Ecological risk and protective factors of depressive and anxiety symptoms among low-income, Chinese immigrant youth.

Abstract

This study explored the effects of family, peer, and school risk and supportive factors on internalizing problems (i.e., depressive and anxiety symptoms). Risk factors included peer (i.e., relational and overt victimization) and family risk factors (i.e., mother/father alienation and family conflict). Protective factors included peer (i.e., peer trust and communication), family (i.e., parent trust and communication), and school supportive factors (i.e., bonding with a teacher and school interest). Based on a sample of low-income, Chinese immigrant, high school students (N 286), structural equation modeling was used to investigate main effects of family, peer, and school risk and supportive factors on internalizing problems as well as the moderating effects of supportive factors on the link between risk factors and internalizing problems. Peer and family risk factors as well as family and school supportive factors significantly predicted anxiety and depressive symptoms in the expected directions. However, peer supportive factors did not predict internalizing problems. The moderation analyses revealed that only school supportive factors moderate the effects of family risk factors on internalizing problems. Implications for research and counseling with Asian immigrants are discussed.