The Hispanic Social Network Prevention Intervention Study: A Community-Based Randomized Trial
Book Chapter
Vega, WA, Valle, R, Kolody, B et al. (2026). The Hispanic Social Network Prevention Intervention Study: A Community-Based Randomized Trial
. 217-231. 10.4324/9781003785507-16
Vega, WA, Valle, R, Kolody, B et al. (2026). The Hispanic Social Network Prevention Intervention Study: A Community-Based Randomized Trial
. 217-231. 10.4324/9781003785507-16
This chapter briefly reviews the theoretical and design specifications for a community-based prospective preventive intervention study currently in process in San Diego, California. The study is funded by the National Institute of Mental Health as part of their program initiative to gain new knowledge about the feasibility and efficaciousness of conducting preventive interventions with a wide variety of sociodemographic groups. The goal of our project is to prevent the onset of depression and high levels of depressive symptoms among Mexican-American women between thirty-five and fifty years of age using a three-group design, including a control and two intervention groups. The research involves a large and carefully screened community sample drawn from a relatively homogenous ethnic subgroup (low income immigrants). By virtue of the careful design and sample, we believe that the study will provide an adequate test of contemporary concepts and methods in prevention research. The contents of this chapter include: (1) a rationale for target group selection; (2) a summary of the theoretical background underlying the research; (3) a description of the interventions; (4) a review of design features; and (5) a delineation of implications for the field of depression prevention.
