Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology

Apology for the publication of Sheng et al. (2024).
Recently, Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology (CDEMP) published Sheng et al.’s (see record 2024-72017-001) article titled “The Development of Tibetan Children’s Racial Bias in Empathy: The Mediating Role of Ethnic Identity and Wrongfulness of Ethnic Intergroup Bias.” The article went through the standard peer review process. Subsequent to its publication, one of our readers expressed concerns regarding the biased language (e.g., “backwardness of education”) and deficit-oriented interpretation of findings (e.g., “the geographical environment and traditional way of life in Tibet can also impact the development of [racial biases in empathy] in Tibetan children”). The reader rightly pointed out that this language and interpretation reinforce imperialism, particularly given the complex relations between Tibet and China. We sincerely apologize to our readers, and especially to our Tibetan colleagues, for failing to identify these issues prior to the publication of the article.Wetake accountability for the oversight and have followed due process to correct our mistakes in the publication of this article. We will also take action to prevent this from happening again. In this editorial, we describe the study, actions taken by the CDEMP Editorial Team, the authors’ response, and future actions to be taken by the CDEMP Editorial Team. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Cultural stress theory: An overview.
Immigrants, and the children of immigrants, are exposed to unique stressors rooted in both (a) the need to balance their heritage culture with the destination culture and (b) the widespread framing of immigrants as real and/or existential threats to the destination society. Seeking to better conceptualize these unique cultural stressors, and to better understand the mechanisms and protective factors, several lines of research have converged, leading to the development of cultural stress theory (CST). This introduction provides an overview CST, starting with its theoretical roots, then proceeding to its key tenets. In addition, and serving as an overall framework for the articles included in this special issue, we outline key directions for future research on cultural stress, highlighting how the articles within this special issue serve to expand CST in important new ways and directions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Contextualizing experiences of cultural stress: A qualitative exploration among Hispanic/Latinx youth in Miami and Los Angeles.
Objectives: Hispanic/Latinx youth vary in their immigration heritage (e.g., country of origin, familial migration history, etc.) and the structure of their communities. This study is a qualitative exploration of Hispanic/Latinx youth experiences of cultural stress in Miami and Los Angeles in 2021. Method: A total of 23 Hispanic/Latinx adolescents in Los Angeles (n = 12) and Miami (n = 11) provided in-depth interviews to assess: (a) appraisals of family immigration history and (b) experiences across three cultural stressors: sociopolitical, language brokering, and intragroup marginalization. Interviews were analyzed using a general inductive analytic approach and case comparison methodology to assess differences across sites. Results: For appraisals of family immigration history, gratitude and hope emerged as positive emotions experienced when youth reflected on their immigrant origins. Miami participants reported perceived worsening of sociopolitical stress as a result of changes in political administration whereas participants in Los Angeles felt a sense of relief. Participants in Miami and Los Angeles reported similar strengths and challenges in language brokering with COVID-19 variedly impacting youth’s perceived language brokering stress. Last, to youth intragroup marginalization experienced from family members was experienced as more detrimental than from peers, and they reported the use of cognitive reframes to cope. Conclusion: Cultural stressors are dynamic and diverse. This study further informs cultural stress theory by cataloging how families’ immigration history and national current events inform experiences of stress among youth. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Immigration status microaggressions: A moderated mediation analysis of cultural stress, fear, internalization, and psychological stress among Latinx and Asian college students.
Objectives: Latinx and Asian people are experiencing an elevated rate of immigration status-related oppression—both systematically and individually—despite actual nationality, and this type of cultural stressor has seen a rampant increase recently in the United States. We aimed to assess the relation and effect of immigration status microaggressions on psychological stress and some mechanisms connected to these experiences. Method: Using a sample of Latinx and Asian college students (N = 776), we unpack the relationships between individual cultural stressors, such as immigration status microaggressions, and psychological stress, by exploring their mediating relation with internalized racism (Mediator 1), and fear of foreign objectification (Mediator 2), using Hayes’s (2012) PROCESS Model 6—serial mediation. Furthermore, we expanded on this model, highlighting differences between Latinx and Asian participants (moderator) using a moderated mediation. Results: Findings suggest a full serial mediation. Specifically, the psychological stress associated with immigration status microaggressions was mediated by internalized racism and fear of foreign objectification. Results also highlighted that Latinx participants, compared to Asian ones, showed a significant positive association between immigration status microaggressions with internalized racism and fear of foreign objectification. Furthermore, a significant interaction for Latinx who experience more fear of foreign objectification was positively associated with psychological stress. Indirect effects for each group are discussed. Conclusion: Our study is one of the first to explore cultural stress in the form of immigration status microaggressions in connection with more general forms of psychological stress and internalizing processes for two groups historically persecuted around immigration in the United States. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Latinx/Hispanic youths’ experiences of cultural stressors, emotional reactions, and coping within the family context.
