Familism from multiple perspectives: Associations between stress, familism, and child adjustment among Mexican-origin families

• In Event: 1-185 - Understanding the Impact of Sociocultural factors on Latino youth’s Mental Health and Academic Achievement

Integrative Statement

Latino immigrant families are at risk for experiencing numerous stressors including economic stress, acculturative stress, discrimination, exposure to trauma, and fears related to undocumented status (Yoshikawa et al., 2017). Research has demonstrated the deleterious effects of stress on child adjustment (e.g., Evans & Kim, 2013). Despite this context of stress, research has suggested that familism that may promote positive development for Latino children (Hernández & Bámaca-Colbert, 2016). Familism is characterized by attachment to the family including loyalty, reciprocity, and solidarity, as well as valuing close and supportive relationships (Sabogal et al., 1987). Previous research has demonstrated that familism is associated with positive mental health and positive ethnic identity among Latino youth (Santiago & Wadsworth, 2011; Kiang & Fuligni, 2009; Stein et al., 2017). Still, research on familism has largely focused on parent and adolescent perspectives, and there is an existing need to examine how familism manifests in children (Stein et al., 2014). Research suggests that familism values may differ across parents and children and that these values shift across development (Stein et al., 2014; Stein & Polo, 2014). Thus, the current study examines both parent and child familism values and the link to child mental health functioning and ethnic identity. We hypothesize that stress will be linked with worse outcomes, while both child and parent familism will be linked to fewer symptoms and more positive identity.

Participants were 97 children (59% female; mean age = 9.56) and their primary caregivers (99% mothers). All primary caregivers identified as Latina, with 88.7% born in Mexico. The majority of children (97.9%) were US-born. Data for this study were drawn from the third time-point of a longitudinal study as this assessment included child reports of familism and ethnic identity. Families were recruited from local churches, schools, and community centers in a large Midwestern city. Eligibility criteria for participation included a total family income at or below 150% of the federal poverty line and at least one Mexican immigrant parent. Parents completed measures of attitudinal familism (Gil, Wagner, & Vega, 2000) and reported on their child’s internalizing/externalizing symptoms (CBCL; Achenbach & Rescorla, 2001). Children provided reports of familism (Gil, Wagner, & Vega, 2000) as well as anxiety (RCMAS; Reynolds & Richmond, 1985, 2000) and depression symptoms (CDI; Kovacs, 1978). Additionally, children were asked to provide a self-label of ethnicity and rate their positive affect associated with their ethnicity consistent with approaches for younger children used by Brown and colleagues (Brown et al., 2010; Brown & Chu, 2012).

Multiple regression analyses revealed that both child familism and parent familism were independently related to fewer child-reported depression and child-reported anxiety. Stress was positively linked to parent-reported child internalizing symptoms, while parent familism was associated with fewer externalizing symptoms. Stress and child familism were also linked to ethnic identity. Results suggest the importance of assessing both parent and child familism. Additional analyses will explore differences in parent and child reports of familism as these reports were not correlated (r = .15, p = .14).

Authors

• Catherine DeCarlo Santiago, Loyola University Chicago
  Presenting Author

• Anna M. Ros, Loyola University Chicago
  Non-Presenting Author

• Yvita Bustos, Loyola University Chicago
  Non-Presenting Author