Stress In Cultures Research Articles

Supplemental Material for Typologies of Cultural Stressors and Assets: Exploring Differential Associations With Prosocial Behaviors and Depressive Symptoms Among Latino/a Young Adults

Supplemental Material for Typologies of Cultural Stressors and Assets: Exploring Differential Associations With Prosocial Behaviors and Depressive Symptoms Among Latino/a Young Adults

Cultural stress and critical consciousness among Latinx adolescents.

To examine how cultural stressors (ethnic-racial discrimination, immigration-related threat, and COVID-19 stress) influence critical reflection, motivation, and action among Latinx adolescents and whether parental preparation for bias moderates these relations. One hundred thirty-five Latinx adolescents (Mage = 16, 59.3% female, 85.2% U.S.-born) completed online surveys at two time points, 6 months apart. Immigration-related threat was associated with greater Time 1 (T1) critical reflection (β = .31, p < .05) and Time 2 (T2) critical motivation (β = .24, p < .01). Preparation for bias moderated the relation between immigration-related threat and T1 critical action (β = .18, p < .01). COVID-19 stress was associated with greater T1 critical motivation (β = .24, p < .01) and T2 critical action (β = .18, p = .01). Cultural stressors may alert Latinx youth to systemic injustices in the United States, and combined with parental messages, may empower youth to address inequities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Cultural Stressors and Cultural Identity Styles Among Hispanic College Students

Research shows that cultural identity styles (CIS; i.e., hybrid identity style [HIS] vs. alternating identity style [AIS]) and cultural stressors (i.e., discrimination, negative context of reception, and bicultural stressors) are associated, but the directionality of this association remains unclear. Using a 2-wave, self-report dataset and a cross-lagged design, we examined the directionality of the associations between cultural stressors and CIS among 824 first- and second-generation U.S. Hispanic college students over a 12-day period. Across two waves, results of our path analysis indicated that in particular CIS temporally predict cultural stressors rather than vice versa. Whereas AIS predicted higher levels of perceived cultural stressors, HIS predicted lower levels of perceived cultural stressors. Moreover, contrary to our expectations, we also found a small negative effect of perceived discrimination on AIS. These findings suggest that HIS may play a more favorable role than AIS for bicultural identity formation and for decreasing cultural stressors.

Supplemental Material for Cultural Stressors, Acculturation Processes, and Mental Health Among Adolescents in Korean Multicultural Families

Supplemental Material for Cultural Stressors, Acculturation Processes, and Mental Health Among Adolescents in Korean Multicultural Families

Profiles of acculturative strategies and cultural stressors among Hispanic/Latinx college-attending emerging adults.

The present study identified unique profiles of cultural stressors (i.e., bicultural stress, discrimination, and negative context of reception) and acculturative strategies (i.e., heritage practices, heritage identification, U.S. practices, and U.S. identification), in Hispanic/Latinx (HL) emerging adults. Additionally, we examined associations between positive and negative psychosocial functioning, with profiles of acculturative strategies and cultural stressors. The present study utilized a baseline sample of 779 HL college students (75.8% female, Mage = 20.80 years, SD = 2.66) drawn from a daily diary study on acculturation. Latent profile analysis identified four distinct profiles. The Bicultural and Low Cultural Stressors (B-LowCS; 53.55%) was marked by strong heritage and U.S. cultural orientation and low levels across all cultural stressors. The Marginalization and High Acculturative Stressors (M-HighAS; 20.13%) was marked by weak heritage and U.S. cultural orientation, high acculturative stressors, and low discrimination. The third profile, the Heritage Rejection and Low Cultural Stressors (HR-LowCS; 16.05%) was marked by rejection of heritage culture and low cultural stressors. Finally, the Separation and High Cultural Stressors (S-HighCS; 10.26%) was marked by weak U.S. cultural orientation and high cultural stressors. Consistent with past research, the B-LowCS profile was marked by the highest level of positive psychosocial functioning and the lowest levels of internalizing and externalizing symptoms. The results of the present study highlight the usefulness of person-centered approaches for understanding the interplay between acculturative strategies and cultural stressors, and the implications of these distinct profiles on psychosocial functioning in HL emerging adults. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Hispanic/Latinx College Students’ Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Effects of Familismo and Self-Efficacy

