Acculturative stress, depression, and suicidal ideation among Central American immigrants

No previous studies have examined suicide risk among Central American immigrants. The present study explored the relationship between acculturative stress, depression, and suicidal ideation among Central American immigrants. Also examined were variables that predict depression and suicidal ideation. Elevated levels of acculturative stress were significantly correlated with high levels of depression and suicidal ideation. Family dysfunction, ineffective social support, nonpositive expectations concerning the future, low levels of religiosity, low levels of education and income, and lack of agreement with the decision to immigrate were significantly associated with high levels of depression and suicidal ideation. The overall findings suggest that Central American immigrants who experience elevated levels of acculturative stress may be at risk for experiencing heightened levels of depression and suicidal ideation. The findings highlight the importance of using culturally relevant clinical methods when assessing and treating depressed and potentially suicidal acculturating individuals.     

Psychosocial Predictors of Acculturative Stress in Mexican Immigrants

Psychosocial predictors of acculturative stress were examined in a sample of adult Mexican immigrants in Los Angeles. Bivariate and multivariate analyses revealed that family dysfunction, geographical separation from family, nonpositive expectations for the future, and low income levels were significantly related to elevated levels of acculturative stress. The findings suggest that family closeness, hopefulness for the future, and financial resources may provide a buffer against acculturative Stressors experienced by migrating individuals. The findings highlight the importance of using culturally relevant clinical methods when assessing and treating immigrants and acculturating individuals.     

Psychosocial predictors of acculturative stress in Mexican immigrants

Psychosocial predictors of acculturative stress were examined in a sample of adult Mexican immigrants in Los Angeles. Bivariate and multivariate analyses revealed that family dysfunction, geographical separation from family, nonpositive expectations for the future, and low income levels were significantly related to elevated levels of acculturative stress. The findings suggest that family closeness, hopefulness for the future, and financial resources may provide a buffer against acculturative stressors experienced by migrating individuals. The findings highlight the importance of using culturally relevant clinical methods when assessing and treating immigrants and acculturating individuals.     

Acculturative stress, social support, and coping: relations to psychological adjustment among Mexican American college students

This study examined the relations between acculturative stress and psychological functioning, as well as the protective role of social support and coping style, in a sample of 148 Mexican American college students (67% female, 33% male; mean age = 23.05 years, SD = 3.33). In bivariate analyses, acculturative stress was associated with higher levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms. Moreover, active coping was associated with better adjustment (lower depression), whereas avoidant coping predicted poorer adjustment (higher levels of depression and anxiety). Tests of interaction effects indicated that parental support and active coping buffered the effects of high acculturative stress on anxiety symptoms and depressive symptoms. In addition, peer support moderated the relation between acculturative stress and anxiety symptoms. Implications for reducing the effects of acculturative stress among Mexican American college students are discussed.     

Moderating influence of social support on suicidal ideation in a sample of Mexican immigrants

The present study explored social support as a moderator in the relationship between depression and suicidal ideation in a sample of 104 immigrant Mexican-American adults. Participants completed the Personal Resource Questionnaire--Part 2, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale, and the Adult Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire. Ineffective social support and high depression were significantly associated with elevated suicidal ideation. Further analyses indicated a significant interaction between social support and depression in predicting suicidal ideation, thereby suggesting that social support may serve as a protective factor against suicidal ideation during the acculturative process.     

Exploring the Mental Health of Mexican Migrant Farm Workers in the Midwest: Psychosocial Predictors of Psychological Distress and Suggestions for Prevention and Treatment

The purposes of the present study were threefold: (a) to assess the prevalence levels of anxiety and depression in a sample of Mexican migrant farm workers in the midwestern United States; (b) to explore the relationships among acculturative stress, anxiety, and depression; and (c) to examine the variables that best predict anxiety and depression. The overall sample revealed elevated levels of anxiety and depression. Migrant farm workers with heightened levels of acculturative stress were more likely to report high levels of anxiety and depression. Family dysfunction, ineffective social support, low self-esteem, lack of agreement with the decision to migrate, high education levels, high levels of acculturative stress, and high levels of anxiety were significantly associated with high depression levels. The overall findings suggest that migrant farm workers who experience elevated levels of acculturative stress may be at risk for experiencing high levels of anxiety and depression. The findings highlight the importance of establishing prevention and treatment services for migrant farm workers that aim to increase levels of emotional support, self-esteem, and coping skills.     

