Graduation Year

2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree

Ph.D.

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Degree Granting Department

Educational and Psychological Studies

Major Professor

Shannon Suldo, Ph.D.

Co-Major Professor

Stacy-Ann January, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Kahlila Lawrence, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Sarah Kiefer, Ph.D.

Committee Member

John Ferron, Ph.D.

Keywords

Adolescents, Communication, Engagement, Families, Positive Psychology

Abstract

Latine students often face systemic barriers to accessing appropriate mental health support, highlighting the importance of culturally responsive school-based interventions to address mental health disparities (Gonzalez et al., 2022; Jackson, 2021). Although many interventions incorporate caregiver involvement, limited research has explored how Latine youth experience and make meaning of caregiver engagement in school-based mental health programs (Hansen et al., 2021; Wildmon et al., 2024). This mixed-methods study centers Latine student voices by examining how Latine students experienced and interpreted caregiver engagement in the Well-Being Promotion Program (WBPP), a school-based positive psychology intervention implemented during the 2023–2024 school year across six middle schools in Florida and Massachusetts as part of a larger randomized controlled trial. Quantitatively, descriptive analyses examined caregiver participation in an initial information session and weekly program activities among Latine students in the intervention sample (N = 76). Findings indicated low attendance to caregiver information sessions despite flexible modality and scheduling options, yet moderate levels of home-based caregiver engagement in weekly program activities. Qualitatively, a secondary analysis of exit interviews with Latine middle school students (n = 39) explored students’ experiences of caregiver involvement. Guided by Critical Youth Studies (Cammarota & Fine, 2008) and a constructivist-interpretivist framework, qualitative findings identified four themes: (1) student sense-making of caregiver engagement, (2) caregiver engagement as a co-constructed relational process, (3) caregivers as central to students’ emotional and relational experiences, and (4) relational and emotional outcomes of caregiver engagement. Across themes, students described caregiver engagement as a relational and co-constructed process shaped by caregiver attitudes, student agency, family dynamics, and contextual factors. Engagement was most meaningful when it involved communication and shared interactions within the home. Students also reported that caregiver involvement enhanced engagement in the program, increased the relevance of program content, and strengthened emotional and relational connections with caregivers. Findings emphasize the importance of designing school-based mental health interventions that conceptualize caregiver engagement as a relational and culturally embedded process, while highlighting the value of centering Latine student voice in the design and evaluation of school-based mental health interventions.

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