Meekyung Han

The longitudinal effect of intergenerational gap in acculturation on conflict and mental health in Southeast Asian American adolescents.

This longitudinal study examined the intergenerational gap in acculturation, subsequent conflict, and their mental health consequences in Southeast Asian American adolescents. It was hypothesized that perceived intergenerational discrepancy in acculturation during early adolescence would predict intergenerational conflict in late adolescence, which, in turn, would increase depressive symptomatology in late adolescence. Using data from the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study (A. Portes & R. G. Rumbaut, 2001; R. G. Rumbaut, 1994), 490 Southeast Asian American adolescents in 8th and 9th grades completed surveys and again 3 years later. The results supported the hypothesis and showed that intergenerational/intercultural conflict fully mediated the longitudinal effect of perceived intergenerational discrepancy in acculturation on depressive symptomatology. Recommendations for community-based interventions for both parents and youth are offered.

Child Welfare and the Courts: An Exploratory Study of the Relationship Between Two Complex Systems

ABSTRACT This exploratory study focuses on the relationships between professionals working in the juvenile dependency system, including judicial officers, attorneys, social workers, and court-appointed special advocates. It includes an examination of the quality of professional relationships, factors contributing to tensions, the consequences of difficult relationships, and strategies for improving relationships. It utilizes interviews and focus groups with professionals and focus groups with clients involved in the juvenile dependency system. The major findings address: (a) the nature and quality of professional relationships, (b) the structural and operational factors contributing to tension in those relationships, (c) client perceptions of professional relationships, and (d) respondent recommendations for improving professional relationships. This study is a contribution to the small but growing literature on the complexity of the interface between public child welfare services and the court system.

Parental Contributions to Southeast Asian American Adolescents' Well-Being

Informed by acculturation, ecological, and social capital theories, the study examined the contribution of parental acculturation, parental involvement, and intergenerational relationship to well-being in Southeast Asian American adolescents. Using data from the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study, 491 Southeast Asian American adolescents and their parents comprised the sample. Path analysis showed that parental involvement fully mediated the effect of parental acculturation on intergenerational relationship, whereas intergenerational relationship mediated the effect of parental involvement on child outcomes. Service implications are discussed.

Cultural orientation in Southeast Asian American young adults.

The study assessed cultural orientation in a group of 188 Southeast Asian American American-born and early-arriving (by age 5) young adults using the General Ethnicity Questionnaire--Southeast Asian and American versions. The sample included 98 Vietnamese, 45 Cambodian, and 45 Hmong college students in California. As hypothesized and in support of the bidimensional model, overall orientation to ethnic and American cultures were independent of each other, and predicted, respectively, by ethnic and American cultural domains. The three ethnic groups did not vary on level of cultural orientation, but their endorsement of ethnic and American cultures differed across domains. Specifically, they enjoyed American mass media and cultural activities more than ethnic media and activities, and were more fluent in English than their ethnic language. However, they expressed greater ethnic pride and a stronger overall Southeast Asian orientation than American pride and orientation.

Stress and Coping with a Professional Challenge in Entering Masters of Social Work Students: The Role of Self‐Compassion

The study examined the role of religiosity, spirituality, and self‐compassion in responding to a professional stressor among first year masters of social work students. A total of 66 entering students from two masters of social work programs in the western United States participated in a paper‐pencil survey. While religiosity and spirituality did not influence the stress and coping process, self‐compassion did. In particular, multivariate analyses showed that overidentification, a negative component of self‐compassion, was associated with increased stress, while common humanity, a positive component of self‐compassion, was associated with effective coping. Implications of study findings for social work education are discussed.

Cultural Orientation in Asian American Adolescents Variation by Age and Ethnic Density

The study assessed variation in cultural orientation among Asian American adolescents by age and ethnic density in the community. A total of 128 students at a public high school in Oakland, California, participated in the study. Of these early and middle adolescents, 86 were Chinese American and 42 were Southeast Asian American. They completed the General Ethnicity Questionnaire—Ethnic and American versions, which assessed cultural orientation in the domains of cultural pride, language, social affiliation, food, and recreation. Middle adolescents reported a stronger ethnic orientation in the domains of social affiliation and recreation and weaker American orientation in the domains of food and language use (English) than early adolescents. Furthermore, Chinese Americans, residing in an ethnically dense community, reported a stronger ethnic orientation in the domains of language and food and a weaker American orientation in language than their Southeast Asian American peers with less access to their ethnic community.

