Latinx/Hispanic Youths' Experiences of Cultural Stressors, Emotional Reactions, and Coping Within the Family Context

• Published in: Cultural diversity & ethnic minority psychology 2024-10, Vol.30 (4), p.637-646
• Main Authors: Henriquez, Kimberly L., Lorenzo-Blanco, Elma I., Martin Romero, Michelle Y., Stein, Gabriela Livas
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Coping Behavior; Emotional Responses; Family; Family Members; Female; Human; Latinos/Latinas; Male; Psychological Stress; Sociocultural Factors; Stress
• ISSN: 1099-9809; 1939-0106
• DOI: 10.1037/cdp0000664

Objectives: This qualitative investigation examined how Latinx/Hispanic youth experience cultural stressors, emotionally react to, and cope with these stressors within the family context. Method: Forty-five youth participated in six focus groups (51% female; 49% male; 0% nonbinary; Mage = 15.26; SD = 0.79). Results: Using reflexive thematic analysis, we constructed two themes with four accompanying subthemes centering on (a) observing family members experience cultural stressors and (b) experiencing cultural stressors together with family members. Conclusions: Findings highlight the need for cultural stress theory to focus on the family context in Latinx/Hispanic youths' experiences of cultural stressors, their emotional reactions and coping responses to these stressors. Public Significance Statement This study suggests that the family context plays an important role in shaping how Latinx/Hispanic youth experience, emotionally react to, and cope with cultural stressors. The findings provide evidence to an existing family-level vicarious model but also stress the need for a more comprehensive cultural stress theory to guide future research in examining the effects of cultural stressors on Latinx/Hispanic youths' adjustment within context.