Perceived family support, acculturation, and life satisfaction in mexican american youth: A mixed-methods exploration.

In this article, the authors describe a mixed-methods study designed to explore perceived family support, acculturation, and life satisfaction among 266 Mexican American adolescents. Specifically, the authors conducted a thematic analysis of open-ended responses to a question about life satisfaction to understand participants' perceptions of factors that contributed to their overall satisfaction with life. The authors also conducted hierarchical regression analyses to investigate the independent and interactive contributions of perceived support from family and Mexican and Anglo acculturation orientations on life satisfaction. Convergence of mixed-methods findings demonstrated that perceived family support and Mexican orientation were significant predictors of life satisfaction in these adolescents. Implications, limitations, and directions for further research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Attributions and affective reactions of family members and course of schizophrenia.

The authors tested an attribution-affect model of schizophrenic relapse attending to the role of families' positive affect (warmth) and negative affect (criticism). Coders listened to interviews of 40 family members taken from C. E. Vaughn, K. S. Synder, S. Jones, W. B. Freeman, and I. R. Falloon (1984) and rated their attributions of controllability for the symptoms and behaviors of their relatives with schizophrenia. For family members not designated as emotionally overinvolved, perceptions that their ill relatives' symptoms and behaviors were under the patients' control were related to family members' warmth and criticism and to patients' clinical outcomes. Of the affective reactions, only criticism predicted outcome. In addition, patients' use of street drugs was related to attributions, criticism, and outcome. Together these findings suggest that families' attributions and criticism are important in understanding the relationship between family factors and course of illness. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Expressed emotion and sociocultural moderation in the course of schizophrenia.

This study examined whether the sociocultural context moderates the relationship between families' expressed emotion (EE) and clinical outcomes in schizophrenia. In a sample of 60 Mexican American caregivers and their ill relatives, we first assessed whether EE and its indices (criticism, emotional overinvolvement [EOI], and warmth) related to relapse. Second, we extended the analysis of EE and its indices to a longitudinal assessment of symptomatology. Last, we tested whether bidimensional acculturation moderated the relationship between EE (and its indices) and both relapse and symptom trajectory over time. Results indicated that EOI was associated with increased relapse and that criticism was associated with increased symptomatology. Additionally, as patients' Mexican enculturation (Spanish language and media involvement) decreased, EE was increasingly related to relapse. For symptomatology, as patients' U.S. acculturation (English language and media involvement) increased, EE was associated with increased symptoms longitudinally. Our results replicate and extend past research on how culture might shape the way family factors relate to the course of schizophrenia. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Measurement Equivalence of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Latino and Anglo Adolescents: A National Study.

The cross-ethnic measurement equivalence of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D; L. S. Radloff, 1977) was examined using a subsample of adolescents (N=10,691) from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Configural and metric invariance, as well as functional and scalar equivalence, were examined for Anglo American, Mexican American, Cuban American, and Puerto Rican American youths age 12-18 years. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) in each group provided evidence of configural invariance for European and Mexican American adolescents but not for Cuban and Puerto Rican youths. A 2-group CFA for Anglo and Mexican Americans demonstrated partial metric invariance for these groups. Multigroup structural equation modeling indicated similar relations between CES-D scores and self-esteem for all 4 groups, supporting cross-ethnic functional and scalar equivalence. The results have implications for using the CES-D in cross-ethnic research and, more broadly, for the assessment and treatment of depression in Latinos. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ethnic background, therapeutic alliance, and treatment retention in functional family therapy with adolescents who abuse substances.

In this study, the authors examined the role of balance between adolescent-therapist and parent-therapist alliances in the retention of functional family therapy clients. Therapeutic alliances of mothers, fathers, and adolescents were assessed from videotapes of the 1st treatment session for 43 Hispanic and 43 Anglo families. Hispanic families who dropped out before completing the requisite number of sessions were found to have greater imbalance in alliance (parent-adolescent) than those who did complete therapy. However, this finding was not replicated with Anglo families. Results are interpreted in terms of previous research on family-level balanced alliance effects. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Impact of breast cancer on Asian American and Anglo American women

