Finding Emotional Empowerment and Lifelong Strength

Co-Producing a Trauma and Substance Use Mental Health Literacy Intervention

This study will build a partnership with a Community Advisory Board to co-produce, and then pilot test, a theory-guided mental health literacy intervention focused on trauma and substance use. Participants will take part in educational group sessions for 12 weeks and complete assessments at baseline and two follow-up time points (mid-intervention and post-intervention). Intervention participants will be randomly invited to post-study focus groups to gather feedback on their experiences in the program.

This study will enhance mental health literacy (i.e., knowledge and beliefs related to mental health, including recognition, prevention, and management of symptoms) among a sample of young Black adults who have experienced lifetime trauma. The culturally tailored intervention will be guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior and social ecological model as guiding frameworks. Intervention components will be designed to promote behavioral, normative, and control beliefs related to mental health care utilization, with resources to target individual, interpersonal, organizational, and community levels of influence. Following development, the intervention will be piloted among young Black adults, utilizing a single-arm pilot design.

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Self-identify as Black or African American
2. Be between the ages of 18 and 35 years old
3. Endorse previous lifetime trauma exposure
4. Participants must speak English
5. Participants are capable of giving informed consent and capable of complying with study procedures.