ABSTRACT Hispanic/Latinx student enrollment in U.S. colleges has increased over the last decade; however, disparities in degree completion still exist. Hispanic/Latinx college students experience a variety of challenges, including cultural stressors, that when compounded with stressors associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, further increase the risk for academic and mental health problems. Familismo and self-efficacy are protective factors for Hispanic/Latinx student mental health; yet their main and interaction effects in unique adverse circumstances, such as a global pandemic, are not yet well understood. Using survey data from a sample of Hispanic/Latinx college students, this study examined the impact of familismo, self-efficacy, and their interaction on mental health during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Although results suggest that the main effects of familismo and self-efficacy are associated with fewer days during which students experienced mental health symptoms, the interaction between familismo and self-efficacy was associated with more days during which mental health symptoms were experienced. Study findings have implications for the development and implementation of culturally sensitive and responsive mental health and educational services for Hispanic/Latinx college students.

Pre-intervention child maltreatment risks, intervention engagement, and effects on child maltreatment risk within an RCT of MHealth and parenting intervention.

Evidence-based mental health and parenting support services for mothers postpartum can reduce risk for child maltreatment. However, women suffering economic and cultural stressors disproportionately shoulder the burden of infant caregiving while experiencing profound barriers to accessing mental health and parenting services. This article reports on an MHealth and parenting intervention targeting maternal mood and positive parent practices within a randomized controlled trial, which provided a unique opportunity to view pre-intervention child maltreatment risk, its relationship to subsequent intervention engagement, and intervention engagement effects on pre-post child maltreatment risk reduction. Principal component factor analysis was conducted to identify a modifiable pre-intervention child maltreatment risk construct within a combined MHealth and parenting intervention sample of 184 primarily Black mothers and their infants. An independent t-test was conducted to compare pre-intervention child maltreatment risk levels between mothers who went on to complete at least two-thirds of the intervention and those who did not. A GLM repeated measures analysis of variance was conducted to determine effects of intervention engagement on child maltreatment risk reduction. Pre-intervention child maltreatment risk did not differentiate subsequent maternal intervention completion patterns. Mothers who completed two-thirds of the intervention, compared to those who did not, demonstrated significant reductions in pre-post child maltreatment risk. Findings underscore the potential of MHealth parenting interventions to reduce substantial child maltreatment risk through service delivery addressing a range of positive parenting and behavioral health needs postpartum, a particularly vulnerable developmental period for maternal depression and child maltreatment risk.

Inequity in care delivery in cardio-oncology: dissecting disparities in underrepresented populations.

It is well known that patients with cancer have a significantly higher cardiovascular mortality risk than the general population. Cardio-oncology has emerged to focus on these issues including risk reduction, detection, monitoring, and treatment of cardiovascular disease or complications in patients with cancer. The rapid advances in early detection and drug development in oncology, along with socioeconomic differences, racial inequities, lack of support, and barriers to accessing quality medical care, have created disparities in various marginalized populations. In this review, we will discuss the factors contributing to disparities in cardio-oncologic care in distinct populations, including Hispanic/Latinx, Black, Asian and Pacific Islander, indigenous populations, sex and gender minorities, and immigrants. Some factors that contribute to differences in outcomes in cardio-oncology include the prevalence of cancer screening rates, genetic cardiac/oncologic risk factors, cultural stressors, tobacco exposure rates, and physical inactivity. We will also discuss the barriers to cardio-oncologic care in these communities from the racial and socioeconomic context. Appropriate and timely cardiovascular and cancer care in minority groups is a critical component in addressing these disparities, and there need to be urgent efforts to address this widening gap.