This pilot study constitutes the first exploration of the impact of breast cancer on Asian American women. Three hypotheses guided this study: (1) Asian American women would choose breast conserving therapy and breast reconstruction at a lower rate than the Anglo American women due to cultural differences in body image, (2) Asian American women with breast cancer would express psychological distress somatically and Anglo American women would express distress emotionally, and acculturation levels of the Asian American women would modify the expressions of distress such that women with high acculturation will express distress more emotionally and less acculturated women would express distress more somatically, and (3) Asian American women would seek assistance for psychosocial problems at a significantly lower rate than Anglo women. Ethnicity, age, and levels of acculturation were found to be significant variables that had to be considered simultaneously. The three hypotheses were only partially supported: (1) Asian American women chose breast conserving therapy and adjuvant therapy at a significantly lower rate than the Anglo American women, (2) Contrary to the hypothesis, somatization did not appear to be a dominant form of symptom presentation for Asian American women regardless of level of acculturation, and (3) Asian American women sought professional assistance for psychosocial problems at a significantly lower rate than Anglo women. Asian American women reported using different modes of help-seeking behavior for emotional concerns and receiving different sources of social support than the Anglo American women. Cultural interpretations of the findings are offered to explain the differences in the physical, emotional, and social responses to the breast cancer experience of Asian American women compared with the Anglo Americans, and notably between the Chinese- and Japanese Americans as well. The findings of this study warrant more refined exploration in order to improve the medical, psychological and social outcomes for Asian American women with breast cancer.     

Acculturation, Familism, Parental Monitoring, and Knowledge as Predictors of Marijuana and Inhalant Use in Adolescents.

The authors investigated relationships between marijuana and inhalant use and several cultural and demographic factors in Anglo American and Hispanic American adolescents (N=1,094). Outcome measures assessed lifetime and 30-day marijuana and inhalant use. Predictors and covariates used in logistic regression analyses were region, grade, gender, knowledge, acculturation, familism, and parental monitoring. Hispanic Americans exhibited higher usage across all measures. In this group, high acculturation was associated with low marijuana, but high inhalant, use. Across all participants, positive family relations and parental monitoring were strongly associated with attenuated marijuana use hut only among those most knowledgeable about drugs. Familism and monitoring were not associated with diminished usage among the less knowledgeable. For inhalants, monitoring combined with high knowledge or high familism was associated with diminished usage. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Family Almost Perfect Scale: Development, psychometric properties, and comparing Asian and European Americans.

This article describes two studies related to the development and psychometric evaluation of the Family Almost Perfect Scale (FAPS), which measures the perceived level of perfectionistic standards and evaluation from one's family. In Study 1 (N = 283), exploratory factor analysis was used to determine the FAPS scale items. In Study 2, the FAPS was cross-validated through confirmatory factor analyses with an Asian/Asian American sample (N = 252) and a European American sample (N = 386). These two samples were compared on study variables and Asians/Asian Americans reported modestly higher personal and family discrepancy and lower self-esteem. Participants were also grouped into different perceived perfectionistic family types. Those that perceived having maladaptively perfectionistic families reported greater depression and lower self-esteem. Implications for counseling and future directions for research are also discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Level validity of self-report whole-family measures.

This article introduces an approach to testing the level validity of family assessment instruments (i.e., whether a family instrument measures family functioning at the level of the system it purports to assess). Two parents and 2 adolescents in 69 families rated the warmth in each of their family relationships and in the family as a whole. Family members' ratings of whole-family warmth assessed family functioning not only at the family level (i.e., characteristics of the family as a whole) but also at the individual level of analysis (i.e., characteristics of family members as raters), indicating a lack of level validity. Evidence was provided for the level validity of a latent variable based on family members' ratings of whole-family warmth. The findings underscore the importance of assessing the level validity of individual ratings of whole-family functioning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Archetypal patterns, mental representations, and replicative processes in infancy

This study was designed to identify the expectancies held by Mexican Americans toward the drinking of alcoholic beverages as well as toward excessive drinking. Random samples of 534 Mexican American and 616 non-Hispanic White residents of San José, California and of San Antonio, Texas were interviewed over the telephone. Mexican Americans were found to have unique expectancies toward drinking of alcoholic beverages and toward excessive drinking that differed from those held by non-Hispanic Whites. In addition, Mexican Americans expected the various outcomes in greater proportion than non-Hispanic Whites and the Mexican American respondents classified as high in acculturation tended to respond in a manner similar to that of non-Hispanic White respondents. Multivariate analyses of variance with common (across ethnic groups) factor scales with ethnicity, gender, and drinking status as independent variables showed main effects for drinking status and for ethnicity. The group differences in expectancies identified here support the need for culturally appropriate interventions that target group-specific beliefs.     

