Alexandra Hernandez-Vallant

Dr. Alexandra Hernandez-Vallant


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Representative Publications

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11 January 2022 in Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment
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Journal Article
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KVKamilla L. Venner
Kamilla L. Venner
AHAlexandra Hernandez-Vallant
Alexandra Hernandez-Vallant
KHKatherine A. Hirchak
Katherine A. Hirchak
JHJalene L. Herron
Jalene L. Herron

1 January 2020 in American Journal of Orthopsychiatry
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Journal Article
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LWLauren P. Wadsworth
Lauren P. Wadsworth
SPSriramya Potluri
Sriramya Potluri
MSMeghan Schreck
Meghan Schreck
AHAlexandra Hernandez-Vallant
Alexandra Hernandez-Vallant
Historically, intensive obsessive-compulsive and related disorder (OCRD) treatment settings have been underrepresentative in terms of patient race and ethnicity. The present study piloted a novel technique to measure multiple marginalized identities and assess their impact on obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms and treatment response across intensive residential treatment (IRT). Participants included 715 residents receiving IRT for OCRD. Measures included the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale, Dimensional Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (DOCS), Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire-44, and measures of depression and quality of life. In addition, we piloted a marginalized identity score, an additive measure of intersectionality. Most patients endorsed holding primarily privileged identities. Higher marginalized identity score was significantly correlated with higher depression symptom severity and lower quality of life throughout treatment. Both at baseline and discharge, higher marginalized identity score was significantly and positively correlated with greater OCD symptom severity. Higher marginalized identity score was significantly associated with greater severity of DOCS1, DOCS2, DOCS4, and obsessive beliefs across multiple domains. Consistent with previous literature, patients in our IRT setting were not demographically representative of the general population. Individuals with more marginalized identities endorsed higher symptoms of OCD, obsessive beliefs, OCD dimensions, and depression, as well as lower quality of life at admission and discharge. Results support increased consideration of the role marginalization plays in symptom severity, symptom presentation, and treatment response across treatment settings. Further investigation is warranted to better address the multiplicative effects of holding intersecting marginalized identities and how treatment may be adapted to ameliorate these inequities. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

27 August 2020 in American Journal of Orthopsychiatry
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Journal Article
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CGCirila Estela Vasquez Guzman
Cirila Estela Vasquez Guzman
JHJulia Meredith Hess
Julia Meredith Hess
NCNorma Casas
Norma Casas
DMDulce Medina
Dulce Medina
MGMargarita Galvis
Margarita Galvis
JGJessica R. Goodkind
Jessica R. Goodkind
Immigration is at the forefront of national, state, and local policy struggles in the United States, and Latinx/@ immigrants have experienced increased deportations, detention, and individual threats. A mobilities perspective allows analysis to extend our view of migration beyond frameworks confined to pre- and postmigration, examining trajectories of social inclusion and exclusion that are influenced by multiple factors in the receiving country. The Immigrant Well-being Project, a community-based participatory research project involving university faculty, students, staff, and representatives from 4 community-based organizations (CBOs), was initiated in New Mexico in 2017 to better understand and promote Latinx/@ immigrant mental health and integration by creating change at multiple levels. We began these efforts by conducting an in-depth study of the mental health needs, stressors, current socioeconomic, legal, and political context, and local solutions as experienced by 24 Latinx/@ immigrants and their mixed status families. Five trajectories of immigrant integration emerged: continuous exclusion, simultaneous exclusion and inclusion, continuous inclusion, movement from exclusion to inclusion, and movement from inclusion to exclusion. These diverse mobilities were shaped by participants’ social locations, agency, and experiences with CBOs, which played critical roles in creating, maintaining, and/or transforming immigrants’ trajectories. However, CBOs could not completely buffer immigrants from the current hostile climate and related stressors that resulted in experiences of exclusion or movement from inclusion to exclusion. These findings add to understandings of immigrant mental health, complex ongoing mobility, and mechanisms of resilience and resistance within the United States and have important implications for policy and practice.

