Journal of Adolescent Health
Volume 56, Issue 4, 2015, Pages 433-439

Trajectories of cultural stressors and effects on mental health and substance use among hispanic immigrant adolescents (Article)

Schwartz S.J.* , Unger J.B. , Baezconde-Garbanati L. , Zamboanga B.L. , Lorenzo-Blanco E.I. , Des Rosiers S.E. , Romero A.J. , Cano M.Á. , Gonzales-Backen M.A. , Córdova D. , Piña-Watson B.M. , Huang S. , Villamar J.A. , Soto D.W. , Pattarroyo M. , Szapocznik J.
  • a Department of Public Health Sciences, Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, United States
  • b Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
  • c Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
  • d Department of Psychology, Smith College, Northampton, MA, United States
  • e Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States
  • f Department of Psychology, Barry University, Miami Shores, FL, United States
  • g Department of Family Studies and Human Development, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
  • h Department of Epidemiology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, United States
  • i Department of Family and Child Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, United States
  • j Department of Social Work, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
  • k Department of Psychological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, United States
  • l Department of Public Health Sciences, Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, United States
  • m Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
  • n Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
  • o Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
  • p Department of Public Health Sciences, Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, United States

Abstract

Purpose We sought to determine the extent to which initial levels and over-time trajectories of cultural stressors (discrimination, negative context of reception, and bicultural stress) predicted well-being, internalizing symptoms, conduct problems, and health risk behaviors among recently immigrated Hispanic adolescents. Addressing this research objective involved creating a latent factor for cultural stressors, establishing invariance for this factor over time, estimating a growth curve for this factor over time, and examining the effects of initial levels (intercepts) and trajectories (slopes) of cultural stressors on adolescent outcomes. Methods A sample of 302 recently immigrated Hispanic adolescents in Miami (median of 1 year in the United States at baseline) and Los Angeles (median of 3 years in the United States at baseline) was recruited from public schools and assessed six times over a 3-year period. Results Perceived discrimination, context of reception, and bicultural stress loaded onto a latent factor at each of the first five timepoints. A growth curve conducted on this factor over the first five timepoints significantly predicted lower self-esteem and optimism, more depressive symptoms, greater aggressive behavior and rule breaking, and increased likelihood of drunkenness and marijuana use. Conclusions The present results may be important in designing interventions for Hispanic immigrant children and adolescents, including those within the present wave of unaccompanied child migrants. Results indicate targeting cultural stressors in interventions may have potential to improve well-being and decrease externalizing behaviors and substance use within this population. © 2015 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine.

Author Keywords

Context of reception Hispanic Conduct problems Positive youth development Immigrant Adolescent discrimination Cultural stress Substance use Depressive symptoms

Index Keywords

cultural anthropology depression immigrant social acceptance longitudinal study complication mental health human Longitudinal Studies statistics and numerical data Stress, Psychological mental stress priority journal Substance-Related Disorders self esteem ethnology Hispanic Americans Mental Disorders Florida Humans Aggression migrant racism Hispanic California Adolescent male Emigrants and Immigrants female psychology stress substance use self concept cultural factor Article Cannabis use major clinical study optimism Prejudice growth curve alcohol intoxication Los Angeles Culture
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84925337252&doi=10.1016%2fj.jadohealth.2014.12.011&partnerID=40&md5=a90fe17a3080be6c3942e9996b3e0592
DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2014.12.011
ISSN: 1054139X
Cited by: 49
Original Language: English