Cultural Stress Profiles: Describing Different Typologies of Migration Related and Cultural Stressors among Hispanic or Latino Youth

Youth of immigrant origin vary across their families’ migration history (e.g., country of heritage, reasons for migration, etc.) and in the communities in which they reside. As such, these youth are often faced with different cultural and immigrant stressors. Although prior research documented the detrimental impact of cultural and immigrant stressors, variable-centered approaches fail to account for the fact that these stressors often co-occur. Addressing this gap, the current study identified typologies of cultural stressors in Hispanic/Latino adolescents using latent profile analysis. Cultural stress profiles were derived using socio-political stress, language brokering, in-group identity threats, and within-group discrimination as indicators. The study was conducted in two sites (Los Angeles and Miami; total N = 306) during Spring and Summer 2020. A four-profile solution was identified: Low Cultural Stress (n = 94, 30.7%), Sociopolitical and Language Brokering Stress (n = 147, 48%), Sociopolitical and In-group Identity Threat Stress (n = 48, 15.7%), and Higher Stress (n = 17, 5.6%). Results indicate that profiles with stress were characterized by worse mental health symptoms, reporting higher means of depression, stress, and lower self-esteem, as well as by higher heritage cultural orientation compared to the low stress profile. Interventions designed to mitigate the deleterious effects of cultural stressors would benefit from adopting an individualized, tailored approach that addresses youth’s stress profile membership.

Perceived negative political climate among Hispanic/Latino adolescents before and after the 2020 U.S. presidential election: Associations with internalizing symptoms and substance use

The political climate often changes following the installment of a new president. This volatility presents opportunities for examining how elections might affect vulnerable subgroups such as Hispanic/Latino (HL) adolescents. The present study explored the perception of negative political climate among HL adolescents before and after the 2020 U.S. presidential election and its association with internalizing symptoms and substance use. We conducted the study in Los Angeles and Miami between 2020 and 2021, with a sample of 304 HL adolescents (Females = 60.8 %), aged 15.3 years on average. Participants completed measures of negative political climate (pre- post-election) and measures of depressive symptoms, anxiety, substance misuse, and substance use intentions after the election. We used paired tests and linear mixed-effects modeling to explore changes in perceived negative climate before and after the election. Structural equation modeling was used to determine predictors of negative political climate and its associations with internalizing symptoms and substance use. Results indicated that following the election negative political climate increased significantly in Miami and among Cuban-origin adolescents but not in Los Angeles or among Mexican-origin adolescents. Pre-election perceived negative political climate was significantly predicted by gender, study site, and mother’s nativity. Pre-election negative political climate predicted post-election internalizing symptoms and substance use intentions indirectly through post-election negative political climate. HL youth’s perceived political climate is a complex construct that might vary across different sociopolitical contexts and populational sub-groups. Exploring variations in politically-based cultural stressors and their role as mental health and substance use risk factors is crucial to addressing HL disparities.

Acculturation gap conflicts and self-rated health among Hispanic emerging adults.

Emerging adulthood is a distinct and challenging developmental stage of life. It may be particularly stressful for Hispanic emerging adults due to various cultural stressors. However, there is little research on the impact of one particular cultural stressor, the acculturation gap. Therefore, this study aims to examine whether acculturation gap conflicts are associated with self-rated health. Participants were recruited in Arizona and Florida, and 200 Hispanic emerging adults (ages 18-25) completed a cross-sectional survey. Data were analyzed using hierarchical multiple regression. Coefficients from a hierarchical multiple regression model indicated that higher levels of acculturation gap conflicts were associated with lower self-rated health after controlling for psychological stress and other demographic variables. This is the first study on acculturation gap conflicts and self-rated health among Hispanics. Findings from this study indicate that acculturation gap conflicts are associated with self-rated health and merit further investigation as they may have implications for health interventions targeting Hispanics. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Developing Testable Hypotheses of Anthropogenic Stress: Some Approaches That Work

