Latina Friends Motivating the Soul (ALMA)

The proposed study aims to test the efficacy of the Latina Friends Motivating the Soul (ALMA) intervention in a delayed intervention control trial. ALMA is an 8-week program offered in a group format to teach women new coping strategies and enhance their social ties and social support to prevent and reduce their depression and anxiety. Aim 2 is to determine the efficacy of the ALMA intervention to reduce depressive and anxiety symptoms using a delayed intervention control study design. The investigators will recruit women from community-based organizations serving Latino immigrants to participate in the program, which will be offered in community settings. The investigators will assess process outcomes of recruitment, retention, fidelity, and participant satisfaction through observations and in-depth interviews with participants. The investigators will assess the efficacy of the intervention by comparing changes in women's depressive and anxiety symptoms in the intervention and attention control groups at four time points (baseline, 3-month follow-up, 6-month follow-up, and 9-month follow-up). Aim 3 is to assess the potential impact of the intervention on both individual (stigma, stress, coping strategies) and interpersonal (social support, social ties) factors, and whether the impact of the intervention is mediated by these factors. The research team includes investigators in psychology, medicine, social work and public health, as well as community-based organizations serving Latina immigrants. The study uses rigorous methods to test an innovative program that integrates both culturally relevant and evidenced-based strategies to address significant mental health disparities in a high-risk and underserved population. Findings will help inform future research and practice. Given the growth of the Latino population, identifying interventions that reduce mental health disparities among Mexican immigrant women can have a significant public health impact.