Poster #175 - Effects of Family Factors and Parent Citizenship Status with Depressive Symptoms Among Second-generation Immigrant Adolescents

• In Event: 2-055 - Poster Session 06
  In Poster Session: PS 06 Section - Race, Ethnicity, Culture, Context

Integrative Statement

Currently, one in four children in the US are children of immigrants: By 2050, this number is expected to be one in three (Passel, 2011). With increasing numbers of children of immigrants, it has become imperative to examine mental health outcomes among immigrant descendants. Limited studies have examined family factors and social determinant factors on mental health among immigrant adolescents. Adverse mental health outcomes among youth have critical implications across the life course including educational attainment and physical and mental health into adulthood (Case, et al., 2005). Citizenship status is a critical dimension of stratification connected to a shifting hierarchy of entitlements and privileges in the US (Oropresa, Landale, & Hillemeir, 2015). Compared to citizens, non-citizens typically face additional barriers to maintaining health and well-being (e.g., discrimination, limited economic resources) (Joo & Kim, 2013). Parent citizenship status, as a social determinant of health, has been positively associated with children’s well-being (Huang, Stella, & Ledsky, 2006; Landale, Hardie, Oropresa, & Hillemeir, 2015). Additionally, family factors including parent-child quality of relationship and family cohesion have been found to be protective of adolescent mental health (Branje, Hale, Frijns, & Meeus, 2010; Herman, Ostrander, & Tucker, 2007). However, the effects of family factors and parent citizenship status on depressive symptoms among second-generation immigrant adolescents have not previously been simultaneously examined.

We examined associations between family factors (i.e., parent-child quality relationship, family cohesion), parent citizenship status, and depressive symptoms among second-generation immigrant adolescents (range: 16 to 19 years old). Data are from the second wave of the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study with the sample comprised of parent-adolescent dyads (N=2,324). The following covariates were included: gender, grade level, youth employment, time in the US, family situation, stressful family events, region/country of origin, bilingual language use, and English knowledge. Youth reported relatively high levels of parent-child quality relationship and family cohesion and more than half (51.6%) of adolescents had a citizen parent. Better family relationships (p<0.01) and stronger family cohesion (p<0.01) were inversely associated with depressive symptoms. Additionally, a positive association (p<0.05) was estimated between adolescents with a citizen parent and depressive symptoms. These results suggest that positive family relationships have a protective effect on depressive symptoms among adolescents at this critical stage of development. Furthermore, parents with citizenship status had an adverse effect on depressive symptoms beyond the effect of family factors and other covariates. Potential explanations of the counter-intuitive finding may be due to the time and context (mid 1990s) of the study, which took place prior to the enactment of federal policies in 1996 (e.g., PWORA), which adversely affected immigrant families and their descendants to access to federal benefits and ultimately, affecting their health. We will discuss potential implications of the counter-intuitive finding of parent citizenship status on adolescent depressive symptoms. The implications of family dynamics as a salient factor for depressive symptoms among second-generation immigrant adolescents will also be discussed.

Authors

• Kazumi Tsuchiya, University of Michigan
  Presenting Author

• Amy J Schulz, University of Michigan
  Non-Presenting Author

• Kai Cortina, University of Michigan
  Non-Presenting Author

• Ann Lin, University of Michigan
  Non-Presenting Author

• Cleopatra Howard Caldwell, University of Michigan
  Non-Presenting Author