Conservation Paleobiology (CPB) has many aims, but ultimately depends upon our uncovering, for a target region, the history of environmental pressures and history of biological change, particularly biological change that signifies a response to anthropogenic stress: this is how we detect and correctly attribute deterioration, how we design and evaluate recovery, and how we ultimately assess resilience and sustainability. The focus of concern might be a single taxon of economic or other particular value, or larger-scale changes in biomass, taxonomic or phylogenetic diversity, or trophic complexity. One of the biggest challenges for natural scientists can be building the requisite history of cultural stressors – i.e., uncovering the diverse economic, industrial, social, and regulatory activities that might have affected the system. Such information is commonly not accessible via the Web of Science; it can be extremely important but qualitative or can be quantitative but highly variable in units or methods of measurement; and, with the exception of data on commercial harvesting (e.g., fishing, logging) and human population size, useful time-series are scarce. The CPB scientist thus typically needs to compile their own, original history of human activities having potential to affect natural systems, either to evaluate the (paleo)biological data that they already have on hand (from biomonitoring, live-dead analysis, sedimentary cores) or to frame a new campaign of data collection. Here, I describe approaches to finding and merging cultural data that have worked both for research and for class projects, using two coastal marine examples: (1) testing the effects of historical over-fishing (meta-analyses from the early 2000s), and (2) the unexpected role of land-use in the collapse of the open-shelf benthic ecosystem of southern California.

Coping strategies for work and cultural stressors in multicultural construction workplaces: a study in Australia

Existing coping theories typically position coping as a reactive approach to managing mental health. Intercultural coping was proposed to positively deal with stressors and alleviate the negative impacts of stressors on mental health outcomes in multicultural workplaces. This study aims to investigate the role of intercultural coping strategies in influencing the relationships between stressors and mental health outcomes in multicultural construction workplaces. Data were collected from 252 construction workers in Australia using online questionnaire survey. Data were analysed using the structural equation modelling (SEM) technique. The results revealed the moderating effect of positive coping strategies on the stressor-psychological outcome relationship. A worker who is open to cultural dissimilarity tends to suffer less the adverse effect of cultural stressors on mental health. A worker with cognitive complexity is less susceptible to the adverse impact of work stressors on mental health. Whereas, a worker who is performance-oriented is more vulnerable to the impact of work stressors on mental health. This study may contribute to the existing body of work by uncovering the moderating role of positive coping strategies and providing targeted and effective coping strategies in multicultural construction workplaces.

Influence of personal characteristics and environmental stressors on mental health for multicultural construction workplaces in Australia

Exposure to various stressors has resulted in a significant problem of mental health among the construction workforce. A culturally intolerant environment may aggravate mental ill health in a multicultural workplace. However, an underlying structural issue that has not been sufficiently addressed to date is the influence the crucial personal characteristics and environmental stressors have on mental health in the multicultural construction environment. This study aims to examine the role of personal characteristics and environmental stressors in construction workers’ mental health in the multicultural environment. Data were collected using an online questionnaire survey from 252 construction workers in Australia. The structural equation modelling (SEM) technique with partial least-squares estimation (PLS) was adopted to analyze the data. Results showed that workers’ mental health is not only influenced by stressors related to the work environment, but also by individual traits. Increased levels of cultural stressors tend to aggravate the adverse effect of work stressors on mental health. Work stressors are more likely to cause mental ill health for the individuals characterized by a higher level of aggressive, competitive, ambiguous, and impulsive personalities; whilst cultural stressors are less likely to cause mental ill health for those individuals. This research offers an innovative perspective on the relationships between crucial person-environment factors and mental health, and informs the practice of work health and safety in the multicultural construction workplace.

Cultural stressors, internalizing symptoms, and parent-child alienation among Mexican-origin adolescents.

