Rafael E. Hernández Dubón

Rafael E. Hernández Dubón

Rafael E. Hernández Dubón

Graduate Research Assistant

Latinx psychology, immigrant family processes, parental self-sacrifice, trauma

Rafael E. Hernández Dubón, Ph.D., graduated from the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program at George Mason University in 2026, where he was mentored by Dr. Tara Chaplin. He will begin a postdoctoral fellowship in the Trauma Services Program at the Washington DC VA Medical Center in September 2026. Rafael completed a double major at Virginia Commonwealth University, earning a B.S. in Psychology, with a concentration in Addiction Studies, and a B.A. in Philosophy, with a concentration in Philosophy and Science. Prior to his graduate training, he worked as a research assistant on projects aimed at culturally enhancing substance use interventions for Latinx adolescents and young adults.

Rafael’s research focuses on Latinx and immigrant communities, especially the ways sociocultural, structural, family, and spiritual factors relate to parental self-sacrifice, mental health, and substance use. His dissertation examined parental self-sacrifice among Central American immigrant communities.

Selected Publications

Dubon Hernández, R. E., Letiecq, B. L., Chaplin, T. M., Vesely, C. K., Goodman, R. D., & Marquez, M. (2024). Immigration-related stress, depression, and positive parenting among undocumented Central American immigrant mothers. Family Relations. https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.13106

Everhart, R., Lohr, K. D., Ramos, M., Dubon Hernández, R. E., Heron, K. E., Mazzeo, E. S., & Corona, R. (2023). Perceived stress, religiosity, and substance use in African American and Latinx college students with asthma in the USA. Journal of Religion and Health. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-023-01754-2

Dubon Hernández, R. E., Willis, K. D., Moreno, O., Everhart, R., & Corona, R. (2022). Does religious commitment mediate the association between acculturative stress and Latinx young adults’ tobacco use? Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1177/00220221221093814

Expanded Publication List

Dubon Hernández, R. E., Letiecq, B. L., Chaplin, T. M., Vesely, C. K., Goodman, R. D., & Marquez, M. (2024). Immigration-related stress, depression, and positive parenting among undocumented Central American immigrant mothers. Family Relations. https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.13106

Everhart, R., Lohr, K. D., Ramos, M., Dubon Hernández, R. E., Heron, K. E., Mazzeo, E. S., & Corona, R. (2023). Perceived stress, religiosity, and substance use in African American and Latinx college students with asthma in the USA. Journal of Religion and Health. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-023-01754-2

Dubon Hernández, R. E., Willis, K. D., Moreno, O., Everhart, R., & Corona, R. (2022). Does religious commitment mediate the association between acculturative stress and Latinx young adults’ tobacco use? Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1177/00220221221093814

Hitti, A. S., Avila, M., McDonald, E. S., Romo, S., Benzel, K. G., Dubon Hernández, R. E., Vazquez, G., Sullivan, T., & Corona, R. (2019). The relation between body image perceptions, parental messages, and depressive symptoms among Latinx college students. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/cdp0000309

Grants and Fellowships

Washington DC VA Medical Center Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship (2026-2027). Graduate Inclusion & Access (GIA) Scholarship, George Mason University (2020-2025).

Education

2026 Ph.D. Clinical Psychology, George Mason University

2021 M.A. Clinical Psychology, George Mason University

2019 B.S. Psychology (Addiction Studies); Philosophy (Philosophy and Science), Virginia Commonwealth University

In the Media

October 12, 2022. “Doctoral student works to fill an important need in the Latinx community.” George Mason University News. https://www.gmu.edu/news/2022-10/doctoral-student-works-fill-important-need-latinx-community