Objectives: This qualitative investigation examined how Latinx/Hispanic youth experience cultural stressors, emotionally react to, and cope with these stressors within the family context. Method: Forty-five youth participated in six focus groups (51% female; 49% male; 0% nonbinary; Mage = 15.26; SD = 0.79). Results: Using reflexive thematic analysis, we constructed two themes with four accompanying subthemes centering on (a) observing family members experience cultural stressors and (b) experiencing cultural stressors together with family members. Conclusions: Findings highlight the need for cultural stress theory to focus on the family context in Latinx/Hispanic youths’ experiences of cultural stressors, their emotional reactions and coping responses to these stressors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Development and validation of the Ethnic–Racial Discrimination Stress Inventory (ERDSI) for Mexican-origin U.S. adults and Turkish-origin German adults.
Objectives: We developed the 26-item Ethnic–Racial Discrimination Stress Inventory (ERDSI) to assess ethnic–racial discrimination stress in Mexican-origin adults in the United States and Turkish-origin adults in Germany, two groups with similar sociocultural characteristics and immigration experiences. Method: We developed 73 items measuring firsthand, intragroup, and vicarious discrimination, and internalization and expectations of discrimination experiences. If participants reported experiencing a given situation, they were asked to rate its stressfulness. U.S.-based Mexican-origin adults (N = 222) and German-based Turkish-origin adults (N = 105) completed an online survey of these items, measures of related constructs, and sociodemographic measures. Results: Study 1: We eliminated items based on interitem correlations and exploratory factor analyses in the U.S.-based Mexican sample. The exploratory factor analyses yielded four reliable and valid factors (F1: Vicarious Discrimination Stress, seven items; F2: Internalization of Discrimination Stress, seven items; F3: Intragroup Discrimination Stress, seven items; and F4: Firsthand Discrimination Stress, five items). The ERDSI factors predicted well-being measures, even after adjusting for control variables. Study 2: The three ERDSI factors (F1, F2, F4, not F3) that applied to the German-based Turkish sample demonstrated reliability and validity. Confirmatory factor analyses demonstrated metric invariance for F2 and partial scalar invariance for F1, F3, and F4. Conclusions: The ERDSI can be used to assess ethnic–racial discrimination stress in future studies with U.S.-based Mexican-origin adults and German-based Turkish-origin adults. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
The role of bicultural stress and shame on the well-being of South Asian college students in the United States.
Objective: South Asian U.S. college students experience socialization from South Asian cultures they grew up with and White culture outside the South Asian community. The present study considers that the ways of navigating two conflicting cultures and experiences of shame are associated with anxiety and life satisfaction among South Asian U.S. college students. Method: An anonymous survey, distributed to 271 South Asian students (mean age = 22, 38.2% male, 59.2% female, 2.3% nonbinary), quantitively assessed how bicultural stress and shame are related to anxiety and life satisfaction. Open-ended questions asked students to describe experiences of bicultural identity stressors and shame. Results: Survey results indicated bicultural stress and shame as predictors of anxiety and lower life satisfaction. Thematic analysis of open-ended question responses revealed experienced stressors related to academics, finances, family expectations, and fitting in. Shame experiences were tied to bicultural stress and family and self-imposed expectations of participants. Conclusions: There is a need to further investigate the relationships found in the present study and explore ways to support South Asian students experiencing bicultural stress and shame. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
The double pandemic: Examining cultural stress among Asian Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Objectives: To investigate patterns of cultural stress (racial discrimination and COVID stress) and their impact on ethnic identity and civic engagement among Asian American college students. Method: 491 undergraduate students who self-identify as Asian American (female = 63.50%; Mage = 20.40, SD = 3.64) were recruited from seven college campuses. Results: We identified four distinct cultural stress profiles: COVID-related stress, discrimination stress, double pandemic stress (high in both), and low combined COVID–discrimination stress. Double pandemic profile members were more likely to be immigrants and reported higher ethnic identity, civic behaviors, and belief in civic participation, whereas low combined COVID–discrimination stress participants reported significantly lower beliefs in civic participation compared to those in the double pandemic profile. Conclusions: Findings reaffirm the need to focus on Asian Americans’ experiences and expand current conceptualizations of cultural stress to include macrolevel structural processes (COVID stress and racial discrimination) and its implications for identity and civic engagement. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
A construct validation of the perceived Negative Context of Reception Scale with Indian American youth.
