Professors Amy Non (UCSD) and Kimberly D’Anna-Hernandez (Marquette University)
Our study aims to understand health disparities in emotional resilience and mental health among Mexican Americans mothers and their children, who face a high burden of psychological, social, and cultural stress. This project examines how various stress and resilience factors in Mexican American mothers can shape the stress biology profile of their children, through study of hormonal and molecular changes measured in children’s saliva. The results of the project will help determine how and when maternal experiences can affect the development of stress biology and mental health in young children. Findings will be important to improve prevention and interventions to reduce racial/ethnic health disparities in mental health.