Sydni Dávila is a second-year doctoral student in Developmental Psychology at the University of Pittsburgh. Her research explores how cultural values, racial identity, and family context intersect to shape mental health outcomes among Latinx youth and families. She is particularly interested in strengths-based frameworks and culturally responsive approaches that challenge deficit narratives in psychology. Sydni’s work is grounded in community-engaged research and centers the lived experiences of marginalized youth through mixed-method and participatory designs.
Submitted and Accepted
- Davila, S. A., Martinez, A., & Medrano, A. S. (2025). Navigating economic and familial stressors: Examining family cohesion and resilience as protective factors for rural Mexican adolescents. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology.
- Medrano, A. S., Davila, S. A., Adame Montelongo, S. E., Labrousse, D., & Williams, E. D. G. (2025). Disentangling machismo and caballerismo: Mental health help-seeking in rural Mexico. Journal of Rural Mental Health, 49(3), 267–277. https://doi.org/10.1037/rmh0000291
In Press
- Davila, S. A., Adame Montelongo, E. S., Labrousse, D., & Medrano, A. S. (in press). “Uno no puede solucionarlo por sí mismo”: Sociocultural influences on mental health and help-seeking attitudes among rural Mexican adults. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology.
- Kabir, Z. S., Davila, S. A., & Medrano, A. S. (in press). Holding together in hard times: Family cohesion as a moderator of mental health amidst community violence. Journal of Community Psychology.
- Ganu, D., Starks, B., Davila, S. A., & Medrano, A. S. (in press). Campus climate and the mental health of college student caregivers: The mediating role of group belonging. Journal of Higher Education.
Presentations
- Davila, S. A., & Medrano, A. (2025). Identity in the aftermath: Trauma’s role in Puerto Rican college students’ growth. Poster presented at the Society for the Study of Emerging Adults (SSEA), Charleston, South Carolina.
- Martinez, A., Davila, S. A., & Medrano, A. (2025). Examining protective factors in the context of familial and economic stressors in rural Mexican adolescents. Poster presented at the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD), Minneapolis, Minnesota.
- Medina, C., Davila, S. A., & Medrano, A. (2025). Sexual victimization, machismo, and anxiety among rural Mexican adolescents. Poster presented at the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD), Minneapolis, Minnesota.
- Labrousse, D., Montelongo, E. S., Davila, S. A., Williams, E.-D. G., & Medrano, A. (2024). Navigating cultural and identity constructs: Mental health in Latinx communities. Symposium presented at the National Latinx Psychological Association (NLPA), San Juan, Puerto Rico.
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