UH Researchers Examine Consequences of Gang Life

The University of Houston Center for Drug and Social Policy Research (CDSPR) has been awarded a $2.4 million grant by the National Institutes for Health to study the long-term consequences of adolescent gang membership among Mexican Americans.

The funds will be awarded over the next four years.

"This is a follow-up to a study we conducted 10 years ago with 160 gang members in west San Antonio," said Avelardo Valdez, principal investigator and director of CDSPR. "This kind of longitudinal study is one of the first to look at the consequences of being a Mexican American young man engaging in a gang lifestyle."

The study, co-directed by assistant professor Alice Cepeda, will examine what has happened to these young men, now in their 20s. It is expected that some are incarcerated, unemployed or deceased. Some may be dealing with serious health issues like hepatitis or HIV/AIDS because of injecting-drug use and/or unprotected sexual activity with multiple partners.

"We think that those who divorced themselves from their peers will have done better. Those with a regular partner will have done better. Those in the labor force will have done better," Valdez said. "Some of these young men will have very positive outcomes, and we'll want to know how they did it. Maybe their answers contain interventions that we haven't heard of yet."

Valdez and researchers with CDSPR have conducted extensive research on gangs, drugs, violence and sex workers in South Texas and the U.S.-Mexico border. He says conclusions from this study will aid in the development of significant intervention and prevention programs and policies. Valdez expects to follow this same group through adulthood.

"We are excited about this study because there is little research in this area despite the fact that Mexican Americans are the fastest-growing population in the U.S.," Valdez said. "This will begin to explain the social trajectory of Mexican Americans and why it is not similar to other social populations."

Depression in Women Focus of UH Conference

Depression affects different people in different ways. For women, it can have a significant effect due to a host of physiological and emotional factors.

From March 6 - 7, a collection of leading researchers in depression and mood disorders will share their findings on the topic during the conference "The Etiology, Assessment and Treatment of Depression in Women and Girls" in room 100 of the University of Houston's Science and Engineering Classroom Building.

"The prevalence rate of depression is two to three times higher among women than men," said Jeremy Pettit, UH associate professor of psychology and director of the university's Mood Disorder and Suicide Research Program. "This conference will bring together those who have made substantial contributions to understanding depression in women. It will review what is known about depression in women across the lifespan and will present groundbreaking findings that will advance the field."

Topics include maternal depression, suicide and assessing and treating depression in women. The conference also will serve as a celebration of noted depression researcher Lynn Rehm, UH professor of psychology and founder of the university's Depression Research Clinic. Rehm is retiring at the end of the spring semester. Roundtable discussions will focus on Rehm's landmark contributions to depression research and will feature insights from his colleagues and former and current students regarding his mentoring and his roles in professional psychology organizational activities.

Among the conference's presenters are Nadine Kaslow, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Emory University School of Medicine; Thomas Joiner, distinguished research professor and Bright-Burton professor of psychology at Florida State University; and Michael O'Hara, professor of psychology and Starch Faculty Fellow at the University of Iowa.

The conference is sponsored by the Science Directorate of the American Psychological Association, UH department of psychology, UH College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences and the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards. It is free and open to the public.

UH Students Thank Alumni for Support

Some of today's UH students have created a special thank-you message for alumni who supported UH with a gift this past fall. View their video message at www.uh.edu/youareuh-video. Visitors also can learn more about the students involved at www.uh.edu/youareuh.

Gifts impact UH programs every day, providing today’s UH students with additional encouragement and financial support to thrive. By contributing, alumni show they care about UH students and a world-class UH education.

UH graduates give for many reasons — to express thanks to former mentors, to give back to the institution that provided a strong start, to honor cherished memories, to increase opportunity for today’s students and tomorrow’s leaders, or to be part of something big. Regardless of your reasons, your gifts publicly demonstrate pride in the University of Houston—its students, faculty, and programs—and a commitment to our future.

These students hope all alumni will view their video message – a genuine expression of thanks for those alumni who give…and an inspiration for others who will consider future support.