Examining Ethnic Identity Commitment in Latina Mother-Daughter Dyads and its Relation to Daughters’ Depressive Symptoms

• In Event: Poster Session 08
  In Poster Session: PS 08 Topic - Race, Ethnicity, Culture, Context

Abstract

Introduction

Ethnic identity commitment, an important component of ethnic identity, includes feelings of belonging and attachment to an ethnic group (Phinney, 1992). In Latinx samples, past studies have found that ethnic identity commitment develops within a familial context and may buffer the effect discrimination has on depressive symptoms (Torres & Ong, 2010; Umaña-Taylor & Fine 2004). Mothers, in particular, may play a critical role in adolescent girls’ development of ethnic identity commitment (Halgunseth et al., 2019). Given its protective nature, it is important to understand conditions in which ethnic identity commitment serves as a protective factor of depressive symptoms for Latina girls. In a sample of Latina mother-adolescent dyads, the present study seeks to examine whether differences in ethnic identity commitment (EC) between mothers and daughters are associated with daughters’ depressive symptoms.

Methods

Participants included 106 mother-daughter Latina dyads (88% Puerto Rican). Mean ages of mothers and daughters were 39.9 (SD = 7.9) and 15.4 (SD = 1.1), respectively. Ethnic identity commitment (EC) was measured using the 5-item subscale from the MEIM (Phinney, 1992), and internal consistency for mothers was α =.80 and for daughters α = .75. Both mothers and daughters reported on daughters’ depressive symptoms. Mothers’ reports of daughters’ depressive symptoms were measured using the BASC-2 (Reynolds & Kamphaus, 2004; α =.89); and daughters self- reported on their depressive symptoms using the Adolescent Psychopathology Scale (APS; Reynolds, 1998, α =.89).

Results and Discussion

Findings revealed that 16% of mothers and 18% of daughters reported depressive symptoms in the clinically significant range. EC scores for mothers and daughters were not correlated, indicating low within-dyad similarity. Daughters EC was inversely related to the APS (r = -.25) and BASC-2 (r = -.19), indicating that girls with higher EC reported lower depressive symptoms and were viewed by their mothers as less depressed. These findings are consistent with evidence of EC as a psychological resource (Torres & Ong, 2010).

Two significant two-way interactions were found between maternal EC and daughter EC on daughters’ depressive symptoms (see Table 1). Daughters’ symptoms were the lowest when both mothers and daughters reported high EC and highest when both reported low EC. This was true regardless of informant on symptoms. However, results suggested that the inverse association between adolescent EC and daughters’ symptoms varied based on maternal EC and informant (mother vs. daughter) on daughters’ symptoms (see Figure 1). Specifically, this pattern of interactions suggests that: (1) when mothers reported high EC but daughters reported low EC, mothers described daughters as experiencing more symptoms then they actually were; and (2) when mothers reported low EC but daughters reported high EC, mothers may have not been cognizant of their daughters’ symptoms. Thus, the extent to which Latina daughters’ EC may protect against depression may be qualified by family EC context (De Los Reyes, 2013). Mental health interventions should consider discrepancies in Latina mother and daughter EC and how cultural factors may act as psychological resource when treating Latina adolescents.

Authors

• Michelle Miller, University of Connecticut
  Presenting Author

• Stephanie Milan, University of Connecticut
  Non-Presenting Author

• Linda C. Halgunseth, Michigan State University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Vanessa Esquivel, University of Connecticut
  Non-Presenting Author