Predicting levels of Latino depression: Acculturation, acculturative stress, and coping.

Abstract

Past research has noted that aspects of living in the United States place Latinos at risk for experiencing psychological problems. However, the specific features of the adaptation process that contribute to depression remain unclear. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the ability of acculturation, acculturative stress, and coping to predict membership into low, medium, and high groups of depression among Latinos. Within a group of 148 Latino adults from the community, a multinomial logistic regression revealed that an Anglo orientation, English competency pressures, and active coping differentiated high from low depression and that a Latino orientation and, to some extent, the pressure to acculturate distinguished medium from low depression. These results highlight a pattern of characteristics that function as risk and protective factors in relation to level of symptom severity. The findings are discussed in terms of implications for Latino mental health, including considerations for intervention and prevention.

Ethnic microaggressions, traumatic stress symptoms, and Latino depression: A moderated mediational model.

“…The average traumatic stress symptoms fell in the mild to moderate levels. As for depression, CES-D mean scores were in the moderate to high range and just below a commonly used clinical cut-off (CES-D score ≥16; Torres, 2010). Traumatic stress and depression was found to be significantly correlated.…”

Acculturative Stress, Work‐related Psychosocial Factors and Depression in Korean‐Chinese Migrant Workers in Korea

“…A recent review of the impact of depression on workforce productivity 16) found a mediating effect of job stressors on depression and pointed out lack of studies that evaluated whether job stressors play a role as a mediating factor for depression. Taken together with previous studies aforementioned 3,9,12,13,15) , acculturative stress would lead indirectly to depression by increasing job-related stress; however, no empirical evidence supporting this pathway has been found. In KoreanChinese migrant workers with rare opportunities for health promotion service at work, a community-based approach would be a feasible and necessary alternative way to decrease acculturative stress, which consequently leads to a decrease in job stress and depression.…”

“…This cognitive theory provides a theoretical basis to explain depressive phenomena among migrant population and also serves as a basis for Berry's 11) acculturative stress model. It is important to note that acculturative stress was found to be a significant contributor to depression in other ethnic groups 3,12) . The complex acculturation process, including language acquisition and changes in behavior, identity and values, has been measured extensively among immigrant populations 27) ; however, Asian countries have remained ethnically homogeneous until recently.…”

“…In a review of 60 studies examining the health status of migrant workers in Australia, migrants were exposed to various stressors, including difficulties with language acquisition and feelings of alienation and loneliness 4) . High levels of acculturative stress were associated with depression among various ethnic populations including Latino 3) and Mexican immigrants 12) in the United States. In addition, low levels of acculturation were positively correlated with high levels of job stress among Asian migrant workers, indicating that it is necessary to take acculturation into consideration to prevent stress-induced health outcomes for migrant workers 13) .…”

“…Depression has been shown to be one of the most commonly reported mental health problems among migrant workers in the United States 3) and Australia 4) . Depressive symptoms predict health problems 5) and poor health status 6) as well as quality of work including work performance 7,8) .…”