# The Role of Social Relationships in Behavioral Health Treatment-Seeking in Post-Maria Puerto Rican Migrants

> **NIH NIH F31** · BOSTON COLLEGE · 2022 · $30,752

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
This proposal seeks to investigate how social relationships (including social support, social integration, and
negative interpersonal interactions) impact behavioral health treatment-seeking among post-Maria Puerto
Rican migrants. Puerto Ricans are the second-largest Latinx group in the United States (US) and have the
highest rates of behavioral health (BH) disorders among Latinx heritage groups. There is evidence that this
may be due to the circular migration patterns that result from Puerto Ricans having US citizenship, which
entails frequent disruptions to social networks. At the same time, Latinxs utilize BH services at lower rates than
non-Latinxs, suggested a significant unmet treatment need. This study will investigate how the social
relationships of post-Maria Puerto Rican migrants 1) influence perceived need for treatment and 2) influence
service utilization. The results of the study can be used to inform culturally-congruent outreach efforts and BH
services and suggest routes to reduce future BH treatment gaps with Latinx (im)migrant populations. The
proposed study will have both quantitative and qualitative components. It will use prospective survey data from
the parent study – the Adelante Boricua project – to determine salient social relationship influences on BH
treatment outcomes. Qualitative interviews conducted for the proposed study will then explore in depth the
associations between social relationships and BH treatment outcomes found in the quantitative aims. In
addition to the proposed study, the training plan for this fellowship will provide a variety of opportunities to
develop as a well-rounded, community-engaged health services researcher. These opportunities include
advanced coursework to develop substantive and methodological knowledge, interdisciplinary team-based
research experience, and mentored practice in working effectively with community advisory boards. The
sponsor and co-sponsor both have extensive expertise with Latinx populations, including behavioral health
(sponsor) and systems navigation (co-sponsor). They are supported by the institutional environment of the
Boston College School of Social Work, which has a cadre of researchers who focus on Latinx and immigrant
populations and a wealth of resources for conducted community-engaged research. The sponsorship team and
institutional environment are ideal for completing the proposed study and training plan for this fellowship.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10536115
- **Project number:** 1F31MD017465-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** BOSTON COLLEGE
- **Principal Investigator:** James Catesby Hodges
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $30,752
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-08-01 → 2026-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10536115

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10536115, The Role of Social Relationships in Behavioral Health Treatment-Seeking in Post-Maria Puerto Rican Migrants (1F31MD017465-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10536115. Licensed CC0.

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