Keith J Watts
Biographic Data
| ID | 905049 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Keith J Watts |
| GIVEN NAMES | Keith J |
| FAMILY NAME | Watts |
| SIGNATURE | WATTS K J |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Kentucky |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-2086-272X |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 17 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 7 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 17 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2020 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
Community place attachment as a significant correlate of motivation to change substance use behavior among adults who inject drugs in rural U.S
Introduction: While motivation is critical for substance use disorder (SUD) recovery, many individuals fail to engage in treatment. The need to belong is a fundamental human motivation, yet the role of community place attachment (CPA) as a social asset in fostering motivation to change substance use behaviors (MCSUB) among people who inject drugs (PWID) is understudied. This paper examines the effect of CPA on PWIDs' MCSUB. Methodology: Cross-sec…
Belonging in the American Orff-Schulwerk Association: Perspectives From a Mixed-Methods Study
As music educators around the world continue to seek inclusive professional communities that support teacher identity and belonging, understanding how these dynamics unfold within national organizations is critical. As such, the purpose of this mixed-methods study was to explore individuals’ sense of belonging to and identity within the American Orff-Schulwerk Association (AOS Association, n.d.). Ninety-three elementary music teachers completed a…
Experiences of Peer Bullying Victimization and Early Delinquent Behavior Among Children Living in Disadvantaged Single-Mother Homes
The association between frequent bullying victimization and delinquency during preadolescence, a critical period for future violence prevention, is understudied for children facing cumulative risks. Single-parent household structure and poverty are established contributors to delinquency. Guided by General Strain Theory and using secondary data from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study, this study examined whether child-reported peer …
“They Think That They Know Your Story”: Intersecting Discrimination and Interpersonal Barriers in Social Services for Immigrant Women of African Descent
Immigrant women of African descent (IWAD) navigate oppression rooted in anti-Black racism, sexism, and nativism. While discrimination in health care is documented, the interpersonal barriers IWAD encounter within social and human service agencies remain underexplored. Consequently, this qualitative study aimed to explore these barriers through an intersectional lens, specifically examining how identity-based discrimination impacts interactions wi…
Poppers, apps, and pleasure: From set to setting among sexually diverse men in Mexico
Poppers’ use in Mexico is framed by somatic gratification and agency rather than perceived harm. • The set and setting framework reveals poppers as a tool for sexual well-being. • Use is a relational technology for negotiating consent and partner affinity. • Dating apps are key digital settings that normalize and facilitate poppers use. • Pleasure-centered harm reduction approaches are needed in public health responses. Poppers (alkyl nitrites) a…
Intersectional belonging and the social cure: Identity centrality as a pathway to well-being for Black LGBTQ+ adults
Black LGBTQ+ adults navigate a unique social location characterised by synergistic stressors, yet the specific psychological mechanisms that translate community resources into resilience remain under-theorised. Grounded in the Social Cure framework and Intersectionality Theory, this study examined whether identity centrality mediates the relationship between Black LGBTQ+ community belongingness and subjective well-being. A cross-sectional survey …
From Critique to Construction: The Ancestral Institute as a Praxis‐Based Model for Decolonial Community Psychology
Disentangling the colonial residues that structure contemporary mental health is a central task for community psychology. Beyond postures of critique, the field requires generative, praxis‐based exemplars. This article presents a practice‐based analysis of the Ancestral Institute (AI) as a project of epistemic reconstruction: a community‐led effort to assemble a coherent psychological framework from Indigenous and diasporic foundations. Tracing A…
Paying the Cognitive Debt: An Experiential Learning Framework for Integrating AI in Social Work Education
The rapid integration of Generative Artificial Intelligence in higher education challenges social work as student adoption outpaces pedagogical guidance. This paper argues that the unguided use of AI fosters cognitive debt: a cumulative deficit in critical thinking, ethical reasoning, and professional judgment that arises from offloading cognitive tasks. To counter this risk, a pedagogical model is proposed, synthesizing experiential learning, an…
The Access to Infertility Treatment and Care Act: A Critical Step Toward Addressing Male Infertility
Male infertility is a significant yet overlooked public health issue affecting many couples. This policy brief argues that the Access to Infertility Treatment and Care Act (AITCA) is essential for mandating equitable insurance coverage for infertility diagnosis and treatment, including male-specific interventions. It examines the interplay of lifestyle, medical, and societal factors contributing to male infertility, along with its profound emotio…
Protective Factors for Marijuana Use and Suicidal Behavior Among Black LGBQ U.S. High School Students
This study aimed to investigate the association between protective factors, marijuana use, and suicidal behavior among Black LGBQ U.S. adolescents. Methods: A subsample of 991 Black LGBQ adolescents was derived from the 2019 Combined High School YRBSS dataset. Suicidal behavior was measured as suicidal planning and/or previous suicide attempts. Marijuana usage gauged lifetime consumption. The protective factors included sports team participation,…
