Lauren Rogers-Sirin

Exploring School Engagement of Middle-Class African American Adolescents

Because of the scarcity of knowledge about middle-class African American adolescents, the present study explored psychological and parental factors in relation to academic performance. The participants were 336 middle-class African American students and their biological mothers. The findings suggest that for African American middle-class adolescents, educational expectations and school engagement have the strongest relation to academic performance. Self-esteem was not related to academic performance. The results also indicate that positive parent-adolescent relationships, not parents’educational values, were related to better academic performance. Implications for school counselors are discussed.

The Role of Acculturative Stress on Mental Health Symptoms for Immigrant Adolescents: A Longitudinal Investigation

Immigrant-origin adolescents represent the fastest growing segment of youth population in the United States, and in many urban schools they represent the majority of students. In this 3-wave longitudinal study, we explored trajectories of internalizing mental health symptoms (depression, anxiety, and somatic symptoms). The participants included 332 urban-residing first-and second-generation immigrant adolescents (44% male). Participants were recruited in 10th grade (Mage = 16.20 years, SD = 1.19), and 2 additional waves of data were gathered in 12-month intervals. Both generational and racial/ethnic background of the participants reflected the general demographics of urban centers in the United States. With individual growth curve modeling, the results show significant decline in internalizing mental health problems during the high school years. At the same time, greater exposure to acculturative stress predicted significantly more withdrawn, somatic, and anxious/depressed symptoms. Gender and generation status differences in internalizing mental health problems were also identified.

Cultural Identity and Mental Health: Differing Trajectories among Asian and Latino Youth.

Asians and Latinos are the 2 fastest growing immigrant populations in the United States. In this 3-year longitudinal study, we explored trajectories of mental health symptoms (withdrawn/depressed and somatic symptoms) among 163 first- and second-generation Asian (n = 76) and Latino (n = 97) adolescents. The focus of the study was to examine how ethnic identity and U.S. identity, as 2 separate processes of identity development, affect mental health symptoms, and whether these relationships are moderated by ethnic group, Asian or Latino. Participants were recruited when they entered 10th grade, and 2 additional waves of data were gathered at 12-month intervals. Results revealed that somatic and depressed symptoms decreased over time for both groups. Similarly, for both groups, U.S. identity and ethnic identity increased over time. Ethnic identity was associated with lower levels of withdrawn/depressed symptoms for both Latino and Asian youth. Ethnic identity was associated with lower levels of somatic symptoms for Asian youth, but not for Latino youth. U.S. identity was not associated with reduced levels of somatic or withdrawn/depressed symptoms for either group. Implications for clinicians are discussed.

Segmented assimilation and attitudes toward psychotherapy: a moderated mediation analysis.

The present study examines the relations between acculturative stress, mental health, and attitudes toward psychotherapy, and whether these relations are the same for immigrants of color and White immigrants. This study predicted that acculturative stress would have a significant, negative relation with attitudes toward psychotherapy and that this relation would be moderated by race (immigrants of color and White immigrants) so that as acculturative stress increases, attitudes toward psychotherapy become more negative for immigrants of color but not White immigrants. Finally, mental health was predicted to mediate the relation between acculturative stress and attitudes toward psychotherapy for immigrants of color, but not White immigrants. Participants were 149 first-generation, immigrant, young adults, between the ages of 18 and 29, who identified as White, Black, Latino, or Asian. A significant negative correlation was found between acculturative stress and attitudes toward psychotherapy. A moderated mediation analysis demonstrated that the negative relation between acculturative stress and attitudes toward psychotherapy was mediated by mental health symptoms for immigrants of color but not White immigrants.

The Role of Collective Self-Esteem on Anxious-Depressed Symptoms for Asian and Latino Children of Immigrants

We conducted a 3-wave, longitudinal study to examine the role of ethnic collective self-esteem and United States (U.S.) collective self-esteem on anxious-depressed symptoms over time among Asian and Latino immigrant-origin adolescents (n = 171). Growth curve analysis revealed that anxious-depressed symptoms first decreased between 10th and 11th grade and then increased over time for both groups. Additionally higher levels of ethnic collective self-esteem were associated with lower levels of anxious-depressed symptoms only for Asian adolescents. There was a differing pattern for U.S. collective self-esteem such that for Latino adolescents, higher U.S. collective self-esteem was associated with higher anxious-depressed symptoms, whereas for Asian adolescents there was an inverse relationship with anxious-depressed symptoms. The results expand the literature on ethnic and U.S. collective self-esteem and their link to mental health. Implications of the findings for research in general, and for counseling immigrant youth and families in particular, are discussed.

Religiosity, Cultural Values, and Attitudes Toward Seeking Psychological Services in Turkey:

Most research with Muslim populations has been conducted with samples of immigrants living in the West as minority populations. This study investigates how the culture-related variables of family values and self-construal relate to religiosity and attitudes toward psychological services among Muslims living in Turkey, a country where over 99% of the population identifies as Muslim. To examine how these cultural variables may relate to attitudes toward psychological services, Muslim Turks completed a survey which included measures of religiosity, hierarchical and harmonious family values, cultural self-construal, and attitudes toward psychological services. Religiosity was associated with negative attitudes toward psychological services. The relationship between religiosity and attitudes toward psychological services was fully mediated by hierarchical family values such that when the variable hierarchical family values was added to the model, the relation between religiosity and attitudes toward psychological services was no longer significant. The mediation of hierarchical family values on the relation between religiosity and attitudes toward psychological services was moderated by independent self-construal, so that independent self-construal weakened the mediation while interdependent self-construal had no effect. The results of this study indicate that among Muslim Turks, the relation between religiosity and attitudes toward psychological services is more fully explained when culture-related variables are considered.

Discrimination-Related Stress and Behavioral Engagement: The Moderating Effect of Positive School Relationships

Abstract Purpose This three-wave longitudinal study explored the relation between discrimination-related stress and behavioral engagement among urban African-American and Latino adolescents, and the moderating effect of school-based social support. Design/methodology/approach A sample of 270 African-American and Hispanic/Latino adolescents attending urban public high schools completed three annual surveys starting with 10th grade. Findings Growth curve analysis revealed that discrimination-related stress was associated with decreased behavioral engagement over time. School-based social support moderated this effect in that discrimination-related stress had less of an impact on behavioral engagement as level of school-based social support increased. Practical implications School-based supportive relationships serve as a protective factor for urban African-American and Latino youth, helping them remain engaged in school as they deal with the negative effects of discrimination-related stress. Originality/value The findings reveal that the development of positive, supportive relationships in school seems to be a malleable variable that interventionists and educational advocates can focus on in an effort to bolster academic achievement among academically stigmatized youth.