Risk and Protective Factors Contributing to Depressive Symptoms in Vietnamese American College Students

With the demographic shifts the United States faces, understanding the contributing factors to mental well-being among minority college students is crucial. This study examines the roles of parental and peer attachment, intergenerational conflict, and perceived racial discrimination on depressive symptoms while also analyzing the mediational role of sense of coherence (SOC) on depressive symptoms in Vietnamese American college students. Results from 134 Vietnamese American students surveyed showed that higher levels of parental and peer attachment predicted lower depressive symptoms; SOC partially mediated the effect of parental attachment on depressive symptoms; and SOC played a full mediational role via perceived racial discrimination on depressive symptoms. These findings provide implications for interventions targeting Vietnamese American students at institutions of higher education.

The Effect of Intergenerational Conflict and School-Based Racial Discrimination on Depression and Academic Achievement in Filipino American Adolescents

Abstract Bronfenbrenners ecological model postulates the home and school to be key microsystems in fostering emotional well-being and school functioning in children. Utilizing a sample of 663 Filipino American adolescents who participated in the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study (CILS), we assessed the effect of intergenerational conflict at home and racial discrimination at school on their mental health and academic achievement. Cross-sectionally, intergenerational conflict and school-based racial discrimination increased depression and decreased academic achievement in early adolescence. Longitudinally, conflict and discrimination in early adolescence decreased academic performance while conflict alone increased depression in late adolescence. Implications of the findings were discussed.

Mental Health Help-Seeking Behaviors among Asian American Community College Students: The Effect of Stigma, Cultural Barriers, and Acculturation.

According to the 2008 U.S. Census, there are 15.5 million Asian Americans in the United States, and 17% are students enrolled in a university (Shea & Yeh, 2008). Asian American college students in higher education are oftentimes perceived as the “model minority” with high academic achievements and few mental and/or behavioral problems (Park, 2010). In contrast to this general assumption, studies have shown that many Asian American college students suffer from psychological distress (Abe-Kim et al., 2007; Breaux, Matsuoka, & Ryujin, 1997; Lee et al., 2009; Mallinckrodt, Shigeoka, & Suzuki, 2005; Nguyen & Anderson, 2005). In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2008) highlighted considerable disparities in mental health among racial/ethnic groups, including the fact that Asian Americans 15–24 years old have significantly higher suicidal rates than do other racial/ethnic groups of the same age range. Researchers have attributed this mental health disparity to Asian students’ underutilization of professional services. Consequently, a growing number of empirical studies have been conducted to identify the contributors to low mental health service utilization (Abe-Kim et al., 2007; Kim & Park, 2009; Lee et al., 2009; Nguyen & Anderson, 2005; Umemoto, 2004). These studies have found that acculturation, cultural barriers, and stigma attached to mental health problems are common factors that significantly contribute to Asian American college students’ low mental-health-seeking behaviors. However, based on the authors’ knowledge, these studies have focused on Asian American students who attend 4-year colleges. There is very little known about Asian American students attending 2-year community colleges, who comprise over 40% of Asian American undergraduates enrolled in higher education (Park, 2010).

The Challenges to Promoting Collaboration Between Child Protection Services Workers and Court Professionals

Abstract In juvenile dependency proceedings, the protection of children depends upon the collaboration between professionals in the child welfare and court systems. Since there is little empirical research on such collaborations, this exploratory study sought to identify factors associated with the difficulties encountered in these professional relationships through an analysis of case records. The data were extracted from 111 cases in seven Northern California counties. Using a logistic regression it was found that the short tenure of court professionals is significantly associated with the difficulties of fostering inter-professional collaboration. The implications for future practice and research are identified.