Document Type

Article

Keywords

Latina youth, mental health, sexual health, zines, arts-based research

Disciplines

Community-Based Research | Latina/o Studies | Social Work | Women's Studies

Abstract

Multiple, convergent risk factors place Latina youth at disproportionate risk for mental

and sexual health issues. Yet, their firsthand perspectives and experiential knowledge of

how to navigate mental and sexual health challenges is rarely the subject of scholarly

inquiry. This article presents a multi-modal content analysis of themes and messages

conveyed by two digital zines created by Latina young adults for Latina teens through an

arts-based research project. In this arts-based research, zines functioned as both data and

method, capturing Latina youth’s nuanced perspectives and lived experiences of mental

and sexual health. We identified six themes in their works—acknowledging and breaking

mental health stigma, straddling two worlds, celebrating strengths, relationship values and

expectations, redefining womanhood, and exploring and embracing sexuality. Findings are

interpreted through a model of socioecological resilience to reveal the processes through

which participants navigate adversity and foster resilience. This study highlights how Latina

young people use creative expression to assert their agency in matters of mental and

sexual health despite multi-level barriers, offering novel insights and practical implications

for health promotion.

Publication Title

Qualitative Social Work

Article Number

online first

Publication Date

2025

First Page

1

Last Page

24

Extent

25

DOI of Published Version

10.1177/14733250251391523

Language

English

Peer Reviewed

1

Version

Published

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Funder

Fahs-Beck Fund for Research and Experimentation

Grant

Faculty Research Grant

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