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Longitudinal Effects of Latino Parent Cultural Stress, Depressive Symptoms, and Family Functioning on Youth Emotional Well‐Being and Health Risk Behaviors
Author(s) -
LorenzoBlanco Elma I.,
Meca Alan,
Unger Jennifer B.,
Romero Andrea,
Szapocznik José,
PiñaWatson Brandy,
Cano Miguel Ángel,
Zamboanga Byron L.,
BaezcondeGarbanati Lourdes,
Des Rosiers Sabrina E.,
Soto Daniel W.,
Villamar Juan A.,
Lizzi Karina M.,
Pattarroyo Monica,
Schwartz Seth J.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
family process
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.011
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1545-5300
pISSN - 0014-7370
DOI - 10.1111/famp.12258
Subject(s) - psychology , stressor , acculturation , clinical psychology , mediation , context (archaeology) , mental health , psychological intervention , developmental psychology , longitudinal study , psychiatry , ethnic group , medicine , paleontology , sociology , anthropology , political science , law , biology , pathology
U.S. Latino parents can face cultural stressors in the form of acculturative stress, perceived discrimination, and a negative context of reception. It stands to reason that these cultural stressors may negatively impact Latino youth's emotional well‐being and health risk behaviors by increasing parents' depressive symptoms and compromising the overall functioning of the family. To test this possibility, we analyzed data from a six‐wave longitudinal study with 302 recently immigrated (<5 years in the United States) Latino parents (74% mothers, M age = 41.09 years) and their adolescent children (47% female, M age = 14.51 years). Results of a cross‐lagged analysis indicated that parent cultural stress predicted greater parent depressive symptoms (and not vice versa). Both parent cultural stress and depressive symptoms, in turn, predicted lower parent‐reported family functioning, which mediated the links from parent cultural stress and depressive symptoms to youth alcohol and cigarette use. Parent cultural stress also predicted lower youth‐reported family functioning, which mediated the link from parent cultural stress to youth self‐esteem. Finally, mediation analyses indicated that parent cultural stress predicted youth alcohol use by a way of parent depressive symptoms and parent‐reported family functioning. Our findings point to parent depressive symptoms and family functioning as key mediators in the links from parent cultural stress to youth emotional well‐being and health risk behaviors. We discuss implications for research and preventive interventions.