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Scholarly Works (3 results)

  • Thesis
  • Peer Reviewed
UC Santa Barbara Electronic Theses and Dissertations (2021)

The trauma of genocide can transmit to subsequent generations through familial mental health, sociopolitical trauma, and cultural narratives to impact mental health and well-being. Investigating the specific mechanisms unique to each ethnic group impacted by genocide may illuminate more cultural, sociopolitical, and individual factors for the transmission. Although research on the mental health of Armenian genocide descendants is sparse, research on Native American and Cambodian genocide descendants suggests a common experience is unresolved historical loss, which is a sense of mourning over cultural losses due to genocide. The aim of conducting a quantitative and qualitative study was to identify whether and how Armenian American transitional aged youth experience historical loss. Nineteen youth, ages 16 to 24, were extensively interviewed to provide diverse experiences of familial migration experiences and exposure to trauma. Emergent themes through grounded theory suggest (1) historical loss is pertinent to the Armenian experience and is triggered by continued community trauma (2) this experience, through persistent feelings of hopelessness and anger, impact mental health experiences and help seeking behaviors, (3) cultural preservation, community connectedness, and engagement in activism act as transgenerational resiliency factors, and (4) marginalized Armenians are at particular risk for the impact of historical loss. For the quantitative study, 215 Armenian American transitional aged youth (ages 16-21) were recruited in a survey to examine the direct and indirect effects of acculturative and historical loss experiences on mental health and the resiliency factors that may protect against these stressors. The results demonstrated that the participants experienced high rates of historical loss in that they, on average, thought about various types of losses almost weekly. A path analysis revealed that perceived historical loss and acculturative stress both were associated with higher rates of mental health distress. Additionally, community connectedness and cultural preservation acted as resiliency factors. This model predicted 42% of the variance in mental health outcomes. Implications for mental health practitioners, schools, and community leaders working with Armenian transitional aged youth are discussed.

    Cover page: Historical Loss, Cultural Preservation, and Mental Health among Armenian Genocide Descendant Transitional Aged Youth
    • Article
    • Peer Reviewed
    UC Santa Barbara Previously Published Works (2021)
    The trauma of a genocide can be transmitted to subsequent generations though familial mental health, sociopolitical trauma, and cultural narratives, thereby impacting mental health and well-being. Understanding specific mechanisms that are unique to each ethnic group impacted by genocide illuminates cultural, sociopolitical, and individual factors related to the transmission. For the Armenian community, the unresolved historical loss of the Armenian Genocide of 1915, with the threat of acculturation for such a large diasporic population, a continued denial by the perpetrators, as well as subsequent generations' refugee experiences, may further exasperate the impact of transgenerational trauma from the genocide. This literature review explores the mental health needs of Armenian youth in the current sociopolitical context and provides implications for how schools and communities may use this knowledge to inform supports that center Armenian community healing. Future directions for research are also discussed.
      Cover page: Transgenerational Trauma and Mental Health Needs among Armenian Genocide Descendants
      • Article
      • Peer Reviewed
      UC Santa Barbara Previously Published Works (2023)
      Unprecedented financial and emotional stress, paired with measures to slow the spread of COVID-19 (e.g., school closures), place youth at risk for experiencing increased rates of abuse. We analyzed data from New York City's Administration for Children's Services to investigate the frequency of child maltreatment prevention service case openings during this time. Longitudinal counts of case openings were compiled for January through June of the years 2014-2020. An independent samples Kruskal-Wallis H-test suggested that pre-quarantine case openings were significantly larger than case openings during quarantine. To account for the possible influence of other historical events impacting data, a secondary Kruskal-Wallis H-test was conducted comparing only the 4 months of quarantine data available to the 4 months immediately preceding quarantine orders. The second independent samples Kruskal-Wallis H-test again suggested that pre-quarantine case openings were significantly larger than case openings during quarantine. A Poisson regression model further supported these findings, estimating that the odds of opening a new child maltreatment prevention case during quarantine declined by 49.17%. These findings highlight the severity of COVID-19 impacts on child maltreatment services and the gap between demand for services and service accessibility. We conclude with recommendations for local governments, community members, and practitioners.
        Cover page: Child Maltreatment Prevention Service Cases are Significantly Reduced During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Longitudinal Investigation Into Unintended Consequences of Quarantine
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