Objectives: Crucial to the resettlement experiences of immigrants is the degree to which the receiving country accepts them and affords them social support and opportunities. Through the factor structure and incremental validity of scores generated by the Negative Context of Reception (NCR) Scale, in the present study, we examine Indian American youths’ perception of their context of reception using a sample of youth residing in the United States. Method: Data came from a sample of 223 Indian American youth (aged 12–17) as part of a larger convergent mixed-methods project. Using confirmatory factor analysis, we examined the scale’s validity and the relationship between perceived NCR and criterion-related factors such as perceived discrimination and depressive and anxiety symptoms. Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis was then used to analyze qualitative data from 11 of these Indian American youth. Qualitative data provided additional insights about NCR in this population. Results: NCR scores evidenced strong psychometric properties among Indian American youth. Confirmatory factor models demonstrated good model fit. NCR yielded significant associations with perceived discrimination (r = .33, p <.001) and depressive symptoms (r = .25, p <.002). Two major themes (parental/family sacrifices and being treated differently from White peers) emerged from the qualitative data. Conclusions: Results validate NCR as a construct relevant to Indian American youth and associated with negative mental health symptoms such as anxiety and depression. Furthermore, these results underscore the importance of a welcoming and supportive environment for Indian American youths’ well-being. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
African descent populations in the United States are not monolithic: A scoping review of African immigrants’ mental health and coping strategies.
Objective: African immigrants in the United States have unique experiences and stressors, resulting in diverse outcomes and disparities. As such, examining the effects of cultural stressors (e.g., discrimination, the negative context of reception, bicultural stress) on immigrant populations’ mental health can provide a useful framework for explaining and identifying malleable targets to reduce African immigrants’ health disparities. This review mapped conceptual and methodological knowledge of cultural stress in African immigrants by applying the cultural stress theoretical framework to reveal (a) what we currently know about the impact of cultural stressors on African immigrants’ mental health and (b) coping strategies African immigrants utilize to persist in achieving positive health outcomes. Method: Conforming to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Extension for Scoping Review guidelines, this scoping review spans five interdisciplinary, health-focused databases and includes peer-reviewed articles published in English since 1980. Results: Covidence software was used to screen 2095 articles, review 129 full-text records, and extract data from the 22 studies that met criteria and focused on mental health. Participant and study characteristics (i.e., country of origin, generation, methodology, duration) are highlighted. The impact of discrimination on African immigrants’ mental health was the dominant research focus. Congruent with cultural stress theory, negative context, bicultural stress, and immigration-related familial stress also negatively impact their mental health. Nevertheless, African immigrants utilize various coping strategies to achieve positive outcomes. Conclusions: Mapping the existing evidence of immigrant cultural stress and mental health elucidates gaps for research and demonstrates that culturally relevant interventions ought to address immigration-related stressors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Cultural stress among immigrants in the workforce.
Objectives: Previous research has investigated cultural stress and well-being among individuals such as Hispanic college students and immigrants from other countries. However, there is a need to explore the impact of cultural stress among immigrants with a focus on the workforce. Method: Drawing from cultural stress theory, we present a theoretical framework that considers workplace context while exploring strategies that may mitigate the impact of cultural stress in the workplace, such as promoting diversity and inclusion, addressing biases and discrimination, and supporting employee mental health. Result: We provide actionable steps that can guide leaders to work toward a workplace where individuals develop a sense of belonging. Conclusion: This article provides a novel perspective on workplace diversity and inclusion that emphasizes the importance of considering cultural context in understanding and addressing workplace stress, with implications for psychology in the workplace. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Cultural stress and critical consciousness among Latinx adolescents.