1 January 2023 in American Journal of Orthopsychiatry
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
AHAlexis J. Handal
Alexis J. Handal
CGCirila Estela Vasquez Guzman
Cirila Estela Vasquez Guzman
AHAlexandra Hernandez-Vallant
Alexandra Hernandez-Vallant
ALAlejandra Lemus
Alejandra Lemus
JHJulia Meredith Hess
Julia Meredith Hess
JGJessica R. Goodkind
Jessica R. Goodkind
Migration processes encompass uncertainty, discrimination, racism, stigma, social isolation, lack of access to resources, fear of deportation, and family separation, having a critical impact on the health of Latinx/@ immigrants in the United States. It is essential to accurately measure the ways in which social, legal, economic, and political contexts impact mental health. This article discusses adaptation and use of discrimination and historical loss measures in a multilevel community-based advocacy, learning, and social support intervention (Immigrant Well-Being Project) with Latinx/@ immigrants in New Mexico, using participatory research approaches. Participants (n = 52) were recruited through community partner organizations and completed four qualitative and quantitative interviews over a 12-month period. The present analysis draws on the baseline quantitative data. Results show it is possible to adapt standardized measures of discrimination developed to assess the experiences of other racial/ethnic groups; however, the most common responses involved response options added by our research team. For the historical loss instrument, there was a high frequency of "never" answers for many items, suggesting that they were not relevant for participants or did not capture their experiences of loss. As with the discrimination measures, the items we added resonated the most with participants. The contexts of discrimination and loss for Latinx/@ immigrant populations are complex, thus the tools we use to measure these experiences and their impact on health must account for this complexity. This study contributes to these endeavors through involving community members in the conceptualization and measurement of discrimination and historical loss among Latinx/@ immigrants. Public Policy Relevance Statement Latinx/@ immigrants comprise a heterogeneous population with diverse backgrounds and social-cultural-political contexts that affect their experiences in the United States. Understanding this complexity and its impact on health and health disparities requires accurate measurement of Latinx/@ immigrants' experiences. This study contributes to these efforts through the adaptation of measures of discrimination and historical loss, which can improve researchers' abilities to inform more sustainable and effective health promotion policies. Policies must reflect lived experiences more accurately to have meaningful and sustainable impacts.

1 May 2024 in Psychological Services
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
AHAlexandra Hernandez-Vallant
Alexandra Hernandez-Vallant
VVVictoria R. Votaw
Victoria R. Votaw
JHJalene L. Herron
Jalene L. Herron
ESElena R. Stein
Elena R. Stein
JSJulia E. Swan
Julia E. Swan
BMBarbara S. McCrady
Barbara S. McCrady
A standard component of service delivery in alcohol treatment clinics is evidence-based assessment (EBA). Although EBA is essential for selecting appropriate treatment modalities for alcohol use and associated problems, there are limitations in existing EBAs concerning evidence of cultural equivalence and utility among individuals seeking alcohol treatment. However, training in EBA, addictions, and clinical applications with diverse populations all are gaps in clinical training in doctoral programs in clinical psychology. The present work used the clinical science model to review the psychometric properties, cross-cultural utility, and measurement invariance of measures in an assessment battery used in an alcohol treatment training clinic. This article describes the results of that review, recommendations for retaining or replacing common assessment measures used in alcohol treatment clinics, and recommendations for alcohol treatment clinics interested in engaging in similar processes. Findings suggested that more research is needed to evaluate the psychometric properties of EBAs utilized in an alcohol treatment assessment battery, particularly among American Indian and Alaska Native people, and to test measurement invariance across race/ethnicity and other identity groups in alcohol treatment-seeking populations. Overall, routine reviews of cultural relevance are needed in clinical settings to stay current with the emerging literature. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

25 April 2024 in Applied Neuropsychology: Adult
Verified
Journal Article
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AHAlexandra Hernandez-Vallant
Alexandra Hernandez-Vallant
MHMargo C. Hurlocker
Margo C. Hurlocker
Disparities exist in the engagement and success of individuals seeking medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) treatment. Existing work suggests that individual-level factors such as cognitive functioning influence MOUD treatment, less is known about the role of environmental factors beyond the individual such as social determinants of health (SDOH). The aim of this systematic review was to summarize the literature of neuropsychological assessment in the context of MOUD treatment using an SDOH framework. We included peer-reviewed articles based in the United States and published in the English language that evaluated neuropsychological assessment on MOUD treatment outcomes. Three electronic databases were searched from January 2022 to September 2023 without restricting the date of publication for article inclusion. We identified 34 empirical articles that met inclusion criteria, the majority being nonrandomized clinical trials. Few studies examined differences in neuropsychological performance over time or in response to an adjunct intervention. Findings comparing cognitive functioning across MOUD and comparisons groups were mixed, as were findings from the studies that examined changes in cognitive functioning over time. Factors represented from the SDOH framework included educational attainment, premorbid intellectual functioning, and employment status. Neuropsychological domains and type of assessments varied, as did inclusion/exclusion and demographic characteristics. Existing literature is mixed on whether neuropsychological deficits in individuals with OUD are amenable to treatment, particularly among populations disproportionally disadvantaged by SDOH. More research is needed on the SDOH and other contextual factors that influence cognitive factors and MOUD treatment engagement and success.