Perceived racial discrimination, acculturative stress, and psychological distress among Asian immigrants: The moderating effects of support and interpersonal strain from a partner

Abstract

This study examined the roles of partner support and strain as moderators of the associations between Asian immigrants’ experiences of (a) acculturative stress and (b) perceived racial discrimination and their levels of psychological distress. Using data from an Asian immigrant sample (n=1012) from the National Latino and Asian American Study (NLAAS), multiple regression analyses indicated that acculturative stress and perceived racial discrimination are associated with greater psychological distress. In addition, interpersonal strain from a partner exacerbated the negative association between perceived racial discrimination and psychological distress, but interpersonal support did not act as a moderator. The findings suggest that intervention programs focused on helping Asian immigrants cope with acculturative stress and discrimination should target individuals’ couple relationships in addition to parenting and individual functioning. Longitudinal studies are needed to more thoroughly test causal pathways linking stresses faced by immigrants, risk and protective factors, and psychological distress.