Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

Date of Award

1-21-2026

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Psychology

College

College of Science and Health

First Advisor

Kathryn Grant

Abstract

Research has shown that adolescence is a vulnerable period for mental health problems, especially for youth living in high-stress urban environments. Youth can also build resilience in the context of protective processes during this period. Thus, it is critical to recognize which environments and settings help build resilience in youth. Environments such as the youth’s home and school are the most well-established protective settings in the development of mental health problems (Luthar et al., 2000). However, less is known about what other settings can foster resilience in youth as well as the specific processes associated with positive outcomes across each setting. It is important to understand the factors and processes in the environment that lead to positive mental health in youth as it can help build upon the literature and inform intervention. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the role of protective settings and protective processes in protecting against negative mental health outcomes. This study examined the role of race and ethnicity as potential moderators of the relationship between protective processes and youth mental health problems. The sample consisted of 372 adolescents from Chicago Public Schools in grades six through twelve. Students were recruited from three urban middle schools. Participants completed the Places I Spend Time measure to assess protective processes and the Youth Self-Report measure, to assess mental health problems and competencies. Qualitative thematic analyses were conducted to characterize the types of protective settings reported by youth and frequency analyses were conducted to identify the settings and processes most frequently identified. Results indicated that protective processes vary by setting, with home protective processes most consistently associated with reduced internalizing and externalizing symptoms and increased social and activities competence. Results showed that race moderated some associations, with White youth and Bi-racial or Multi-racial youth benefiting more, while ethnicity had no significant effect.

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