Exploring the mental health of Mexican migrant farm workers in the Midwest: psychosocial predictors of psychological distress and suggestions for prevention and treatment

The purposes of the present study were threefold: (a) to assess the prevalence levels of anxiety and depression in a sample of Mexican migrant farm workers in the midwestern United States; (b) to explore the relationships among acculturative stress, anxiety, and depression; and (c) to examine the variables that best predict anxiety and depression. The overall sample revealed elevated levels of anxiety and depression. Migrant farm workers with heightened levels of acculturative stress were more likely to report high levels of anxiety and depression. Family dysfunction, ineffective social support, low self-esteem, lack of agreement with the decision to migrate, high education levels, high levels of acculturative stress, and high levels of anxiety were significantly associated with high depression levels. The overall findings suggest that migrant farm workers who experience elevated levels of acculturative stress may be at risk for experiencing high levels of anxiety and depression. The findings highlight the importance of establishing prevention and treatment services for migrant farm workers that aim to increase levels of emotional support, self-esteem, and coping skills.     

Perceived burdensomeness, familism, and suicidal ideation among Mexican women: enhancing understanding of risk and protective factors

The interpersonal-psychological theory of suicide and a culturally-relevant construct, familism, was used to examine predictors of suicidal ideation among Mexican and Mexican American women in the United States. A sense of perceived burdensomeness toward others was expected to significantly predict suicidal ideation, especially among women who endorsed high levels of familism. Mexican and Mexican American outpatient women (N = 73) completed self-report measures and an interview measure of suicidal ideation. Main and interactive effects of perceived burdensomeness and familism were examined. Perceived burdensomeness, but not familism, significantly predicted suicidal ideation. The interaction hypothesis was not supported. These findings highlight perceived burdensomeness as a risk factor for suicidal behavior in Mexican and Mexican American women.     

An empirical investigation of acculturative stress and ethnic identity as moderators for depression and suicidal ideation in college students

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships of acculturative stress and ethnic identity to depressive symptomatology and suicidal ideation in college students. The SAFE Acculturative Stress Scale, Multi-Group Ethnic Identity Measure, Beck Depression Inventory, and Beck Suicide Scale were administered to 452 college students. The authors found that acculturative stress and ethnic identity moderated the depression-suicide ideation relationship for African American but not European American college students. Given that vulnerability toward suicidal thoughts is increased for African American college students who report symptoms of depression accompanied by either high-acculturative stress or poor group identity, these culturally relevant factors should be included in protocol for suicide risk assessment.     

Family support,family stress,and suicidal ideation in a combat-exposed sample of Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans

Background and Objectives: Deployment-related risk factors for suicidal ideation among Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) veterans have received a great deal of attention. Studies show that mental health symptoms mediate the association between most deployment stressors and suicidal ideation; however, family-related factors during deployment are largely unexplored. We examined posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression symptoms as mediators of the associations between deployment family support and stress and post-deployment suicidal ideation in combat-exposed OEF/OIF veterans. Design: National cross-sectional mail survey. Methods: 1046 veterans responded to the survey. The sample for this study was 978 veterans who experienced combat. Regression-based path analyses were conducted. Results: Family support and stress had direct associations with suicidal ideation. When PTSD and depression symptoms were examined as mediators of these associations, results revealed significant indirect paths through these symptoms. Conclusions: This study contributes to the literature on suicidal ideation risk factors among OEF/OIF veterans. Deployment family support and family stress are associated with suicidal ideation; however these associations occur primarily through mental health symptomatology, consistent with findings observed for other deployment factors. This research supports ongoing efforts to treat mental health symptomatology as a means of suicide prevention.     

