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Family Dynamics Moderate the Impact of Discrimination on Wellbeing for Latino Young Adults

Objectives: This study examined family dynamics as a moderator of the association between discrimination and both depression and life satisfaction for Latino youth. Specifically, we hypothesized that discrimination would have a negative impact on depression and life satisfaction. We also hypothesize...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Cultural diversity & ethnic minority psychology 2021-04, Vol.27 (2), p.214-226
Main Authors: Lazarevic, Vanja, Crovetto, Flavia, Shapiro, Alyson F., Nguyen, Stephanie
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:Objectives: This study examined family dynamics as a moderator of the association between discrimination and both depression and life satisfaction for Latino youth. Specifically, we hypothesized that discrimination would have a negative impact on depression and life satisfaction. We also hypothesized that negative family dynamics would compound the negative impact of discrimination, whereas positive family dynamics would buffer against the impact of discrimination on depression and life satisfaction. Method: Participants were 229 Latino youth (Mage = 22.40, SD = 2.46, % female = 81.7) from a diverse region who completed measures of perceived discrimination, depressive symptoms, life satisfaction, and family relationship dynamics. Regression models were used to test both direct associations and moderation (i.e., interaction effects) between these variables. Results: Findings indicated that negative aspects of family dynamics marginally exacerbated the link between discrimination and depression and life satisfaction, and were also directly associated with these outcomes. Family positivity significantly moderated the association between discrimination and both depression and life satisfaction. However, positive aspects of family dynamics were only associated with more positive outcomes when discrimination was minimal to absent. Conclusions: Family dynamics moderated the association between discrimination and both depression and life satisfaction in Latino youth. However, family dynamics did not appear sufficient to buffer against the negative impact of discrimination, suggesting that even positive and cohesive families cannot buffer youth from discrimination. Marginal findings suggest that negative family dynamics compound the negative impact of discrimination. Implications for improving the mental health of Latino youth through targeting both discrimination and family dynamics are discussed. Public Significance Statement This study found that discrimination was associated with increased depression and decreased life satisfaction for Latino youth. Marginal findings suggest that negative family dynamics (e.g., conflict) worsened the impact of discrimination. Positive family interactions (e.g., respect, intimacy, companionship) were associated with more positive outcomes only when discrimination was minimal to absent and thus did not effectively buffer against the impact of discrimination. Findings suggest that practitioners, educators, and policymakers can hel
ISSN:1099-9809
1939-0106
DOI:10.1037/cdp0000344