The Relationship of Individual- And Community-Level Sociocultural and Neighborhood Factors to the Mental Health of Ethnic Groups in Two Large U.S. Cities

Abstract

Using multilevel modeling, the present study examines psychological well‐being as a function of sociocultural factors, neighborhood disadvantage, neighborhood fragmentation, and neighborhood integration, along with individual factors among a sample of 1,306 African and Latino/a Americans living in New York City and Chicago neighborhoods. Neighborhood blocks were prestratified based on racial/ethnic and economic characteristics and then randomly selected within predefined strata, resulting in a total of 140 block (neighborhood) groups. A means‐as‐outcome and slopes‐as‐outcome model was fit to the data. Intraclass correlation coefficients for psychological well‐being for the fully unconditional model revealed that 15% of the variance in psychological well‐being is between neighborhoods. Results from subsequent model building revealed differences in mean levels of psychological well‐being as well as heterogeneity between neighborhoods through varying predictor effects on psychological well‐being (i.e., certain predictor effects varied across neighborhoods). Sociocultural variables such as cultural identity, religious/spiritual coping, and family obligation were significantly associated with psychological well‐being, generally beneficial, and sometimes varying with generation status and across neighborhoods. Different dimensions of neighborhood disadvantage and fragmentation emerged as important factors, although neighborhood integration did not. Our final models explained a substantial proportion of the variance in psychological well‐being within and between neighborhoods. They also revealed the contextual and conditional nature of sociocultural factors.

Acculturation, Enculturation, Perceived Racism, and Psychological Symptoms Among Asian American College Students

“…Consistent with current acculturation scholarship, we examined different dimensions of acculturation and enculturation because different dimensions change over time, but not all dimensions are associated with mental health outcomes in a uniform manner (e.g., Alamilla et al, ; B. S. K. Kim & Abreu, ; Schwartz, Unger, Zamboanga, & Szapocznik, ; Schwartz et al, ). The primary aim of the present study was to explore the moderating role of the two dimensions (behavioral and values) of acculturation and enculturation in the link between perceived racism and mental health outcomes.…”

“…It is also possible that less values‐acculturated individuals may have subjectively experienced greater levels of racism and thus higher levels of psychological symptoms. The relevant literature suggests that not only is the acculturation process influenced by racism but also that identification as well as involvement with the ingroup may increase as a result of racism, discrimination, or prejudice (e.g., Alamilla et al, ; Branscombe, Schmitt, & Harvey, ; Juang & Cookston, ; Nguyen, ; Portes & Rumbaut, ; Tajfel & Turner, ); however, with regard to the latter, causality and directionality cannot be ascertained. For example, Major, Quinton, and McCoy () noted that group identification may be both an antecedent and a consequence of perceived discrimination.…”

“…Specifically, we examined the effects of behavioral and values acculturation and enculturation by using ethnic‐specific and orthogonal measures (B. S. K. Kim & Abreu, ), perceived racism, and the interaction between these variables on various psychological symptoms. In the face of perceived racism, enculturation is viewed as a protective resource that provides individuals with several ethnocultural‐specific forms of social integration, cohesion, capital, and sense of belonging (Alamilla, Scott, & Hughes, ; B. S. K. Kim & Omizo, ; E. Yoon, Hacker, Hewitt, Abrams, & Cleary, ). Although many Asian Americans may have received relatively favorable immigration government policies (Portes & Rumbaut, ), the acculturation experience in the United States is marked with racism and racial stratification that have a negative impact on adjustment and mental health (Alamilla et al, ; Nguyen, ; Portes & Rumbaut, ).…”

“…Specifically, we examined the effects of behavioral and values acculturation and enculturation by using ethnic-specific and orthogonal measures (B. S. K. Kim & Abreu, 2001), perceived racism, and the interaction between these variables on various psychological symptoms. In the face of perceived racism, enculturation is viewed as a protective resource that provides individuals with several ethnoculturalspecific forms of social integration, cohesion, capital, and sense of belonging (Alamilla, Scott, & Hughes, 2016;B. S. K. Kim & Omizo, 2005;E.…”

“…Yoon, Hacker, Hewitt, Abrams, & Cleary, 2012). Although many Asian Americans may have received relatively favorable immigration government policies (Portes & Rumbaut, 2001), the acculturation experience in the United States is marked with racism and racial stratification that have a negative impact on adjustment and mental health (Alamilla et al, 2016;Nguyen, 2006;Portes & Rumbaut, 2001).…”