Adverse childhood experiences and adjustment: A longitudinal study of street-involved youth in Brazil.

Most research on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) has been conducted in high-income countries in the global North. The current longitudinal study examined the prevalence, overlap, and impact of ACEs in a sample of Brazilian children and adolescents who use city streets as spaces for socialization and survival (i.e., street-involved youth). Participants (N = 113; M age = 14.18 years) were recruited in three cities following standardized procedures. Most youth were male (80.5%) and non-White (91%). Lifetime exposure to ACEs was assessed at the first study time point; six indicators of psychological, behavioral, and physical adjustment were assessed 6 months later. Analyses addressed three research goals. First, the prevalence of seven ACEs was examined. Youth reported an average of 4.8 ACEs (SD = 1.25); no significant age or gender differences were found in ACEs exposure (all ps > .05). Second, the overlap between different ACEs was explored. Family dysfunction was correlated with family disruption and physical abuse; poverty and physical abuse were related (ps < .05). Third, prospective associations between ACEs and adjustment were tested. Total number of ACEs was not significantly correlated with any outcome, but several associations emerged for specific ACEs. For example, death of a close friend or family member was prospectively associated with negative affect; sexual abuse was associated with illicit drug use and physical health symptoms (ps < .05). Findings highlight the prevalence of ACEs in this vulnerable population and underscore the value of extending research on ACEs into novel populations and contexts.

Developmental risks and psychosocial adjustment among low-income Brazilian youth.

Exposure to developmental risks in three domains (community, economic, and family), and relations between risks and psychosocial well-being, were examined among 918 impoverished Brazilian youth aged 14-19 (M = 15.8 years, 51.9% female) recruited in low-income neighborhoods in one city in Southern Brazil. High levels of developmental risks were reported, with levels and types of risks varying by gender, age, and (to a lesser extent) race. Associations between levels of risks in the various domains and indicators of psychological (e.g., self-esteem, negative emotionality) and behavioral (e.g., substance use) adjustment differed for male and female respondents. Findings build on prior research investigating the development of young people in conditions of pervasive urban poverty and reinforce the value of international research in this endeavor.

[Demanding respect for the subjectivity of public health system clients: towards humanization of health care]. / Reivindicando a subjetividade dos usuários da Rede Básica de Saúde: para uma humanização do atendimento.

This paper analyzes how clients of the public health system in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, "give meaning" to their situation as "patients", basically focusing on three aspects: (1) evaluation of care, (2) awareness of their rights as citizens and role in improvement of the service, and (3) expectations regarding the encounter with health professionals. The results point to many deficiencies in the health system, besides demonstrating the population's passivity and resignation towards the present situation. The need to consider clients' subjectivity is important, as is the health professional-client relationship, with their encounter considered a prime moment for establishing a humanizing process in health practice, besides fostering the development of a critical awareness among clients concerning their rights and their role as agents of change in the health system.