Lucas Torres

Predicting Levels of Latino Depression: Acculturation, Acculturative Stress, and Coping

Past research has noted that aspects of living in the United States place Latinos at risk for experiencing psychological problems. However, the specific features of the adaptation process that contribute to depression remain unclear. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the ability of acculturation, acculturative stress, and coping to predict membership into low, medium, and high groups of depression among Latinos. Within a group of 148 Latino adults from the community, a multinomial logistic regression revealed that an Anglo orientation, English competency pressures, and active coping differentiated high from low depression and that a Latino orientation and, to some extent, the pressure to acculturate distinguished medium from low depression. These results highlight a pattern of characteristics that function as risk and protective factors in relation to level of symptom severity. The findings are discussed in terms of implications for Latino mental health, including considerations for intervention and prevention.

A daily diary investigation of latino ethnic identity, discrimination, and depression.

The objectives of the current study were to document the effects of discrimination on Latino mental health and to identify the circumstances by which ethnic identity serves a protective function. Instances of discrimination and depressive symptoms were measured every day for 13 days in a sample of Latino adults (N = 91). Multilevel random coefficient modeling showed a 1-day lagged effect in which increases in depression were observed the day following a discriminatory event. The findings also revealed differential effects of ethnic identity exploration and commitment. Whereas ethnic identity exploration was found to exacerbate the influence of daily discrimination on next-day depression, ethnic identity commitment operated as a stress buffer, influencing the intensity of and recovery from daily discrimination. The findings are discussed within a stress and coping perspective that identifies appropriate cultural resources for decreasing the psychological consequences associated with daily discrimination.

Discrimination, acculturation, acculturative stress, and Latino psychological distress: a moderated mediational model.

Prior research has found that perceived discrimination is associated with adverse mental health outcomes among Latinos. However, the process by which this relationship occurs remains an understudied area. The present study investigated the role of acculturative stress in underlying the relationship between perceived discrimination and Latino psychological distress. Also examined was the ability of acculturation to serve as a moderator between perceived discrimination and acculturative stress. Among a sample of Latino adults (N = 669), moderated mediational analyses revealed that acculturative stress mediated the perceived discrimination-psychological distress relationship, and that the link between perceived discrimination and acculturative stress was moderated by Anglo behavioral orientation but not Latino behavioral orientation. The findings are discussed within a stress and coping perspective that identifies the psychological consequences associated with perceived discrimination and acculturative stress.

Discrimination and Latino Psychological Distress: The Moderating Role of Ethnic Identity Exploration and Commitment

This study sought to examine the moderating effect of ethnic identity exploration and ethnic identity commitment on the various types of discrimination and psychological distress within a sample of Latino adults (N = 397). The results revealed that ethnic identity exploration was associated with increased psychological distress within the context of discrimination in work, academic, and public settings. Ethnic identity commitment, on the other hand, served as a buffer between covert discrimination and mental health. These findings highlight the circumstances in which ethnic identity functioned as a protective and as a risk factor in the psychological distress of Latinos. The implications are discussed within a stress and coping framework and outline directions for future research.

Attributions to Discrimination and Depression Among Latino/as : The Mediating Role of Competence

The present study examined the role of attributions to discrimination and competence in predicting depression among a sample of 93 Latino/a adults. The major findings showed that attributions to discrimination were related to decreases in both general competence and intercultural competence, which were in turn associated with increases in depressive symptoms. This pattern of results suggests that general and intercultural competence partially mediated the relationship between attributions to discrimination and depression. The findings are discussed within the context of the cultural adaptation process and factors that ameliorate Latino/a mental health. In addition, theoretical and practical implications are outlined along with areas of future research.

Ethnic microaggressions, traumatic stress symptoms, and Latino depression: A moderated mediational model.

Although ethnic microaggressions have received increased empirical attention in recent years, there remains a paucity of research regarding how these subtle covert forms of discrimination contribute to Latino mental health. The present study examined the role of traumatic stress symptoms underlying the relationship between ethnic microaggressions and depression. Further, ethnic identity and general self-efficacy were tested as moderators between the ethnic microaggressions and traumatic stress link. Among a sample of 113 Latino adults, moderated mediational analyses revealed statistically significant conditional indirect effects in which traumatic stress symptoms mediated the relationship between ethnic microaggressions and depression while ethnic identity and self-efficacy functioned as moderators. The major findings suggested that the indirect effects were the most robust within low ethnic identity and low self-efficacy. The findings are discussed within a stress and coping framework that highlight the internal resources and stress responses associated with experiencing ethnic microaggressions.

