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

• Published in: American 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
• Language: English
• 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
• DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2008.137091
• ISSN: 0090-0036

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.