The current study investigated the relation of various cultural stressors, parent-child alienation, and Mexican-origin adolescents' internalizing symptoms at both between- and within-person levels across the course of adolescence. Positive parent-child relationships can be a critical buffer against cultural stressors for Mexican-origin adolescents. However, it is unclear whether low levels of parent-child alienation (a) buffer the negative effects of different types of cultural stressors on internalizing symptoms and (b) function at the individual level more generally or during specific periods when adolescents experience high cultural stressors. The current study used a three-wave longitudinal dataset of 604 Mexican-origin adolescents (Wave 1: Mage = 12.41, SD = 0.97, 54% female, 75% born in the United States) and conducted multilevel regression analysis. At the between-person level, overall low parent-child alienation buffered the adverse effects of ethnic discrimination on anxiety and cultural misfit on depressive symptoms. There were no significant within-person-level interactions of parent-child alienation and cultural stressors on adolescent internalizing symptoms. The findings suggest that interventions should aim to reduce parent-child alienation throughout the course of adolescence to alleviate the impact of cultural stressors on internalizing symptoms among Mexican-origin adolescents.

Development of a Digital Game Intervention Targeting Suicide Prevention in Adolescents Who Misuse Opioids

Background Suicide is the second leading cause of death in adolescents aged 14-18 years. Adolescents who misused prescription opioids are more likely to experience suicidal thoughts and behaviors than adolescents who did not. Compelling evidence shows “serious games” (ie, games for a purpose other than solely entertainment) can promote healthy behaviors, reduce risk factors, enhance protective factors through skill-building, and target prevention. Objective Our primary objective was to design and develop a digital game intervention that models the process of a safety planning intervention. We explored peer and student perceptions around potential warning signs, coping strategies, and seeking help among youth who may be at greater risk of suicide due to misuse of opioids. Methods We conducted 8 focus groups with a total of 30 participants, including 9 high school–aged adolescents (aged 16-18 years), 8 college-aged youth (aged 18-21 years), and 13 providers, as well as 5 interviews with adults who had experience with opioids in their youth (aged 40-47 years) to inform the content of the digital game intervention. Focus groups and interviews were conducted via Zoom between February 2022 and April 2022. A semistructured focus group/interview guide was developed, pilot tested, and used in focus groups and interviews. The guides align constructs from the intersectional ecological model to better identify how to help students cope with social and cultural stressors and how to strengthen individual and community assets. Using this lens, questions were related to potential warning signs of emotional distress, coping strategies, and seeking help to prevent suicidal thoughts and behaviors among youth who misuse opioids. Focus groups and interviews were approximately 60-90 minutes. Debrief summaries were completed after each one. Participants received a $25 gift card and additional mental health and opioid misuse resources following the session. Focus groups and interviews were audiotaped and then transcribed. Results Findings will inform the development of a digital game intervention to prevent suicide among adolescents who misuse opioids. Salient themes were extracted from the focus groups and interviews. They include themes related to previous substance misuse, later diagnosis of a mental health disorder, grief, bullying, stigma, family dynamics, and the role of identity. Potential story lines will focus on improving one’s self-esteem, managing conflict at home, navigating peer influence, addressing concerns about seeking help, and increasing access to resources for seeking help based on identity. Gameplay will incorporate techniques that enhance mindfulness, emotion regulation, interpersonal effectiveness, and distress tolerance from dialectical behavioral therapy for adolescents. Conclusions Digital game interventions may play a critical role in preventing suicide among youth who misuse opioids. Next steps include a pilot randomized controlled trial to evaluate the user experience, acceptability, and feasibility of the intervention in fall 2022. Conflicts of Interest None declared. Acknowledgments This study was funded by CTSA grant number KL2 TR001862 from the National Center for Advancing Translational Science (NCATS)/National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Cultural stress, daily well-being, and internalizing and externalizing symptoms among Hispanic college students.

