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The effects of age of immigration, age, and perceived difference in social status on self-reported physical and mental health was examined among a nationally representative sample of first-generation Asian American adults (N = 1639) from the National Latino and Asian American Study conducted in 2002 and 2003. This study examined (a) the joint effect of age and age of immigration on health, and (b) how perceived difference in social status might affect the above relationship. For the full sample, age of immigration and age jointly affected physical health such that older individuals who immigrated later in life showed the worst outcomes. No effects were observed for mental health. When the sample was separated by those who perceived a positive difference in social status versus those who perceived a negative difference in social status, only those who perceived a negative difference in social status were observed to have a joint effect of age of immigration and age on health. Similar to the full sample results, older individuals who immigrated later in life displayed poor physical health outcomes, but surprisingly, they also showed positive mental health outcomes.

There is a dearth in the scientific literature examining community factors of suicide in a theoretically grounded manner, in particular for Asian American groups. This study used the cultural model of suicide to examine the experience of suicide for a Lao group in California. Interviews were conducted with focus groups and community leaders pooled from the Center for Lao Studies, and then coded using a direct content analysis, in tandem with an inductive approach. The results revealed areas in which the community had a notable impact and shaped suicide risk within the Lao group. The findings also highlighted the need for additions to the current cultural model of suicide to reflect the impact of these community factors. What is the public significance of this article?This study suggests that suicidal behavior within the Laotian community is informed by culturalspecific factors. Furthermore, this study points to the importance of understanding the impact of how community affects service use, in helping to prevent suicide and encourage treatment engagement within the Lao and other minority groups.

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