Objective: To examine how cultural stressors (ethnic–racial discrimination, immigration-related threat, and COVID-19 stress) influence critical reflection, motivation, and action among Latinx adolescents and whether parental preparation for bias moderates these relations. Method: One hundred thirty-five Latinx adolescents (Mage = 16, 59.3% female, 85.2% U.S.-born) completed online surveys at two time points, 6 months apart. Results: Immigration-related threat was associated with greater Time 1 (T1) critical reflection (β = .31, p <.05) and Time 2 (T2) critical motivation (β = .24, p <.01). Preparation for bias moderated the relation between immigration-related threat and T1 critical action (β = .18, p <.01). COVID-19 stress was associated with greater T1 critical motivation (β = .24, p <.01) and T2 critical action (β = .18, p = .01). Conclusions: Cultural stressors may alert Latinx youth to systemic injustices in the United States, and combined with parental messages, may empower youth to address inequities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Typologies of cultural stressors and assets: Exploring differential associations with prosocial behaviors and depressive symptoms among Latino/a young adults.
Objectives: Scholars have demonstrated the consequences of cultural stressors on Latino/a adolescents’ depressive symptoms and prosocial behaviors. However, there is little understanding of how different combinations of cultural stressors and assets might differentially relate to depressive symptoms and prosocial behaviors, particularly in young adulthood. This study used latent profile analysis to identify varying levels of cultural stressors (foreigner objectification and U.S. marginalization) and assets (family respect values and ethnic identity commitment) among Latino/a young adults. We then examined how profiles differentially relate to three forms of prosocial behaviors (care-based, altruistic, and public) and depressive symptoms. Method: Data derived from a national convenience sample of 1,288 U.S. Latino/a 18–21-year olds who completed a survey. Most were born in the United States (85%) and identified as women (72%). Results: Latent profile analysis revealed three profiles: (1) low cultural stressors/moderate cultural assets, (2) moderate cultural stressors and assets, and (3) high cultural stressors and assets. Profile 3 reported higher care-based prosocial behaviors compared to those with Profile 1; yet, those with Profile 1 had higher care-based prosocial behaviors compared to those with Profile 2. For altruistic and public prosocial behaviors, Profile 1 had higher and lower scores, respectively, compared to the other two profiles. Profile 1 showed lower scores for depressive symptoms compared to the other two profiles. Conclusions: Results indicate a nuanced interrelated pattern of cultural stressors and assets that vary and differentially relate to prosocial behaviors and depressive symptoms in Latino/a young adults. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Cultural stress and immigrant well-being: The role of sense of purpose.
Objectives: Immigrants face multiple forms of cultural stress that hold pernicious influences on their psychological well-being, including everyday discrimination, bicultural stressors, and negative context of reception from others. Research thus is needed to consider potential buffers and mitigating factors that may help immigrant adults in the face of cultural stress. The present studies evaluated a sense of purpose as one potential buffer. Method: Study 1 asked immigrant adults in the Unites States to complete measures of the three cultural stress indicators in addition to sense of purpose and measures of well-being (depressive symptoms, anxiety, stress, self-esteem, self-rated health). Multiple regression analyses examined whether sense of purpose moderated the influence of cultural stress on immigrant well-being. Study 2 randomly assigned immigrant participants receive an experimental condition that asked participants to imagine a common cultural stressor faced by immigrants. Multiple regression analyses tested whether sense of purpose operated differently on postscenario affect across the control and experimental conditions. Results: Study 1 found that all cultural stress indicators negatively correlated with psychological well-being and sense of purpose. However, sense of purpose did not significantly moderate these associations. Study 2 found that imagining the cultural stressor led to worse momentary affective well-being, whereas sense of purpose was associated with better well-being. Again, sense of purpose did not interact with the condition to predict the postscenario affect. Conclusions: Sense of purpose was consistently associated with better psychological well-being. However, little evidence was found that sense of purpose mitigates the ill effects of cultural stress for immigrant adults. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Perceived discrimination and psychological distress among Mainland Chinese immigrant women in Hong Kong: The indirect effects of tolerance of uncertainty and common dyadic coping.