The present study was designed to examine the extent to which, in a sample of 873 Hispanic college students, daily levels of, and variability in, well-being would mediate the predictive effects of culturally related stressors (discrimination, negative context of reception, and bicultural stress) on internalizing and externalizing symptoms 11 days later. A 12-day daily diary design was utilized, where reports of cultural stressors were gathered on Day 1, daily well-being reports were gathered on Days 2-11, and outcomes were measured on Day 12 (with controls for Day 1 levels of these same outcomes). Structural equation modeling results indicated that daily means of, and variability in, well-being significantly mediated the predictive effect of Day 1 ethnic/racial discrimination, negative context of reception, and bicultural stress on Day 12 symptoms of anxiety and depression. No effects emerged for externalizing symptoms. When we decomposed the latent well-being variability construct into its component indicators (self-esteem, life satisfaction, psychological well-being/self-acceptance, and eudaimonic well-being), daily variability in life satisfaction and self-acceptance appeared to be primarily responsible for the mediated predictive effects we observed. These results are discussed in terms of implications for further research, for counseling practice, and for the development of more inclusive university practices and policies. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

The Associations between Contextual and Cultural Stressors, Internalizing Symptoms, and Social Support.

The current study aims to examine the associations between neighborhood safety, racial-ethnic discrimination, and depressive symptoms, as well as explore social support as a protective factor using the Minority Stress Model for three different BIPOC groups (i.e. African American, Puerto Rican, and Dominican). African American and Latino youth living in urban environments often encounter multiple stressors at the same time, and it is critical to learn more about how these stressors influence well-being in tandem. The results showed that among African American youth safety concerns were associated with depressive symptoms while discrimination was associated with Latino youth's depressive symptoms.

Does Religious Commitment Mediate the Association Between Acculturative Stress and Latinx Young Adults’ Tobacco Use?

Tobacco use is a public health priority in the Latinx community. Identifying factors associated with less tobacco use could help inform community-based prevention efforts. The present study examined whether religious commitment (intrapersonal and interpersonal) mediated the association between acculturative stress and tobacco use among 224 Latinx young adults. Participants completed a battery of measures that included cultural stressors, religious commitment, and tobacco use. Controlling for age and gender, mediation analyses revealed a significant indirect effect in that acculturative stress predicted greater intrapersonal religious commitment, which in turn predicted less tobacco use. There was no direct relationship between acculturative stress and tobacco use. Interpersonal religious commitment was negatively related to tobacco use, but did not mediate the association between acculturative stress and tobacco use. Findings support the need for initiatives to decrease tobacco use among Latinx young adults that include a focus on intrapersonal religious commitment in response to acculturative stress.

A longitudinal examination of cultural risk factors of suicide and emotion regulation.

The present study is a secondary analysis that tested whether difficulties with emotion regulation (DER) would statistically mediate cultural risk factors of suicide and depression symptoms or suicidal behaviors among (a) Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and (b) lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals. BIPOC (n = 246), and LGBTQ (n = 203) participants completed measures on cultural risk factors of suicide, DER, depression symptoms, and suicidal behaviors at three time points from a larger remote randomized controlled trial (RCT). Simple and parallel mediation explored whether there were indirect effects of cultural risk of suicide on depression or suicidal behaviors via DER. Hypotheses were partially supported: simple mediation revealed that cultural risk factors of suicide at Time 1 predicted only depression symptoms at Time 3 via DER at Time 2 among BIPOC (indirect effect = .09, SE = .04, 95% CI [.01, .17]) and LGBTQ individuals (indirect effect = .05, SE = .02, 95% CI [.02, 08]). Parallel mediation revealed an indirect effect of cultural stressors of suicide and depression via lack of emotional awareness, difficulty with goal-directed behavior, and difficulty accessing emotion regulation strategies for BIPOC, whereas it was via difficulties with goal-directed behavior for LGBTQ persons. With replication, these findings support the importance of cultural risk factors when screening for suicide and inform tailoring of psychosocial interventions targeting emotion regulation with BIPOC and LGBTQ individuals. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).