Session: Global Research on the Wellbeing of Youth and Women: Lessons from Implementing Transnational Studies (Society for Social Work and Research 22nd Annual Conference - Achieving Equal Opportunity, Equity, and Justice)

There is a growing interest in global health and mental health research among social workers, academic institutions, and non-profits organizations. The World Health Organization and the U.S. National Institute for Mental Health, among other funding sources, are increasing support for this type of research. Despite this growing focus on global research, there are not systematized blueprints that help investigators for developing and implementing successful international projects.

The aim of this symposium is to discuss the development and implementation of three international research projects focused on children, adolescents, and women. The symposium will provide participants an opportunity to develop and consolidate their knowledge and skills regarding the development and implementation of international health, parenting, and mental health research through in-depth discussion of three case studies.

This symposium will discuss three studies carried in Latin American countries and coordinated by U.S.-based investigators in collaboration with local colleagues and institutions. The first project used survey methods to examine whether authoritarian parenting is normative and adaptive among Dominican mothers, and its relation to child functioning among mothers raising their children in three distinct socio-economical contexts in Dominican Republic (n = 340). The second study is a pilot mixed-methods project aimed at exploring the precipitating events and characteristics of the suicidal attempts of adolescent females in Chile, Peru, Colombia, and Mexico (n = 30). The last study used mixed-methods to develop a contextually-grounded model of racial categorization in Caracas, Venezuela (n = 499). Along with describing their studies, presenters will discuss strategies to: (a) conceptualize and carry out research that captures cultural contexts; (b) build synergy and research capital within a multicultural and interdisciplinary team spread across high-, mid-, and low-income countries; (c) develop mechanisms to deal with administrative, legal, and managerial issues at a local and international scale; (d) use social media and web-based resources to facilitate transnational research project implementation; and (e) balance the need to pursue generalizable findings while considering cultural diversity. The researchers will talk about cost considerations and funding opportunities for social workers interested in carrying international research. Considering the emphasis on sociocultural contexts and its importance for understanding their research topics, the investigators will discuss the critical role that multicultural and interdisciplinary teams can play in advancing international research. The presenters will introduce real case scenarios in which collaborators faced and solved important decisions at the conceptual, methodological, implementation, and analytic levels.

Ultimately, each presenter will provide a systematic and rigorous approach for developing and implementing international research projects. By taking the importance of accommodating local sociocultural environments as a starting point, this symposium will highlight the needs and strengths of transnational, multicultural and interdisciplinary research approaches, and will provide key insights into the processes and challenges faced by U.S.-based scientists conducting research in Latin America.