Objectives: By studying Mainland Chinese immigrant women who married Hong Kong men, this study examined the association between their perceived discrimination and psychological distress after the 2019–2020 social movement in Hong Kong. Additionally, this study examined the indirect effects of individual coping strategies (tolerance of uncertainty) and couples’ coping strategies (common dyadic coping), guided by the cultural and developmental psychopathology framework. Method: Ninety-nine Mainland Chinese immigrant women who married Hong Kong men participated in this cross-sectional survey. Results: We found a positive association between perceived discrimination and psychological distress (r = .50, p <.01). Reduced uncertainty tolerance and low levels of common dyadic coping both showed indirect effects on the discrimination–psychological distress association. Tolerance of uncertainty had a larger indirect effect than common dyadic coping. Conclusions: Focusing on the psychological adjustment of immigrant women facing discrimination, our findings underscore the importance of preserving individual- and couple-level resources. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Caregiver experienced racism, acculturative stress, and political hostility predict anxiety in Latinx families residing in the United States.
Objective: Cultural stress potently predicts mental health inequities, such as anxiety, among adult and adolescent immigrants in the United States. However, less work has focused on preadolescence, a period marked by neurodevelopmental and psychosocial changes that can exacerbate anxiety symptoms. Latina girls, who exhibit heightened levels of untreated anxiety, may be at elevated risk. The present study tests whether cultural stress predicts anxiety symptoms in Latina girls and their caregivers. Method: The primary caregivers of 161 predominantly Mexican-identifying Latina girls (Mage = 10.70, SD = 1.68) reported their exposure to racism, acculturative stress, and political hostility. They also reported their own and their daughter’s anxiety severity. Results: To index cultural stress, a principal component was extracted from composite scores of the racism, acculturative stress, and political hostility questionnaires. Hierarchical regression analyses then tested whether the multidetermined cultural stress component predicted caregiver and child anxiety, with child age, annual household income, and subjective socioeconomic status entered at the first step. Cultural stress positively predicted caregiver (ΔR² = .13, p <.001) and child (ΔR² = .15, p <.001) anxiety symptoms over and above the observed inverse effects of subjective socioeconomic status, such that higher levels of cultural stress were associated with elevated levels of caregiver (ß = .37, p <.001) and child (ß = .39, p <.001) anxiety symptoms. Conclusions: The results of this study highlight the role of racism, acculturative stress, and political hostility in escalating anxiety symptoms in Latinx families and identify cultural stress as a factor that likely contributes to the high rates of anxiety in Latina girls during a key developmental period. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Immigration stress and maternal sensitivity in a Mexican immigrant sample: The role of parasympathetic activity and familism value.
Objectives: The present study examined whether immigration stress was related to decreased capacities for psychophysiological stress regulation (as indexed by respiratory sinus arrhythmia [RSA]) and whether lower RSA, in turn, was related to decreased maternal sensitivity. The buffering effect of familism values was also evaluated, such that familism values were expected to minimize associations between immigration stress, RSA, and sensitivity. Method: Data were drawn from a longitudinal study of Mexican immigrant mothers (N = 277; Mage = 28 years). Mothers self-reported immigration stress and familism values, and mothers’ resting RSA and sensitivity were assessed during laboratory visits. Results: Higher immigration stress was associated with higher RSA (B = .15, SE = .07, p = .04) but was unrelated to maternal sensitivity. Moreover, links between more immigration stress and higher RSA were more pronounced among mothers who reported stronger familism values (B = .20, SE = .07, p = .003). Conclusions: The present study contributes to our understanding of the sequelae of immigration stress in Mexican immigrant mothers and the cultural resiliency factors that may alter its effects. In contrast to hypotheses, findings suggested that mothers who endorse more immigration stress may also exhibit higher RSA, and links may be more pronounced among those with strong familism values. Further research is needed to advance understanding of resiliency processes that promote family functioning in vulnerable populations. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Structural risks and family adjustment in midwestern Latine immigrant families: Extending the family stress model.
