Psychological distress among low-income U.S.- and foreign-born women of Mexican descent: impact of acculturation

Abstract

Purpose: After testing the capacity of Kessler's psychological distress (K6) scale to measure equally across low-income Mexican-born women (n=881) and U.S.-born women of Mexican descent (n=317), this study assesses the impact of acculturation on this group's psychological distress.

Methods: We employ descriptive and confirmatory factor analyses to test the cross-cultural equivalence of K6. Multivariate and logistic regression is used to test the association between acculturation and psychological distress among low-income, Mexican-American women.

Results: The cross-cultural equivalence analysis shows that some of the scale's items have the capacity to measure psychological distress equally among participants. Regression results indicate that the more acculturated these women become, the greater their psychological distress is.

Conclusion: The study recommends that researchers emphasize the cross-cultural equivalence of their measures and suggests a heightened awareness among practitioners of the multidimensional impact of acculturation on clients of Mexican descent.