title: A long way from home: comparing mental health measures between foreign and U.S.-born Latinos in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Studies exploring the relationship between foreign-born status and mental health among Latinos in the United States have varied in their conclusions. We examined 2000-2002 MESA data on Latinos and compared responses between immigrants and non-immigrants on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) scale and the Spielberger anxiety and anger scales.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used logistic and linear regression to examine whether immigrant status was associated with these psychological outcomes in Latinos-overall, Mexicans-only and Other-Latinos (non-Mexicans).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with U.S.-born Latinos, foreign-born Latinos had significantly higher odds of meeting CES-D caseness- a score above 16, classifying depressive symptoms (p≤.05), higher anger scores (p≤.001) and a trend towards higher anxiety. These associations were similar within the Mexicans-only subgroup.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  When examining self-reported distress symptoms as outcomes, our findings do not coincide with the paradoxical effect of immigration on mental health. Furthermore, associations between immigrant status and psychological outcomes differed among the Latino subgroups.
authors.affiliation: Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program, University of California–Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA. alejandra.casillas@hcuge.ch
authors.forename: Alejandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Casillas
authors.forename: Mei
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leng
authors.forename: Kiang
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hernandez
authors.forename: Sandi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shrager
authors.forename: Alka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kanaya
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000786:Anger; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017058:Mexican Americans / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology