Pathways and Correlates Connecting Latinos' Mental Health With Exposure to the United States

We examined potential pathways by which time in the United States may relate to differences in the predicted probability of past-year psychiatric disorder among Latino immigrants as compared with US-born Latinos. We estimated predicted probabilities of psychiatric disorder for US-born and immigrant...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inAmerican journal of public health (1971) Vol. 99; no. 12; pp. 2247 - 2254
Main Authors Cook, Benjamin, Alegria, Margarita, Lin, Julia Y, Guo, Jing
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Washington, DC Am Public Health Assoc 01.12.2009
American Public Health Association
Subjects
Acculturation
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Anxiety disorders
Biological and medical sciences
Citizenship
Culture
Economic opportunities
Education
Emigrants and Immigrants - psychology
Female
Hispanic Americans
Hispanic Americans - psychology
Hispanic people
Humans
Hypotheses
Immigrants
Immigration
Male
Marital status
Medical sciences
Mental disorders
Mental Disorders - epidemiology
Mental Health
Mental health care
Middle Aged
Miscellaneous
Noncitizens
Psychopathology
Public health
Public health. Hygiene
Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine
Research and Practice
Time Factors
United States - epidemiology
Variables
Young Adult
United States
North America
America
United States > US
Human
Exposure
Latinamerican
Ethnic group
Public health
Mental health
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Summary:We examined potential pathways by which time in the United States may relate to differences in the predicted probability of past-year psychiatric disorder among Latino immigrants as compared with US-born Latinos. We estimated predicted probabilities of psychiatric disorder for US-born and immigrant groups with varying time in the United States, adjusting for different combinations of covariates. We examined 6 pathways by which time in the United States could be associated with psychiatric disorders. Increased time in the United States is associated with higher risk of psychiatric disorders among Latino immigrants. After adjustment for covariates, differences in psychiatric disorder rates between US-born and immigrant Latinos disappear. Discrimination and family cultural conflict appear to play a significant role in the association between time in the United States and the likelihood of developing psychiatric disorders. Increased perceived discrimination and family cultural conflict are pathways by which acculturation might relate to deterioration of mental health for immigrants. Future studies assessing how these implicit pathways evolve as contact with US culture increases may help to identify strategies for ensuring maintenance of mental health for Latino immigrants.
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Peer Reviewed
B. Cook originated the study and led study conceptualization, study design, and all aspects of writing the article. M. Alegría and J. Y. Lin assisted with conceptualization and design of the study, and they assisted with drafting the article. M. Alegría, J. Y. Lin, and J. Guo contributed to analysis and interpretation of the data. Statistical expertise was provided by J. Y. Lin. All of the authors reviewed drafts and contributed to critical revisions of the article.
Contributors
ISSN:0090-0036
1541-0048
DOI:10.2105/AJPH.2008.137091