Does Racial/Ethnic Identity Influence the Association Between Middle Childhood Bullying Victimization and Adolescent Risk Behaviors
“You Have to Humanize Your feelings: ” Black fathers’ Reflections on How Youth Violence Prevention and Perpetration Influence Their Overall Health and Fathering Practices
In Baton Rouge, LA, and nationally, youth violence is a serious public health problem affecting the lives of community members. Fortunately, Black fathers have responded to the urgent call to prevent youth violence in Louisiana. In 2021, the SUPPORT project was launched to unearth stories of Black fathers' prevention practices and interventions. Since relationships are embedded within and across various systems, the Social-Ecological Model for Vi…
The Impact of Community Belongingness on Mental Health and Well-Being Among Black LGBTQ Adults
Transgender and gender expansive emerging adults: The moderating role of thwarted belongingness on mental health
Transgender and gender expansive emerging adults experience multiple forms of gender minority stress, which affect their mental health and wellbeing. Belongingness has been identified as a factor that fosters resilience among this population, with potential protective effects. Few studies have explored the role of thwarted belongingness and its potential moderating effect on the relation between gender minority stress and mental health. This stud…
Perceptions of gay black men on the social construction of masculinity and its role in mental health
Introduction: The meaning and experience of masculinity differs across people and groups, and previous research has demonstrated that such differences are reflected in mental health outcomes. For gay Black men situated at the intersection of identifying as both a sexual minority and a racial minority, navigating the norms and expectations associated with masculinity often presents many challenges.Methodology: This phenomenological study explored …
The role of thwarted belongingness on the relationship between microaggressions and mental health for LGBTQ+ emerging adults
This study investigated thwarted belongingness as a moderator of the relationship between microaggressions and mental health among LGBTQ+ emerging adults. Using data collected from 186 LGBTQ+ emerging adults, we conducted separate moderation analyses to examine whether, and to what extent, the relation between microaggressions and mental health (i.e. anxiety and depressive symptoms) is moderated by thwarted belongingness. Interpersonal and enviro…
Managing stressors online and offline: LGBTQ+ Youth in the Southern United States
Managing stressors online and offline: LGBTQ+ Youth in the Southern United States
The role of thwarted belongingness on the relationship between microaggressions and mental health for LGBTQ+ emerging adults
This study investigated thwarted belongingness as a moderator of the relationship between microaggressions and mental health among LGBTQ+ emerging adults. Using data collected from 186 LGBTQ+ emerging adults, we conducted separate moderation analyses to examine whether, and to what extent, the relation between microaggressions and mental health (i.e. anxiety and depressive symptoms) is moderated by thwarted belongingness. Interpersonal and enviro…
Managing stressors online and offline: LGBTQ+ Youth in the Southern United States
Perceptions of gay black men on the social construction of masculinity and its role in mental health
Introduction: The meaning and experience of masculinity differs across people and groups, and previous research has demonstrated that such differences are reflected in mental health outcomes. For gay Black men situated at the intersection of identifying as both a sexual minority and a racial minority, navigating the norms and expectations associated with masculinity often presents many challenges.Methodology: This phenomenological study explored …
The role of thwarted belongingness on the relationship between microaggressions and mental health for LGBTQ+ emerging adults
This study investigated thwarted belongingness as a moderator of the relationship between microaggressions and mental health among LGBTQ+ emerging adults. Using data collected from 186 LGBTQ+ emerging adults, we conducted separate moderation analyses to examine whether, and to what extent, the relation between microaggressions and mental health (i.e. anxiety and depressive symptoms) is moderated by thwarted belongingness. Interpersonal and enviro…
Transgender and gender expansive emerging adults: The moderating role of thwarted belongingness on mental health
Transgender and gender expansive emerging adults experience multiple forms of gender minority stress, which affect their mental health and wellbeing. Belongingness has been identified as a factor that fosters resilience among this population, with potential protective effects. Few studies have explored the role of thwarted belongingness and its potential moderating effect on the relation between gender minority stress and mental health. This stud…
“You Have to Humanize Your feelings: ” Black fathers’ Reflections on How Youth Violence Prevention and Perpetration Influence Their Overall Health and Fathering Practices
In Baton Rouge, LA, and nationally, youth violence is a serious public health problem affecting the lives of community members. Fortunately, Black fathers have responded to the urgent call to prevent youth violence in Louisiana. In 2021, the SUPPORT project was launched to unearth stories of Black fathers' prevention practices and interventions. Since relationships are embedded within and across various systems, the Social-Ecological Model for Vi…
The Impact of Community Belongingness on Mental Health and Well-Being Among Black LGBTQ Adults
Paying the Cognitive Debt: An Experiential Learning Framework for Integrating AI in Social Work Education
