Parent immigration stress predicts youth externalizing behavior trajectories among Latino families in an emerging immigrant context

Abstract

According to ecodevelopmental and social learning models, Latino immigrant parents experience considerable stress associated with the immigration process, and such immigration‐related stress is theorized to influence behavioral outcomes among their youth. Using a three‐year longitudinal design among 217 Latino immigrant families in western Oregon, we assessed whether parents’ (94% mothers, Mage = 36.2 years) experience of immigration‐related stress influenced the trajectory of their adolescents’ (43% female, Mage = 13.4 years) externalizing behaviors. Controlling for covariates (gender, acculturation, age at migration, and gender), results showed that youth exhibited a normative downward trajectory for externalizing behaviors, and parents’ experience of immigration stress significantly and negatively predicted this trajectory. Findings suggest that parents’ experience of immigration stress may disrupt a normative trajectory of declining externalizing behaviors among Latino immigrant adolescents.

Trajectories of depression for Latino immigrant adolescents: The influence of individual, family, and sociocultural factors.

“…For Latino immigrant families, family dysfunction often occurs due to parent–child value discrepancies, financial hardship, and family disagreements (Ayón et al, 2017; Cervantes et al, 1991). In emerging contexts, where the number of stressors that impact the family are considerable (Cobb et al, 2020, Cobb & Martínez, 2021), families are likely to experience higher levels of cultural stress that influence youth development. Longitudinal work showed that higher levels of stress in the family context predicted the development and course of depression among adolescent youth (Costello et al, 2008; Kelly et al, 2016), and research on Latino immigrant families has found that family cultural stress can exacerbate or maintain youth mental health and problem behaviors (e.g., Cervantes et al, 1991; Cobb & Martínez, 2021).…”

“…In emerging contexts, where the number of stressors that impact the family are considerable (Cobb et al, 2020, Cobb & Martínez, 2021), families are likely to experience higher levels of cultural stress that influence youth development. Longitudinal work showed that higher levels of stress in the family context predicted the development and course of depression among adolescent youth (Costello et al, 2008; Kelly et al, 2016), and research on Latino immigrant families has found that family cultural stress can exacerbate or maintain youth mental health and problem behaviors (e.g., Cervantes et al, 1991; Cobb & Martínez, 2021). The heightened sensitivity to stress among adolescent females, coupled with residing in the high-stress environment of an emerging context, may explain why females in our sample were disparately impacted by parent depression and why family stress disrupted their downward trajectory of depressive symptoms.…”

“…Data from the present study come from the Adolescent Latino Acculturation Study (ALAS)—a 3-year longitudinal design among Latino immigrant families in Oregon (see Martinez et al, 2008; for transparency, the following studies have been published from the ALAS data, Cobb & Martínez, 2021; Cobb & Martínez, 2021; Martinez et al, 2011). The original purpose of ALAS was to assess the effects of acculturation on family functioning in an emerging immigrant context.…”

“…Longitudinal research showed that increased stress in the family context predicted the onset and course of depression among adolescents (Costello et al, 2008; Kelly et al, 2016). For immigrant families, stress associated with adapting to a new cultural context, especially emerging contexts, places considerable stress on the family (Cobb et al, 2020, Cobb & Martínez, 2021). Stress among Latino immigrant families often takes the form of parent–child cultural disagreements, martial problems, economic hardship, and parent–child value discrepancies (Ayón et al, 2017; Cervantes et al, 1991).…”

“…Stress among Latino immigrant families often takes the form of parent-child cultural disagreements, martial problems, economic hardship, and parent-child value discrepancies (Ayón et al, 2017;Cervantes et al, 1991). Chronic stress in immigrant families disrupts positive family functioning and increases the likelihood of adolescent maladjustment (Cobb & Martínez, 2021;Lorenzo-Blanco & Unger, 2015).…”