Sue Keir Hoppe

Race/ethnicity, acculturation, and psychological distress: Fatalism and religiosity as cultural resources

Data from a community sample of 1,784 Anglo, African-American, and Mexican-American adults were examined to assess: (1) the nature and magnitude of observed racial/ethnic and acculturation level differences in depression, (2) the relative contribution of sociodemographic and psychosocial factors (fatalism and religiosity) to observed differences, and (3) the joint effects of fatalism and religiosity as sociocultural resources with regard to depression in differing racial/ethnic and acculturation level subgroups. Analyses indicate the most dramatic differences in depression among males—African Americans were roughly similar to Anglos and levels of depression were significantly higher among the least acculturated Mexican Americans relative to Anglos, even after statistical controls. Acculturation level differences among Mexican-American females were explained by statistical controls. Lower levels of depression among more highly acculturated than among less acculturated Mexican Americans provide little support for a simplistic stress formulation of acculturation. Rather, the interplay of acculturation, fatalism, and religiosity supports a more complex cultural marginality model, emphasizing the consistency of attitudinal elements and language use as facilitators or inhibitors of assimilation into Anglo culture. Both those who successfully acculturate and those who are most insulated in traditional culture appear least depressed from this perspective.

Psychopathology in Hospitalized, Adopted Children

Abstract Of 763 consecutive admissions to a childrens psychiatric hospital, 66 (8.7%) were adopted. The adopted subjects had a higher frequency of personality disorder diagnosis, a difference accounted for by an increased frequency of personality disorder diagnosis in the girls. The not-adopted subjects had more frequent diagnoses of separation anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder. Adopted boys had more concentration symptoms and hyperactivity symptoms than not-adopted boys and adopted girls had fewer anxiety symptoms than not-adopted girls.

Near-Zero Plasma Dopamine-β-Hydroxylase and Conduct Disorder in Emotionally Disturbed Boys

Plasma dopamine-β-hydroxylase (DβH) was measured on 420 boys and 128 girls admitted to a childrens psychiatric hospital. Children with plasma DβH activities ≥ 6 μM/min/L, the near-zero DβH group, were compared to children with DβH activities > 6 μM/min/L, the comparison group. Fifty-four percent of the boys with near-zero DβH were diagnosed conduct disorder, undersocialized and 24% were diagnosed borderline personality compared to 21% and 10% for the comparison group. Symptomatically the near-zero group had more conduct symptoms, concentration symptoms, impaired relationships, and fewer anxiety and depressive symptoms than the comparison group. Significantly more boys in the near-zero group were discharged on medication and on methylphenidate. Girls did not show these differences. The results show a relationship between near-zero plasma DβH and conduct disorder symptomatology in emotionally disturbed boys.

Diagnoses, Catecholamine Metabolism, and Plasma Dopamine-β-Hydroxylase

ABSTRACT From a group of 80 hospitalized boys, 41 with plasma dopamine-β-hydroxylase (DβH)ss ≤ 6 µM/ min/L were compared with 39 boys with plasma (DβH ≥ 15 µM/min/L. The low group had more diagnoses of Conduct Disorder, undersocialized, as determined by the diagnosing child psychiatrist. On a structured diagnostic instrument, the DISC/DISC-P, the high group had more diagnoses of Dysthymic Disorder and Separation Anxiety Disorder. Twenty-four-hour urine cathecholamines and their metabolites were obtained on 50 subjects. The results show differences in norephinephrine metabolism in the low group.

Depression and anxiety among Mexican Americans in a family health center

SummaryA standardized interview including parts of the NIMH-Diagnostic Interview Schedule was used to determine the prevalence of depression (major depression or dysthymia) and generalized anxiety in a random sample of predominantly low-income Mexican American patients attending an inner-city family health center. Overall rates of current DSM-III-diagnosable depression and anxiety were similar to rates reported for other primary care patient populations in the United States. There were racial/ethnic and sex differences in the rates of these disorders, with Anglo females having disproportionately high rates. Among women, the rate of mental disorders was higher for those with many somatic symptoms, three or more children, low scores on a scale of family integration, and numerous missed appointments in the last year.

Texas Snowbirds: seasonal migrants to the Rio Grande Valley.

This article compares the results of a 1985 survey of elderly seasonal migrants to the Rio Grande Valley of Texas with those of five earlier studies to provide a more comprehensive profile of such migrants than is currently available. Sociodemographic, life-style, and health characteristics are reviewed. Based on apparent similarities among elderly seasonal migrants in the six studies, suggestions are made for the direction of future research.

Attributions for Job Termination and Psychological Distress

The nature of job termination and causal attribution for termination were examined for their association with psychological distress among a sample of working-class men in San Antonio, Texas who had recently become unemployed. Laid-off workers were found to experience significantly lower levels of distress than fired workers, largely because the former overwhelmingly defined job loss as a function of the economy. The fired typically attributed job loss to unfair treatment by employers, and they, like the laid off who made similar attributions, indicated significant distress. Psychological reactivity was by far the highest among fired and laid-off workers who reported having been unjustly terminated because of personal shortcomings or deficiencies. Contrary to conventional thought, job loss self-blame was not found to be associated with high levels of distress.

Patterns of suicide among Mexican Americans and Anglos, 1960-1980

SummaryLittle is known about suicidal behavior among Mexican Americans, the second largest and most rapidly growing ethnic group in the United States. This paper reports trends in suicide rates for Mexican Americans and Anglos in Bexar County (San Antonio), Texas, over a 20-year period of time. Results show that suicide rates for Mexican Americans of both sexes are substantially lower than those for Anglos from 1960 to 1980. Suicide rates for both ethnic groups increased over time, but rates for Ang los increased more than rates for Mexican Americans. Unique aspects of Mexican American culture are offered to explain the findings.

Changes in Marital Satisfaction in Three Generations of Mexican Americans

Changes in marital satisfaction over 11 years are investigated in a three-generation sample of Mexican Americans from the San Antonio area originally interviewed during 1981-82 and reinterviewed in 1992-93. Among persons married to the same spouses, results showed no significant changes in the negative sentiment component of the Guilford and Bengtson marital satisfaction scale in any of the categories. However, significant declines in the positive interaction component were observed among women in all generations and among younger males. Declines among women over 11 years were consistent with cross-sectional findings at baseline showing successively lower positive interaction from younger to older generations among women. Results are discussed with regard to the U-shaped curve suggested by the literature on marital satisfaction across the life cycle.

Only Children as Adults Psychological Well-Being

Data from seven U. S. national surveys were used to estimate the effects of number of siblings on eight dimensions of psychological well-being among adult white males and white females. All of the statistically significant estimated effects of having siblings are negative, and most of these cannot be accounted for by the lower mean family incomes and amount of education of the persons with siblings. The evidence for negative effects is stronger for white males than for white females. The evidence from this and previous studies is generally inconsistent with the popular stereotype of the unhappy, maladjusted only child, but additional evidence is needed before the issue is considered closed.