Objectives: We tested an extended family stress model of economic hardship (FSM; Conger et al., 2010) incorporating structural risks (discrimination, immigration, and COVID-19 experiences) and qualitative data, to better understand the impact of culturally relevant experiences on family stress processes in rural, immigrant Latine families in the U.S. Midwest. Method: Participants were Latine families (N = 307) with a child aged 10–15 (Mage = 12.21 years, 51.0% boys; 71.5% two parent; 93.1% of caregivers and 29% of youth born outside the United States) Mean household income was 25–30K and 65% of caregivers had less than a high school education. We tested a cross-sectional structural equation model in Mplus and analyzed qualitative interviews with a subsample of mother–youth dyads (n = 19). Results: COVID-19 experiences predicted economic pressure, and both COVID-19 and discrimination experiences were linked to caregiver psychological distress. Consistent with the FSM, economic pressure predicted psychological distress, which was associated with interparental relationship problems and parenting. Parenting was associated with youth global health. Unexpectedly, interparental relationship problems to parenting were not significant. The indirect association linking COVID-19 experiences to youth global health via psychological distress and parenting was significant. Qualitative data revealed five themes demonstrating how structural and economic risks contributed to distress, conflict, and maladjustment within the family system. Conclusions: Culturally relevant structural risks exert a negative influence on family processes in rural Latine immigrant families through contributing to economic pressures and parental distress. The additional impact of these experiences should be considered when addressing the FSM in Latine populations. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Latinx parent–child acculturative stress profiles and their relation to expressed emotion and academic achievement.
Objective: This study derived parent–child acculturative stress (AS) profiles to evaluate how dyadic AS relates to parental expressed emotion (EE) and academic achievement. Method: A sample of 284 Latinx youth (Mage = 11.5 years; 55.6% female) and their parents completed The Acculturative Stress Measure, and AS profiles were obtained using latent profile analyses (LPA). Profiles were compared across two outcomes: child and parent reports of parental EE using the Brief Dyadic Scale of Expressed Emotion, which measures parental warmth, criticism, and emotional overinvolvement (EOI), and child standardized test scores. Results: Four AS profiles emerged using LPA fit indices: high child-low parent (HCLP; 7.7%), low child-high parent (LCHP; 13.4%), moderate child-low parent (MCLP; 14.4%), and low child-low parent (LCLP; 64.4%). Youth and parents in profiles reporting higher AS reported higher EE, particularly EOI. Youth in profiles characterized by greater AS obtained lower test scores. Conclusion: Parent and child dyads can experience different levels of AS. Higher dyadic AS was associated with worse perceived parental attitudes, as measured by EE, and lower academic achievement. Parental EE subscale differences varied based on the informant and their AS level. Findings underscore the importance of considering cultural factors and incorporating multiple family member experiences to meet the needs of Latinx families. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Cultural stressors, acculturation processes, and mental health among adolescents in Korean multicultural families.
Objectives: To ascertain, among a sample of Korean multicultural adolescents, the longitudinal predictive effects of acculturative stress and parent–adolescent conflict on depressive symptoms and life satisfaction, both (a) directly and (b) indirectly through Korean and heritage cultural practices and identifications. Method: We analyzed longitudinal data from the nationally representative Korean Multicultural Adolescents Panel Study (MAPS; 2011–2016). The sample consisted of 1,433 households at Wave 3 (the first timepoint used in the present analyses), and 92.7% of families were retained until the end of the study. Adolescents completed measures of acculturative stress and parent–adolescent conflict at Timepoint 1, heritage and Korean cultural practices and identifications at Timepoints 2 and 3, and depressive symptoms and life satisfaction at Timepoint 4. Results: Acculturative stress at Timepoint 1 predicted both depressive symptoms and life satisfaction at Timepoint 4 indirectly through Korean cultural practices and identifications. Parent–adolescent conflict at Timepoint 1 directly predicted depressive symptoms at Timepoint 4 and predicted life satisfaction indirectly through heritage-cultural practices and identifications. These links were invariant across adolescent sex. Conclusions: Among Korean multicultural adolescents, acculturative stressors inhibit engagement in Korean cultural practices and identification as Korean, whereas conflict with parents inhibits engagement in heritage cultural practices and identification with the foreign-born parent’s cultural heritage. Decreased Korean and heritage cultural practices and cultural identifications predict increased depressive symptoms and lowered life satisfaction. These findings suggest that culturally stressful experiences can impair psychological functioning among Korean multicultural adolescents by undermining acculturation to both Korean and heritage cultural systems. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Critical consciousness among undocumented immigrant college students: Responding to cultural stress and psychological distress.
