Acculturation, Internalizing Mental Health Symptoms, and Self-Esteem: Cultural Experiences of Latino Adolescents in North Carolina

This investigation examined acculturation risk factors and cultural assets, internalizing behavioral problems, and self-esteem in 323 Latino adolescents living in North Carolina. Multiple regression analyses revealed two risk factors--perceived discrimination and parent-adolescent conflict--as highl...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Child psychiatry and human development 2007-02, Vol.37 (3), p.273-292
Main Authors: Smokowski, Paul R, Bacallao, Martica L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acculturation
Adolescent
Adolescents
Adult and adolescent clinical studies
At Risk Persons
Behavior Problems
Biculturalism
Biological and medical sciences
Conflict
Conflict (Psychology)
Cultural Differences
Cultural Influences
Culture
Familism
Family Influence
Female
Hispanic Americans
Hispanic Americans - psychology
Humans
Immigrants
Internalizing problems
Latin American people
Male
Medical sciences
Mental Disorders
Mental Disorders - diagnosis
Mental Disorders - ethnology
Mental Disorders - psychology
Mental Health
Miscellaneous
North Carolina
Parent Child Relationship
Parent-Child Relations
Parents
Predictor Variables
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Racial Discrimination
Self Concept
Self Esteem
Selfesteem
Social Perception
Studies
Surveys and Questionnaires
Symptoms (Individual Disorders)
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:This investigation examined acculturation risk factors and cultural assets, internalizing behavioral problems, and self-esteem in 323 Latino adolescents living in North Carolina. Multiple regression analyses revealed two risk factors--perceived discrimination and parent-adolescent conflict--as highly significant predictors of adolescent internalizing problems and low self-esteem. Adolescents who were highly involved in Latino culture and who experienced high parent-adolescent conflict were found particularly at risk for internalizing problems. Biculturalism and familism were cultural assets found associated with fewer internalizing problems and higher self-esteem. For internalizing problems, familism's protective effect was mediated by parent-adolescent conflict. Implications were discussed.
ISSN:0009-398X
1573-3327
DOI:10.1007/s10578-006-0035-4