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A Structural Model of Racial Discrimination, Acculturative Stress, and Cultural Resources Among Arab American Adolescents
Author(s) -
Ahmed Sawssan R.,
Kia-Keating Maryam,
Tsai Katherine H.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
american journal of community psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.113
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1573-2770
pISSN - 0091-0562
DOI - 10.1007/s10464-011-9424-3
Subject(s) - acculturation , psychology , health psychology , structural equation modeling , psychological intervention , mental health , ethnic group , distress , clinical psychology , coping (psychology) , social psychology , psychological distress , cultural identity , social support , population , public health , feeling , sociology , medicine , psychiatry , demography , statistics , nursing , mathematics , anthropology
Despite evidence towards the risk for discrimination and acculturative stress that Arab American adolescents may face, the link between socio‐cultural adversities and psychological well‐being in this population has not been established. This study examined the role of socio‐cultural adversities (discrimination and acculturative stress) and cultural resources (ethnic identity, religious support and religious coping) in terms of their direct impact on psychological distress. Using structural equation modeling, the proposed model was tested with 240 Arab American adolescents. The results indicated a strong positive relationship between socio‐cultural adversities and psychological distress. Furthermore, this study supported a promotive model of cultural resources, where a negative association between cultural resources and psychological distress was found. Understanding the manner in which socio‐cultural adversities and resources are linked to psychological distress can inform the development of culturally appropriate interventions that can effectively mitigate mental health concerns for understudied and vulnerable populations.