An integrative model of suicidal ideation

An integrative path model is presented that details the relationships among several demographic variables, life stress, depression, hopelessness, social support, and suicidal ideation. The sample consisted of 737 university students, 287 males and 450 females. Negative life stress was found to be a significant predictor of both depression and hopelessness, which, in turn, mediated the relationship between life stress and suicidal ideation. Contrary to previous findings, depression proved to be a better predictor of suicidal ideation than hopelessness. Findings also illustrated the importance of including social support measures in the model, as significant relationships were discovered between social support and both life stress and suicidal ideation. The model accounted for a total of 34% of the variance in suicidal ideation. Individual findings are interpreted; the ways in which they reflect on previous research, and future efforts, are discussed.     

A Longitudinal Investigation of Depression,Hopelessness, Social Support,and Major and Minor Life Events and Their Relation to Suicidal Ideation in Adolescents

The longitudinal relationship of psychological and social-environmental factors with adolescent suicidal ideation over a 1-year-period was examined in a sample of 374 high school students. Students were assessed twice over a 1-year period with measures of depression, hopelessness, major negative life events, daily hassles, social support, and suicidal ideation. At the initial assessment, daily hassles and negative life events for males and social support and depression for females were significant factors related to suicidal ideation levels 1 year later. Changes in depression and hopelessness were significantly related to changes in suicidal ideation over the 1 year interval for males and females. Differences found between males and females in the relationship of psychological and social-environmental variables with suicidal ideation supports the need to examine gender specific relationships when conducting research on suicidal behavior in adolescents.     

Attributional style as a diathesis in predicting depression,hopelessness, and suicide ideation in college students

Attributional style was examined as a diathesis for depression, hopelessness, and suicidal ideation. A naturalistic stressor—obtaining a D or F on an Introductory Psychology exam—was used in a longitudinal design to test for the effects of stress in predicting these criteria. Controlling for preexam levels of depression, hopelessness, and suicide ideation, prestress attributional style was consistently related to poststress levels of each of these criteria. Both positive and negative attributional styles measured at Time 1 were predictive of these criteria at Time 2. Regression analyses revealed that exam grade, attributional style alone, and attributional style in interaction with stress predicted each of the three criteria. The results are seen as supportive of a prestress attributional style diathesis to depression, hopelessness, and suicidal ideation.     

The relationships between religiosity,stress, and mental health for Muslim immigrant youth

Acculturation, or the process of change that takes place as a result of intercultural contact, can cause a range of stressors. The task of managing this acculturative stress is particularly difficult for Muslim immigrants in Western contexts due to the global rise of Islamophobia. Research investigating the experiences of young migrant Muslims has found inconsistent results regarding the moderating influences of religious identity and religious practices on the relationship between stress and mental health. The current study examined whether levels of religiosity interacted with distinct forms of acculturative stress in the prediction of depression and well-being for Muslim youth in New Zealand. Results painted a complex picture of the relationships between religiosity and mental health, finding that greater religiosity is generally positive for youth outcomes, but it also carries the risk lowering levels of mental health through its interactions with acculturative stress.     

Relations Between Suicidal Ideation,Depression, and Emotional Autonomy from Parents in Adolescence

We examined the relations between depression, emotional autonomy quality-related constructs of separation and detachment, and suicidal ideation, focusing on the unique and common contribution that depression, separation and detachment made to suicidal ideation. We also examined gender differences. 403 adolescents, 196 boys and 207 girls, completed self-report measures of depression, separation and detachment, and suicidal ideation. The data showed a significant relation between depression and suicidal ideation both for boys and girls, and between detachment and suicidal ideation only for boys. Results for boys supported an additive model such that depression and detachment each contributed unique variance to boys’ suicidal ideation, and an interactive model such that detachment contributed to exacerbate the risk of suicidal ideation when boys were already at risk because of depression. The data for girls supported an interactive, but not additive, model such that depression and detachment did not contribute independently to girls’ suicidal ideation but in a joint way.     