Objectives: Cultural stress is experienced by undocumented students when they encounter discrimination in higher education and society. In response, undocumented students engage in critical consciousness, while simultaneously experiencing psychological distress. A conceptual model is introduced to describe the links between cultural stress, critical consciousness development, and psychological distress. Method: One hundred seventy-one undocumented college students were recruited to participate in this study and completed measures of cultural stress (discrimination). They also completed measures of psychological distress, critical consciousness, and social justice self-efficacy and outcome expectations. The proposed model was tested for global fit and path analysis in structural equation modeling. Indirect effects were probed to assess the mediating role of critical consciousness and psychological distress. Results: The model fit the data excellently. Greater discrimination was associated with higher critical consciousness, which in turn was associated with elevated social justice self-efficacy and outcome expectations. Additionally, higher discrimination was also linked to greater psychological distress. The link between cultural stress and critical consciousness was not explained by psychological distress. Conclusions: This research expands theory by articulating the adaptive ways undocumented students respond to the conditions that cause cultural stress and psychological distress. This aligns with a growing literature documenting the psychology of undocumented immigrants’ activism and advocacy. Findings may inform interventions by higher education institutional agents and research to offset cultural stress and psychological distress. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Cultural stress is toxic stress: An expanded cultural stress theory model for understanding mental health risk in Latinx immigrant youth.
Objectives: Latinx immigrant youth are at greater risk for mental health (MH) concerns than their nonimmigrant Latinx peers. Efforts to address mental health disparities have resulted in the much-needed development of theoretical frameworks explaining mental health disparities in marginalized populations. A theoretical framework that is particularly relevant to mental health disparities among Latinx immigrant youth is the Cultural Stress Theory (CST); however, an expansion of this model is necessary to thoroughly describe and explain mental health risk in this population. Method: This article integrates two frameworks—Toxic Stress Theory and the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities research framework—with CST to better explain mental health risk in Latinx immigrant youth. In doing so, we propose an expanded model that seeks to build on the strengths of CST in two important ways—expanding the breadth of relevant ecological domains and emphasizing the continued focus on specific mechanisms and their associations across levels. Results: The proposed expanded CST model acknowledges a range of influences from the broad systemic and sociopolitical level to the biological level to comprehensively guide research that can better explain mental health risk in Latinx immigrant youth. Conclusions: An expanded CST model that incorporates the two highlighted frameworks can elucidate additional mechanisms by which cultural stressors influence mental health risk in Latinx immigrant youth. Such mechanistic work holds the key to effectively reducing mental health disparities for Latinx immigrant youth. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Liberal policies does not mean equitable policies: Latinx families’ experiences navigating social policies in Oregon and California.
Objectives: The United States government has implemented various social policies (e.g., Medicare) to support children and families (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2023). An emerging body of research seems to indicate that many of these programs are being underutilized by Latinx families even though they are sorely needed. Latinx families are often framed as undeserving, taking advantage of social policies, and as a criminal threat to the United States (Baranauskas & Stowell, 2022). Drawing on cultural stress theory (Salas-Wright & Schwartz, 2019), the present study explores how the deficit framing of Latinx families influences how they navigate social policies. Method: This study draws on data from four qualitative projects across Oregon and California that explored the experiences of Latinx families accessing services to support their families. Results: Findings indicate that Latinx families experience multiple stressors when navigating social policies or programs (e.g., shame/fear and racism) for their families. These stressors discourage Latinx families from accessing social programs, which exacerbates disparities in the health, development, and learning of Latinx children and families. Conclusions: Findings from this study can further inform advocacy efforts to create meaningful systemic changes that reduce inequities and call out discrimination/racism within our policy system. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Interplay of premigration crisis exposure and postmigration cultural stress on depressive symptoms among Venezuelan crisis migrants in Colombia.
Objectives: A growing body of research points to a relationship between exposure to migration-related cultural stress and mental health problems. However, such research is often conducted with the tacit assumption that postmigration experiences are the primary—if not singular—driver of psychological distress. In the present study, we aim to extend the cultural-stress paradigm by examining the influences of both premigration crisis exposure and postmigration cultural stress on depression in a sample of Venezuelan crisis migrants in Colombia. Method: Survey data for the present study were collected from Venezuelan youth (N = 429, ages 12–17, Mage = 14.0 years, 49% female) and adults (N = 566, ages 18+, Mage = 35.1 years, 82% female) in Bogota and Medellin, Colombia between April and June 2023. Results: Both crisis exposure and discrimination were independently related to depressive symptoms. However, when examined in a multivariate model along with discrimination, crisis exposure was not a significant predictor of depressive symptoms among youth, and its influence weakened considerably among adults. Among both youth and adults, a Crisis Exposure × Discrimination interaction term significantly predicted depressive symptoms, indicating that discrimination was a more robust predictor of depressive symptoms among those endorsing lower levels of crisis exposure than among those reporting high levels of crisis exposure. Conclusion: Our research provides new insights into the experiences of Venezuelan migrant youth and adults in Colombia. It provides further support for the importance of drawing from a crisis-informed cultural-stress framework when working with crisis migrant populations. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Impact of immigrant-related stress on mental health among Mexican-origin families: Implications for a shifting and complex immigration climate.
