title: Cultural identity and mental health: differing trajectories among Asian and Latino youth.
abstract: 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 In this 3-year longitudinal study, we explored trajectories of mental health symptoms (withdrawn/depressed and somatic symptoms) among 163 first- and second-generation Asian (n = 76) and Latino (n = 97) adolescents.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 Ethnic identity was associated with lower levels of withdrawn/depressed symptoms for both Latino and Asian youth.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 U.S. identity was not associated with reduced levels of somatic or withdrawn/depressed symptoms for either group.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.
authors: Department of Psychology, The College of Staten Island, City University of New York, Staten Island, NY 10314, USA. lauren.rogerssirin@csi.cuny.edu
authors: Lauren
authors: L
authors: Rogers-Sirin
authors: Taveeshi
authors: T
authors: Gupta
mesh_terms: D000069:Acculturation; D000293:Adolescent; D001213:Asian / Q000523:psychology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D016014:Linear Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012933:Social Identification; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology