Acculturation stress, anxiety disorders, and alcohol dependence in a select population of young adult Mexican Americans.
OBJECTIVE
Mexican Americans comprise one of the most rapidly growing populations in the U.S. and within this population the process of acculturation has been suggested to be associated with some mental health problems. This study sought to ascertain quantitative information indexing acculturation stress and its association with mental health disorders in a select community sample of Mexican Americans.


METHODS
Demographic information, DSM-III-R diagnoses, and information on cultural identity and acculturation stress were obtained from 240 Mexican American young adults that were recruited by fliers and were residing in selected areas of San Diego.


RESULTS
No associations were found between measures of cultural identification and lifetime diagnoses of drug or alcohol dependence, major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders or antisocial personality disorder/conduct disorder in this sample of Mexican American young adults. However, lifetime diagnoses of alcohol dependence, substance dependence, and anxiety disorders were associated with elevations in acculturation stress.


CONCLUSIONS
Quantitative measures of acculturation stress, but not cultural identity per se, were found to be significantly associated with substance dependence and anxiety disorders in this select population of Mexican American young adults. These data may be helpful in designing prevention and intervention programs for this high risk population.
Ehlers
Cindy L
CL
Molecular and Integrative Neurosciences Department, and the Department of Molecular and Experimental Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037 USA and the University of Texas School of Public Health, Dallas, TX 75390.
Gilder
David A
DA
Criado
Jose R
JR
Caetano
Raul
R