Counselor helping model, participant ethnicity and acculturation level, and perceived counselor credibility.

An analogue research design was used to examine the relationships between participant ethnicity, acculturation level, counselor model of helping, and ratings of counselor credibility. A total of 199 community college students (109 Mexican Americans, 90 European Americans) evaluated counselor credibility after being exposed to 1 of 4 counseling vignettes. Evidence was found to support the hypothesis that ethnic background and adherence to cultural norms and behaviors are related to perceptions of counselor expertise and trustworthiness. Results also showed that loss of Mexican culture, rather than the acquisition of North American culture, is associated with less positive perceptions of counselor credibility. Contrary to the cultural barrier theory used to explain underutilization of mental health services among Mexican Americans, these results suggest that aspects of the Mexican culture support the use of counseling services among Mexican Americans. Implications for counselors and suggestions for future research are explored. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Suggestions for psychologists working with Mexican American individuals and families in health care settings.

The number of Mexican Americans in the United States continues to grow at a rapid rate. As these numbers increase, so does the likelihood that Mexican Americans will eventually come into direct contact with the health care system. Mexican Americans with traditional Mexican attitudes, values, and behaviors encounter barriers as they attempt to access medical and rehabilitative care. Issues such as acculturation, language, family, interdependence, attitudes toward authority, and time orientation are some of the areas that may present challenges to rehabilitation staff. Psychologists working in health care facilities who have the cultural competence to intervene effectively with the Mexican American patient can play an important role in helping to remove some of these barriers. Specific suggestions for working with Mexican American patients are offered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Mexican Americans' bilingual ability, counselor bilingualism cues, counselor ethnicity, and perceived counselor credibility.

In a completely crossed, factorial design, 186 Mexican American college students were exposed to a counselor introduction that identified her as either Mexican American or Canadian American, followed by an audiotape-recorded bogus counseling session in which the counselor either spoke English only or English combined with cues of Spanish-speaking ability. After listening to the tape-recorded counseling session, participants rated the counselor's credibility and cross-cultural competence. No effect was found on ratings for counselor language or counselor ethnicity. However, ratings of both counselor credibility and cross-cultural competence were found to be a function of participants' bilingual ability. Combined with evidence of a similar relationship between generation since immigration and ratings of the counselor, these findings suggest that, as Mexican Americans acculturate, their perceptions of counselor credibility and cross-cultural competence diminish. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Individual, family, and peer factors associated with the quality of sibling relationships in families of youths with spina bifida.

Based on a social-ecological theoretical framework, this study sought to identify key individual (attitude toward spina bifida), family (satisfaction with family functioning), and peer (peer support) factors associated with the quality of sibling relationships in families of youths with spina bifida. A cross-sectional sample of 224 siblings of youths with spina bifida, ages 11-18 years, and parents participated. Siblings completed self-report measures of attitude toward spina bifida, satisfaction with family functioning, peer support, and warmth and conflict in their relationships with brothers and sisters with spina bifida. The parent provided information on spina bifida severity and family demographics. Hierarchical regression analyses supported the overall model in explaining variance in sibling-reported relational warmth (Adjusted R2 = .29) and conflict (Adjusted R2 = .17). Satisfaction with family functioning was the only ecological factor consistently associated with warmth and conflict in the sibling relationship. Findings have clinical implications for pathways to support positive sibling interactions in families of youths with spina bifida. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Profiles in Coping: Responses to Sexual Harassment Across Persons, Organizations, and Cultures.

This study explicates the complexity of sexual harassment coping behavior among 4 diverse samples of working women: (a) working-class Hispanic Americans, (b) working-class Anglo Americans, (c) professional Turks, and (d) professional Anglo Americans. K-means cluster analysis revealed 3 common harassment coping profiles: (a) detached, (b) avoidant negotiating, and (c) support seeking. The authors then tested an integrated framework of coping profile determinants, involving social power, stressor severity, social support, and culture. Analysis of variance, chi-square, and discriminant function results identified significant determinants at each of the 4 levels of this ecological model. These findings underscore the importance of focusing on whole patterns of experience--and considering influences at the level of the individual employee and multiple levels of the surrounding context--when studying how women cope with workplace sexual harassment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cultures of Moderation and Expression: Emotional Experience, Behavior, and Physiology in Chinese Americans and Mexican Americans.

