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. 2023 Mar;21(1):14-21.
doi: 10.1177/15404153221088929. Epub 2022 Mar 23.

Age of Immigration and Depressive Symptoms Among Young Adult Latinx Immigrants: A Test of Explanatory Models

Allison McCord Stafford  1 , Diana Sojda  1 , Maralis Mercado Emerson  1 , Gabriela A Nagy  1   2 , Brian E McCabe  3 , Rosa M Gonzalez-Guarda  1
Affiliations

Age of Immigration and Depressive Symptoms Among Young Adult Latinx Immigrants: A Test of Explanatory Models

Allison McCord Stafford et al. Hisp Health Care Int. 2023 Mar.

Abstract

Introduction: Latinx immigrants who migrate to the United States (US) as young children are more likely to experience depression than those who migrate later in life. Our purpose is to test three models that may explain the relationship between age of immigration and depressive symptoms among Latinx immigrants. Methods: A secondary analysis of baseline data from a community-based, longitudinal study of Latinx young adults in the US Southeast was conducted. Latinx immigrants who migrated before the age of 19 years (n = 157) were included, and path analysis was conducted. Results: Age of immigration and depressive symptoms were negatively related (b = -0.19, S = 0.08, p = .015), while acculturative stress and depressive symptoms were positively related (b = 0.04, SE = 0.01, p < .001). No significant indirect effects were found. Conclusion: Our results highlight the importance of assessing acculturative stress and age of immigration as social drivers of mental health in Latinx immigrant children.

Keywords: Hispanic Americans; Latinx; adolescent; child; depression; immigration.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Interest

The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose in relation to this manuscript.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Mediation model describing the Healthy Migrant Hypothesis.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Mediation model depicting the Cultural Stress Hypothesis.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Mediation model depicting the Acculturation and Child Development Hypothesis.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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