Latino definitions of success: a cultural model of intercultural competence.

The present study sought to examine Latino intercultural competence via two separate methodologies. Phase 1 entailed discovering and generating themes regarding the features of intercultural competence based on semistructured interviews of 15 Latino adults. Phase 2 included conducting a cultural consensus analysis from the quantitative responses of 46 Latino adults to determine the cultural model of intercultural competence. The major results indicated that the participants, despite variations in socioeconomic and generational statuses, shared a common knowledge base regarding the competencies needed for Latinos to successfully navigate different cultures. Overall, the cultural model of Latino intercultural competence includes a set of skills that integrates traditional cultural values along with attributes of self-efficacy. The findings are discussed within a competence-based conceptualization of cultural adaptation and potential advancements in acculturation research.

Factorial Invariance of the Brief Symptom Inventory-18 (BSI-18) for Adults of Mexican Descent across Nativity Status, Language Format, and Gender.

The cultural equivalence of psychological outcome measures remains a major area of investigation. The current study sought to test the factor structure and factorial invariance of the Brief Symptom Inventory-18 (BSI-18) with a sample of adult individuals of Mexican descent (N=923) across nativity status (U.S.- vs. foreign-born), language format (English vs. Spanish), and gender. The results show that 1-factor and 3-factor measurement models provided a good fit to the data; however, a single-factor model was deemed more appropriate and parsimonious. Tests of measurement invariance and invariance of factor variances (i.e., structural invariance) indicated at least partial measurement invariance across gender, nativity status, and language format. These findings suggest that the BSI-18 operates in a similar fashion among adults of Mexican descent regardless of nativity status, language format of the survey, and gender. Clinical and practical implications for use of the BSI-18 with Latino populations are discussed.

Perceived Stress and Depressive Symptoms Among Latino Adults The Moderating Role of Ethnic Identity Cluster Patterns

The present study examined whether ethnic identity cluster patterns, using Ethnic Identity Scale (EIS) subscale scores, moderated the relationship between perceived stress and depressive symptoms. Participants were 390 Latino adults from a moderately sized Midwestern city. Four ethnic identity cluster patterns were identified through cluster analysis: Achieved Positive, Diffuse Positive, Foreclosed Positive, and Diffuse Negative. Results from a moderated multiple regression analysis indicated a significant interaction effect of ethnic identity clusters (i.e., Achieved Positive vs. Diffuse Negative) and perceived stress on depressive symptoms. Specifically, at lower levels of stress, no significant difference was found; whereas, at higher levels of stress, individuals with Achieved Positive cluster patterns had significantly lower levels of depressive symptoms than individuals with Diffuse Negative cluster patterns. The findings are discussed within the context of ethnic identity theory and the implications for research and clinical conceptualizations.

Ethnic discrimination and Latino depression: The mediating role of traumatic stress symptoms and alcohol use.

Previous research has established a link between ethnic discrimination and poor mental health, yet the process by which this relationship occurs remains unclear. It has been hypothesized that the potential mechanisms accounting for the negative consequences of ethnic discrimination may be through stress responses and health behaviors (Pascoe & Smart Richman, 2009). The present study sought to examine the role of traumatic stress symptoms and alcohol use in mediating the relationship between ethnic discrimination and depressive symptoms. Two aspects of ethnic discrimination were assessed, namely source of discrimination and reaction to discrimination. The sample for the current study included 244 adult Latinos averaging approximately 40 years of age (SD = 15.29; range 18-85). Participants, which were comprised of mainly women (66%, n = 156), completed a series of paper-and-pencil questionnaires. Multiple mediator analyses revealed that, among U.S.-born but not foreign-born Latinos, both source of discrimination and reaction to discrimination were related to increased traumatic stress symptoms, which, in turn, was associated with depressive symptomatology. The traumatic stress symptoms pathway showed a robust indirect effect while alcohol use was not a statistically significant mediator. These major findings suggest that, while ethnic discrimination has a direct effect on depression, increased traumatic stress can account for this relationship particularly for U.S.-born Latinos. The findings are discussed within a stress and coping framework. (PsycINFO Database Record