Objectives: Latinx immigrant families may face stressful experiences premigration, en route to the host country, and once they arrive in the host country (postmigration). The present study examines the impact of premigration stress and postmigration stress (together defined as immigrant-related stress) on the mental health of Mexican-origin parents and their children using both cross-sectional and longitudinal methodology. Method: Data collection across four timepoints occurred from 2013 to 2018. At Time 1, 104 families were enrolled in the study and met the following criteria: (1) At least one Mexican-origin immigrant parent; (2) One child between the ages of 6–10 years; and (3) Family income at or below 150% of the federal poverty line. Results: Hierarchical multiple regression and hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) were used to analyze the cross-sectional and longitudinal data, respectively. HLM models revealed that higher postmigration stress over time (2013–2018) was related to higher mental health problems among parents and children. Higher premigration stress was associated with higher parent-reported child mental health problems, while postmigration stress was associated with higher parent mental health problems. Specifically, discrimination emerged as a salient factor of poor parent mental health. Immigrant-related stress was related to higher total parent and child mental health problems. Conclusion: This study demonstrates the strong impact of postmigration stress on mental health over the span of several years and during a time of heightened stress for many Mexican immigrant communities. The results inform the need for family-wide interventions that address the complexities of immigrant-related stress as well as comprehensive policy changes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
The 123s and affective, behavioral, and cognitives of unaccompanied Latinx Minors: A trauma-informed composite case study.
Objectives: This article explores the stages where trauma is experienced (123s) and its physiopsychological impact (affect, behavior, and cognitions [ABCs]) in unaccompanied Latinx Minors through the analysis of a composite case study. Unaccompanied Latinx Minors represent a unique and growing population in the United States that warrants careful consideration from a trauma-informed and resilience-based framework. Method: A detailed case study was implemented, triangulating caregiver and client therapy records to illustrate the framework of stages of trauma exposure (123s) and physiopsychological impact (ABCs). Results: Latinx children often encounter various potentially traumatic experiences and adverse childhood experiences at the following stages (123s): (1) Preimmigration; (2) During immigration; and (3) Postimmigration. The extended traumas experienced by immigrant youth may easily constitute toxic stress. Moreover, once in the destination country, youth may lack coping resources or encounter stressful circumstances that prolong or exacerbate the impact of previous traumas. This continuous physiological hyperarousal can also result in changes in brain neurobiology, which further compounds the experience of other symptoms (Krupnik, 2021). These potentially complex trauma responses may manifest for these children through ABCs. The cumulative impact of these incidents may have significant effects on minors’ A. Affective, B. Behavioral, and C. Cognitive functioning. Conclusions: Relevant clinical implications and policy recommendations for addressing the multifaceted needs of unaccompanied Latinx minors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Age-varying association between discrimination, childhood family support, and substance use disorders among Latin American immigrants in the United States.
Objectives: The cultural stress theory posits that immigrants experience a constellation of cultural stressors such as discrimination that could exacerbate alcohol- and other substance-related problems. Drawing on cultural stress theory, this study investigated the age-varying association between past-year discrimination and substance use disorders (SUDs) among Latin American immigrants aged 18–60 and whether childhood family support moderated the above association. Method: We used data from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions–III (NESARC-III) among adults aged 18–60 who identified as a Latin American immigrant (N = 3,049; 48% female). Results: Time-varying effect models (TVEMs) revealed that experiencing past-year discrimination was associated with greater odds of having a SUD during young and middle adulthood for Latin American immigrants. Furthermore, for immigrants with lower childhood family support, discrimination was associated with SUD risk in young and middle adulthood. Conclusion: The present study documents that past-year discrimination was linked to greater SUD risk during young and middle adulthood. Childhood family support may serve as a protective factor in the association between discrimination and risk for SUD among Latin American immigrants. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)

Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology - Vol 30, Iss 4