Colonial mentality (CM) has been used in psychology to better understand mental health pathology among minority groups with a history of colonization. CHamorus (i.e., indigenous people of the Marianas Islands in Micronesia), who are United States citizens, have experienced centuries of colonization by Spain and the United States. Studies examining their mental health and well-being are limited. However, existing literature sheds light on the need for more investigations, given the findings of high rates of suicides and depressive symptoms. Additionally, emerging research has found that CHamorus report higher emotional distress than other major ethnic groups in Guam. Considering their colonial past and present and high rates of psychological distress, this study aimed to determine if CM is a salient psychological construct among CHamorus and whether it is manifested similarly to other historically colonized groups. The study also investigated the association between CM and mental health outcomes among CHamorus. This presentation will discuss the results of the current study and the research and clinical implications regarding CM and mental health outcomes for CHamorus.

There is a rich history of el ingenio mexicano [Mexican ingenuity], defined as finding solutions to problems in creative, inventive, and unconventional ways that are often necessitated by limited finances, formal education, materials, and resources. Despite this strong emphasis on ingenio [ingenuity] in the Mexican/Mexican American community, there has been little research examining it. This study explores ingenio as a Mexican cultural value that is important to understanding Mexican/Mexican American well-being and adjustment. Interviews with Mexican and Mexican American adults were conducted in English and Spanish based on participant preference. Thematic analysis of qualitative interviews (N = 12) was conducted to create an operational definition of ingenio and generate initial scale items. Overall, participants shared three main themes related to defining el ingenio mexicano. In line with the characteristics of a cultural value (Schwartz, 2006), participants discussed emotions, practices or behaviors, and beliefs associated with ingenio. Participants also reported examples of ingenio that consisted of creative problem solving, reusing and repurposing materials, and prioritizing home repair within each theme. Initial scale items were then created based on the aforementioned themes. Clinical implications will be discussed in the presentation.

The Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP) is an emerging framework that re-frames mental disorders as belonging to just a few broad dimensions rather than as discrete categories as described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). HiTOP studies have proliferated since its inception in 2017, but remarkably little of this research has examined whether HiTOP generalizes to diverse populations. This study tested measurement invariance of HiTOP in a sample of Hispanic (n=2,411), non-Hispanic white (n=6,725) and non-Hispanic Black (n=1,862) youths from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. Using items from the Child Behavior Checklist, a correlated five-factor model, comprised of externalizing, neurodevelopmental, internalizing, somatoform and detachment dimensions emerged for all three racial-ethnic groups. The minimal change in model fit supported full measurement invariance of this model. That is, the five HiTOP dimensions were found to be robust to racial-ethnic measurement bias, replicating findings from a prior study conducted in a similarly diverse dataset (He & Li, 2020). Whereas the mental disorders of the DSM are known to lack sensitivity to racial- and ethnic differences, HiTOP is a promising framework because psychopathology dimensions are empirically invariant across race and ethnicity.