Our Approach
We take on a syndemic orientation to our work where we consider the co-occurring epidemics of substance abuse, violence, HIV, and mental health that interact to disproportionately affect the Latinx community (Gonzalez-Guarda et al., 2011).
These co-occuring epidemics (i.e., syndemic) is a result of the exposure to chronic stressors such as acculturation stress, the stress associated with being a Latinx immigrant and adapting to a new context, and other structural drivers such as racism and xenophobia.
We find that these social drivers also place our community at risk for other conditions such as COVID-19 and physical health. We portray this syndemic as branches of one tree, to mirror the descriptions of these problems using the words of the communities we partner with (Gonzalez-Guarda et al., 2010; 2011a; 2011b; DeSantis et al., 2014).
Despite harsh environmental conditions, Latinx immigrants continue to thrive. The SER Hispano team builds upon the resilience of the Latinx community by investing in continuing to strengthen the strong roots of family and social support, ethnic/cultural pride, and fostering continued optimism in the American Dream that our diverse Latinx communities bring with them.
References
- De Santis, J. P., Gonzalez-Guarda, R., Provencio-Vasquez, E., & Deleon, D. A. (2014). The Tangled Branches (Las Ramas Enredadas) Sexual Risk, Substance Abuse, and Intimate Partner Violence Among Hispanic Men Who Have Sex With Men. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 25(1), 23-32.
- González‐Guarda, R. M., Florom‐Smith, A. L., & Thomas, T. (2011a). A syndemic model of substance abuse, intimate partner violence, HIV infection, and mental health among Hispanics. Public health nursing, 28(4), 366-378.
- Gonzalez-Guarda, R. M., Vasquez, E. P., Urrutia, M. T., Villarruel, A. M., & Peragallo, N. (2011b). Hispanic women’s experiences with substance abuse, intimate partner violence, and risk for HIV. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 22(1), 46-54.
- Gonzalez-Guarda, R. M., Ortega, J., Vasquez, E. P., & De Santis, J. (2010). La mancha negra: Substance abuse, violence, and sexual risks among Hispanic males. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 32(1), 128-148.
Nuestro Enfoque
Asumimos una orientación sindémica en nuestro trabajo donde consideramos las epidemias concurrentes de abuso de sustancias, violencia, VIH y salud mental que interactúan para afectar desproporcionadamente a la comunidad latina (González-Guarda et al., 2011).
Estas epidemias concurrentes (es decir, sindemia) son el resultado de la exposición a factores estresantes crónicos como el estrés por aculturación, el estrés asociado con ser un inmigrante latino y adaptarse a un nuevo contexto, y otros factores estructurales como el racismo y la xenofobia.
Descubrimos que estos impulsores sociales también ponen a nuestra comunidad en riesgo de sufrir otras afecciones como el COVID-19 y la salud física. Retratamos esta sindemia como ramas de un árbol, para reflejar las descripciones de estos problemas utilizando las palabras de las comunidades con las que nos asociamos (González-Guarda et al., 2010; 2011a; 2011b; DeSantis et al., 2014).
A pesar de las duras condiciones ambientales, los inmigrantes latinos continúan prosperando. El equipo de SER Hispano aprovecha la resiliencia de la comunidad latina invirtiendo en continuar fortaleciendo las fuertes raíces del apoyo familiar y social, el orgullo étnico/cultural y fomentando el optimismo continuo en el sueño americano que nuestras diversas comunidades latinas traen consigo.
Referencias
- De Santis, J. P., Gonzalez-Guarda, R., Provencio-Vasquez, E., & Deleon, D. A. (2014). The Tangled Branches (Las Ramas Enredadas) Sexual Risk, Substance Abuse, and Intimate Partner Violence Among Hispanic Men Who Have Sex With Men. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 25(1), 23-32.
- González‐Guarda, R. M., Florom‐Smith, A. L., & Thomas, T. (2011a). A syndemic model of substance abuse, intimate partner violence, HIV infection, and mental health among Hispanics. Public health nursing, 28(4), 366-378.
- Gonzalez-Guarda, R. M., Vasquez, E. P., Urrutia, M. T., Villarruel, A. M., & Peragallo, N. (2011b). Hispanic women’s experiences with substance abuse, intimate partner violence, and risk for HIV. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 22(1), 46-54.
- Gonzalez-Guarda, R. M., Ortega, J., Vasquez, E. P., & De Santis, J. (2010). La mancha negra: Substance abuse, violence, and sexual risks among Hispanic males. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 32(1), 128-148.