Ethnographic accounts suggest that emotions are moderated in Chinese cultures and expressed openly in Mexican cultures. The authors tested this notion by comparing subjective, behavioral, and physiological aspects of emotional responses to 3 (warned, unwarned, instructed to inhibit responding) aversive acoustic startle stimuli in 95 Chinese Americans and 64 Mexican Americans. Subjective reports were consistent with ethnographic accounts; Chinese Americans reported experiencing significantly less emotion than Mexican Americans across all 3 startle conditions. Evidence from a nonemotional task suggested that these differences were not artifacts of cultural differences in the use of rating scales. Few cultural differences were found in emotional behavior or physiology, suggesting that these aspects of emotion are less susceptible to cultural influence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Life stress, maternal optimism, and adolescent competence in single mother, African American families.

Although research demonstrates many negative family outcomes associated with single-parent households, little is known about processes that lead to positive outcomes for these families. Using 3 waves of longitudinal data, we examined how maternal dispositional optimism and life stressors are associated with parenting and child outcomes in 394 single mother African American families. Confirming prior research, we found that mothers' childhood adversities, current economic pressure, and internalizing problems were associated with lower levels of maternal warmth and child management and with lower child school competence. Extending previous studies, we found that maternal optimism was a positive resource, predicting lower levels of maternal internalizing symptoms and higher levels of effective child management and moderating the impact of economic stress on maternal internalizing problems. These findings highlight the need for further investigation of processes and resources that promote positive outcomes for African American mother-headed families and single mother families in general. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Predictors of help seeking for emotional distress among Chinese Americans: Family matters.

Using data from the Chinese American Psychiatric Epidemiological Study, the authors examined longitudinal predictors of help seeking for emotional distress in a community sample of 1,503 Chinese Americans. Specifically, they assessed the relative contribution of family relational variables (e.g., levels of family support and family conflict) in predicting help seeking for medical, mental health, and informal services. After traditional need, predisposing, and enabling factors were controlled for in hierarchical logistic regression analyses, family conflict predicted both mental health and medical service use, whereas family support was not predictive of help seeking. In addition to family conflict, mental health service use was predicted by negative life events, emotional distress, and insurance coverage. Implications of the findings for assessing and treating Asian American clients are explored. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Expanding the concept of acculturation in Mexican American rehabilitation psychology research and practice.

The acculturation process is increasingly being viewed as an important variable that provides a context for understanding Mexican American health disparities. Although rehabilitation psychologists have noted the importance of utilizing acculturation in research and practice, scholars continue to use out-dated conceptualizations and models of acculturation. Objectives: The authors provide a brief overview of current trends in acculturation theory and research. Limitations of current rehabilitation research and how acculturation theory can help explain Mexican American health outcomes are discussed. Finally, recommendations for rehabilitation research and practice are provided. Conclusions: The authors recommend that rehabilitation scholars develop and test theoretical models that incorporate multiple dimensions of acculturation in order to understand how it influences Mexican American health outcomes. Rehabilitation professionals should incorporate acculturation theory and culturally informed interventions into rehabilitation practice with Mexican Americans. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Adolescent sibling relationships in Mexican American families: Exploring the role of familism.

To address a significant gap in the literature on normative processes in minority families, the authors studied adolescents' sibling relationships in two-parent Mexican American families and explored connections between sibling relationship characteristics and familism. Participants were 246 adolescent Mexican American sibling pairs who participated in (a) home interviews during which adolescents described their sibling relationships and familism values and (b) a series of 7 nightly phone calls during which adolescents reported their daily activities, including time spent with siblings and family members. Siblings described their relationships as both intimate and conflictual, and daily activity data revealed that they spent an average of 17.2 hr per 7 days in shared activities. Sibling relationship qualities were linked to familism values and practices, and stronger patterns of association emerged for sisters than brothers. Discussion highlights the significance of studying the processes that underlie within-group variations among families of different cultural backgrounds. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)