community psychology for the growth of happiness. The various components of social capital, including trust and reciprocity, help youth to function positively in society. Unfortunately, previous literature ignored a higher-order analysis of social capital with happiness. This research aimed to examine the association between various components of social capital and happiness. Using a convenient sampling technique, we gathered data from 843 university enrolled students (Male = 581, Female = 262, age 21–23) from four public universities in Punjab, Pakistan. The first and second hypotheses confirmed that bonding trust, bonding, bridging, and linkage engagements and components of social capital were positively associated with the happiness of youth. The higher-order social capital model should be replicated in future studies, and local government should take essential steps to get the trust of the people which is necessary for the development of society.

Mixed methods in community psychology: A values-forward synthesis.

Mixed methods research (MMR) combines multiple traditions, methods, and worldviews to enrich research design and interpretation of data. In this virtual special issue, we highlight the use of MMR within the field of community psychology. The first MMR studies appeared in flagship community psychology journals over 30 years ago (in 1991). To explore the uses of MMR in the field, we first review existing literature by identifying all papers appearing in either Journal of Community Psychology or American Journal of Community Psychology in which the word "mixed" appeared. A total of 88 publications were identified. Many of these papers illustrate the pragmatic use of MMR to evaluate programs and to answer different research questions using different methods. We coded articles based on Green etal.'s classifications of the purpose of the mixing: triangulation, development, complementarity, expansion, and initiation. Complementarity was the most frequently used purpose (46.6% of articles), and nearly a quarter of articles mixed for multiple purposes (23.86%). We also coded for any community psychology values advanced by the use of mixed methods. We outline three themes here with corresponding exemplars. These articles illustrate how MMR can highlight ecological analysis and reconsider dominant, individual-level paradigms; center participant and community member experiences; and unpack paradoxes to increase the usefulness of research findings.

From parts to whole: Embracing systems science in community psychology.

With our field's strong focus on context for understanding and acting on social problems, community psychologists have frequently elevated the importance of employing systems thinking and methods that help us to understand systems more effectively. As a result, community psychologists have adopted some methods from the interdisciplinary field of systems science. In this virtual special issue, we will compare how several of these approaches have been used in publications in the AJCP in the last 50 years. We identify differences in their popularity, implementation with communities, and how they create generative discussion in the field. We conclude by looking to the future to explore ways community psychology can deepen engagement with methods from systems science.

Edison J. Trickett (1941-2022).

This article memorializes Edison J. Trickett (1941-2022), a leading theorist in community psychology. After joining the psychology faculty at Yale (1969-1977) and the Yale Psychoeducational Clinic, Ed became a faculty member at the University of Maryland, College Park, where he taught until 2000 and directed doctoral training in clinical/community psychology (1980-1985). He next went to the Department of Psychology at the University of Illinois at Chicago (2000-2015). Never one to fully retire, he continued teaching at the University of Miami (2015-2019). Ed devoted his career to the appreciation and understanding of context, social ecology, and human diversity in community psychology's theory, methods, and practice. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Diversity and inclusion in UK psychology: A nationwide survey

Recently, there has been a resurgence of interest regarding diversity and inclusion (D&I) movements within psychology in the UK. However, there haven’t been any attempts made thus far at gathering insights into the attitudes held by the members of the UK psychology community towards such initiatives. To this end, the authors conducted a nationwide survey with the purpose of identifying the levels of support towards D&I movements, the members’ view on their progression as well as what obstacles the movements may be currently facing. The authors found that the members of the UK psychology community overwhelmingly support D&I movements. Furthermore, survey participants (N=82) proposed curriculum diversification and re-conceptualisation of expertise, as two policies likely to advance the D&I cause. Accordingly, the authors argue that a unified movement with a clearly set agenda aimed at challenging the systems underpinning contemporary psychology may bring about further improvement to the field.

Overcoming coloniality in adolescent health programmes: harnessing cultural values and the indigenous roles of grandmothers to promote girls’ holistic development in Senegal

ABSTRACT Decolonial and feminist scholars have long pointed out that theory and praxis in global health and gender and development employ models of gender and social change that are Euro-North-American-centric and fit poorly with cultural realities and community dynamics in the global South. Interventions informed by these biases are often minimally effective and can cause backlash or resistance. In this paper, we unpack how coloniality informs some of the dominant approaches used by major organisations to improve the health and well-being of adolescent girls, and why they can result in ineffective and sometimes harmful interventions. The limitations of these approaches include top-down imposed objectives and pathways to change; individualist, sexist, ageist, and modernist biases; and ignorance or denigration of local cultural values, resources, and family and community dynamics. Instead, we present the Girls’ Holistic Development (GHD) programme – implemented by NGO The Grandmother Project – Change Through Culture (GMP) in Senegal since 2009 – as a decolonial alternative. The GHD is informed by theories and methodologies from participatory and community development; anthropology; family and community systems theory; community, cultural, and Indigenous psychology; and transformative learning/adult education. Results show that GMP has contributed to shifting social norms underpinning child and forced marriage, female genital cutting, adolescent pregnancy, and premature school-leaving because its approach offers an alternative decolonial vision of, and method of achieving, adolescent girls’ development. The key facets of this approach are that it is culturally affirming, inter-generational, grandmother-inclusive, assets-based, and rooted in building community capacity and consensus for change towards locally defined objectives.