Peer functioning, family dysfunction, and psychological symptoms in a risk factor model for adolescent inpatients' suicidal ideation severity

Examined models of suicidal ideation severity that include two psychosocial risk factors (i.e., peer and family functioning) and four domains of psychological symptoms (i.e., generalized anxiety, depression, conduct problems, and substance abuse/dependence). Participants were 96 psychiatric inpatients (32 boys, 64 girls), ages 12 to 17, who were hospitalized because of concerns of suicidality. Adolescents completed a structured diagnostic interview, measures of suicidal ideation, and several dimensions of family and peer functioning. Results supported a model in which greater levels of perceived peer rejection and lower levels of close friendship support were associated directly with more severe suicidal ideation. In addition, indirect pathways included deviant peer affiliation and global family dysfunction related to suicidal ideation via substance use and depression symptoms. The results are among the first to demonstrate relations between suicidal ideation and several areas of adolescent peer functioning, as well as divergent processes for peer and family predictors of suicidal ideation.     

Differences in nonfatal suicide behaviors among Mexican and European American middle school children.

This report describes ethnic and gender differences in suicide ideation among two large samples of middle school students in New Mexico (n = 2,140) and Texas (n = 1,302). Students completed a self-administered questionnaire on suicide ideation and psychosocial risk factors. Mexican Americans in both samples reported significantly higher prevalence of suicide ideation than did their European American counterparts. Mexican Americans were 1.8 times more likely to have high suicide ideation than European Americans. The suicide ideation risk for Mexican Americans remained unchanged in both samples after adjusting for gender, age, family structure, depression, low social support, and self-esteem. This study indicates that ethnicity plays an important role in suicidal ideation, but the mechanism remains unclear.     

Religion and suicidal ideation in a sample of Latin American immigrants

The present study explored the association of measures of religious activities and suicidal ideation in a sample of adult Latin American immigrants (145 women, 56 men). No relationship was found between religious affiliation and suicidal ideation. Self-perception of religiosity, influence of religion, and church attendance were significantly negatively associated with suicidal ideation. A multiple regression analysis showed that influence of religion was a significant predictor of suicidal ideation. The present findings lend empirical support to the notion that high religiosity may play a protective role against suicide.     

Self-Esteem and Social Support as Moderators of Depression,Body Image,and Disordered Eating for Suicidal Ideation in Adolescents

The current study investigated risk factors for suicidal ideation in a community sample of 392 adolescents (males 51.9 %; females 48.1 %), while also evaluating self-esteem, perceived parent support, and perceived peer support as protective factors and potential moderators between suicidal ideation and the 3 risk factors. Disordered eating, depression, parent support, and peer support were found to be significant predictors of current suicidal ideation, but body satisfaction was not. The relationship between depression and suicidal ideation was significantly moderated by both self-esteem and parent support, while the relationship between disordered eating and suicidal ideation was significantly moderated by peer support. Results underscore the importance of examining protective factors for suicide risk, as they have the potential to reduce suicidal ideation in adolescents.     

Exposure to Violence in Young Inner-City Adolescents: Relationships With Suicidal Ideation, Depression, and PTSD Symptomatology

This study examined the relationship of exposure to violence to suicidal ideation, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology in 94 young adolescents from an inner-city school. Participants completed self-report measures of the Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale, the Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire—Junior, Adolescent Psychopathology Scale—Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Subscale, and the Exposure to Violence Questionnaire. Using a hierarchical multiple regression design, exposure to violence demonstrated a unique relationship with PTSD symptomatology. Specifically, the relationship between violence exposure and PTSD symptomatology remained significant after controlling for depression and suicidal ideation severity. Controlling for PTSD symptomatology resulted in nonsignificant relationships between violence exposure and depression and suicidal ideation in adolescents. Additional analyses suggest that PTSD functions as a mediating variable between exposure to violence and depression and suicidal ideation. The implication of these results and suggestions for future research are discussed.