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. 2020 Dec;76(12):2329-2344.
doi: 10.1002/jclp.23014. Epub 2020 Jun 27.

Alcohol use severity, depressive symptoms, and optimism among Hispanics: Examining the immigrant paradox in a serial mediation model

Cory L Cobb  1 , Seth J Schwartz  2 , Christopher P Salas-Wright  3 , Miguel Pinedo  1 , Priscilla Martinez  4 , Alan Meca  5 , Alejandra G Isaza  6 , Elma I Lorenzo-Blanco  1 , Heather McClure  6 , Flavio F Marsiglia  7 , Charles R Martínez  1 , Miguel Ángel Cano  8
Affiliations

Alcohol use severity, depressive symptoms, and optimism among Hispanics: Examining the immigrant paradox in a serial mediation model

Cory L Cobb et al. J Clin Psychol. 2020 Dec.

Abstract

Objective: Hispanic immigrants exhibit more positive outcomes than U.S.-born Hispanics across educational, psychological, and physical health indices, a phenomenon called the immigrant paradox. We examined the immigrant paradox in relation to alcohol use severity among Hispanic young adults while considering both positive (optimism) and negative (depressive symptoms) processes.

Method: Among 200 immigrant and U.S.-born Hispanic young adults (Mage = 21.30; 49% male) in Arizona and Florida, we tested whether optimism and depressive symptoms statistically mediated the relationship between nativity and alcohol use severity. Specifically, we examined whether Hispanic immigrants reported greater optimism than their U.S.-born counterparts, and whether such optimism was, in turn, associated with less depressive symptoms and thus lower alcohol use severity.

Results: Indirect effects were significant in hypothesized directions (nativity → optimism → depressive symptoms → alcohol use severity).

Conclusions: Both positive and negative psychological processes are important to consider when accounting for the immigrant paradox vis-à-vis alcohol use severity among Hispanic young adults.

Keywords: alcohol use severity; depression; immigrant paradox; optimism.

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Conflict of interest statement

Author Disclosures: All authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest and do not have any financial disclosures to report.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Hypothesized Serial Mediation Model Pathways
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Serial Mediation Model with Unstandardized Coefficients. Covariates are represented by dashed lines and were controlled for in all mediation pathways.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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