Developmental and contextual correlates of mental health and help-seeking among Asian American college students.

Abstract

Guided by an integrative contextual framework of immigrant youth development (García Coll & Marks, 2012), this study investigated the potential role of developmental (e.g., ethnic identity) and contextual factors (e.g., perceived discrimination, stereotyping) in mental health outcomes and help-seeking attitudes, and variations across gender and nativity among Asian American college students. Online surveys assessing perceived subtle and blatant racism, ethnic identity, the internalization of the model minority stereotype, depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and attitudes toward seeking help from mental health professionals were administered to Asian American college student participants (n = 465) from diverse ethnic backgrounds and geographic regions in the United States. The findings support prior research indicating that perceived subtle racism and blatant racism are positively associated with depressive and anxiety symptoms. Further, only certain dimensions of ethnic identity and internalization of the model minority stereotype were found to be associated with mental health outcomes and help-seeking attitudes. The findings did not indicate a significant association between perceived racism and help-seeking attitudes. There were also no significant differences in the relationships among variables across gender and nativity, with the exception of the association between ethnic identity and help-seeking attitudes across gender. The study identified potential risk and protective factors in mental health, while underscoring the multidimensional aspects of social and contextual factors that contribute to mental health and help seeking among Asian American college students. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).