The rapid integration of Generative Artificial Intelligence in higher education challenges social work as student adoption outpaces pedagogical guidance. This paper argues that the unguided use of AI fosters cognitive debt: a cumulative deficit in critical thinking, ethical reasoning, and professional judgment that arises from offloading cognitive tasks. To counter this risk, a pedagogical model is proposed, synthesizing experiential learning, an…
The Access to Infertility Treatment and Care Act: A Critical Step Toward Addressing Male Infertility
Male infertility is a significant yet overlooked public health issue affecting many couples. This policy brief argues that the Access to Infertility Treatment and Care Act (AITCA) is essential for mandating equitable insurance coverage for infertility diagnosis and treatment, including male-specific interventions. It examines the interplay of lifestyle, medical, and societal factors contributing to male infertility, along with its profound emotio…
Protective Factors for Marijuana Use and Suicidal Behavior Among Black LGBQ U.S. High School Students
This study aimed to investigate the association between protective factors, marijuana use, and suicidal behavior among Black LGBQ U.S. adolescents. Methods: A subsample of 991 Black LGBQ adolescents was derived from the 2019 Combined High School YRBSS dataset. Suicidal behavior was measured as suicidal planning and/or previous suicide attempts. Marijuana usage gauged lifetime consumption. The protective factors included sports team participation,…
Does Racial/Ethnic Identity Influence the Association Between Middle Childhood Bullying Victimization and Adolescent Risk Behaviors
Community place attachment as a significant correlate of motivation to change substance use behavior among adults who inject drugs in rural U.S
Introduction: While motivation is critical for substance use disorder (SUD) recovery, many individuals fail to engage in treatment. The need to belong is a fundamental human motivation, yet the role of community place attachment (CPA) as a social asset in fostering motivation to change substance use behaviors (MCSUB) among people who inject drugs (PWID) is understudied. This paper examines the effect of CPA on PWIDs' MCSUB. Methodology: Cross-sec…
Belonging in the American Orff-Schulwerk Association: Perspectives From a Mixed-Methods Study
As music educators around the world continue to seek inclusive professional communities that support teacher identity and belonging, understanding how these dynamics unfold within national organizations is critical. As such, the purpose of this mixed-methods study was to explore individuals’ sense of belonging to and identity within the American Orff-Schulwerk Association (AOS Association, n.d.). Ninety-three elementary music teachers completed a…
Experiences of Peer Bullying Victimization and Early Delinquent Behavior Among Children Living in Disadvantaged Single-Mother Homes
The association between frequent bullying victimization and delinquency during preadolescence, a critical period for future violence prevention, is understudied for children facing cumulative risks. Single-parent household structure and poverty are established contributors to delinquency. Guided by General Strain Theory and using secondary data from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study, this study examined whether child-reported peer …
“They Think That They Know Your Story”: Intersecting Discrimination and Interpersonal Barriers in Social Services for Immigrant Women of African Descent
Immigrant women of African descent (IWAD) navigate oppression rooted in anti-Black racism, sexism, and nativism. While discrimination in health care is documented, the interpersonal barriers IWAD encounter within social and human service agencies remain underexplored. Consequently, this qualitative study aimed to explore these barriers through an intersectional lens, specifically examining how identity-based discrimination impacts interactions wi…
Poppers, apps, and pleasure: From set to setting among sexually diverse men in Mexico
Poppers’ use in Mexico is framed by somatic gratification and agency rather than perceived harm. • The set and setting framework reveals poppers as a tool for sexual well-being. • Use is a relational technology for negotiating consent and partner affinity. • Dating apps are key digital settings that normalize and facilitate poppers use. • Pleasure-centered harm reduction approaches are needed in public health responses. Poppers (alkyl nitrites) a…
Intersectional belonging and the social cure: Identity centrality as a pathway to well-being for Black LGBTQ+ adults
Black LGBTQ+ adults navigate a unique social location characterised by synergistic stressors, yet the specific psychological mechanisms that translate community resources into resilience remain under-theorised. Grounded in the Social Cure framework and Intersectionality Theory, this study examined whether identity centrality mediates the relationship between Black LGBTQ+ community belongingness and subjective well-being. A cross-sectional survey …
From Critique to Construction: The Ancestral Institute as a Praxis‐Based Model for Decolonial Community Psychology
Disentangling the colonial residues that structure contemporary mental health is a central task for community psychology. Beyond postures of critique, the field requires generative, praxis‐based exemplars. This article presents a practice‐based analysis of the Ancestral Institute (AI) as a project of epistemic reconstruction: a community‐led effort to assemble a coherent psychological framework from Indigenous and diasporic foundations. Tracing A…
Psychology (7 works) · LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy (6 works) · Mental health (6 works) · Social Psychology (6 works) · Clinical Psychology (5 works) · Belongingness (4 works) · Clinical Psychology (4 works) · Medicine (4 works) · Minority stress (4 works) · Poison control (4 works)