Parental Academic Socialization, Intergenerational Cultural Conflict, and Depressive Symptoms in Korean American Adolescents

• In Event: Poster Session 14
  In Poster Session: PS 14 Topic - Race, Ethnicity, Culture, Context

Abstract

Asian American adolescents are more likely to suffer from depression than their White counterparts; moreover, within Asian Americans, Korean Americans have higher risks of depression than Chinese, Japanese, and Filipino adolescents with rates up to 40% (Yasui et al., 2018). Research shows that Asian American youth struggle from various mental health problems, despite being commonly referred to as the “model minority” due to their overall high academic achievement (Qin, 2007). It may be that overall positive academic outcomes are achieved at the expense of their psychological well-being. Qualitative research finds high-achieving Asian American youth to report more conflict with parents who have higher educational expectations and exercise more control in academic socialization (Qin, 2008). The acculturation gap-distress theory posits that immigrant youth are more likely to suffer from heightened levels of mental distress because they experience more intergenerational cultural conflict (ICC; Lui, 2015; Kim et al., 2018). However, it is unknown whether and which type of parental academic socialization behavior contributes to ICC, and in turn, youth’s mental distress. Thus, this study examines three forms of parental academic socialization (i.e., parental sacrifice, pressure to succeed, academically-oriented control) to investigate how each behavior predicts ICC, and in turn, depressive symptoms in Korean American adolescents.
Data were drawn from the Midwest Longitudinal Study of Asian American Families. Between 2014 and 2015, Wave 1 data were collected in the Chicago and surrounding Midwest areas with interviews and surveys on 410 Korean American youth (Mage= 14.76, SD=1.91; 48.30% female; 58.29% U.S.-born). Participants were recruited via phonebooks, school rosters, and church or temple rosters. Most adolescents came from highly educated middle-income families. Adolescents’ self-reports for measures on parental sacrifice, pressure to succeed, academically-oriented control, ICC, and depressive symptoms were used for analyses. Adolescents’ demographic information, including age, gender, and nativity, as well as their school performance (i.e., GPA) were included as covariates.
Descriptive statistics and bivariate correlations of the study variables are presented in Table 1. Path analysis within a structural equation modeling framework was conducted using Mplus 8.1 (Muthén & Muthén, 2017). Parental sacrifice, pressure to succeed, and academically-oriented control were specified to predict ICC, and in turn, depressive symptoms. Results demonstrated that pressure to succeed and academically-oriented control positively related to ICC, whereas parental sacrifice linked to lower levels of ICC. ICC, in turn, was positively associated with depressive symptoms (See Table 2 for direct and indirect effects). Future analyses will involve examining the potential moderating role of adolescent gender for the hypothesized relations.
Our results highlight that adolescents whose parents exert more pressure and control on their child’s education experience higher levels of parent-child cultural conflict, while perceived parental sacrifice for child’s education is a promotive factor for lower levels of cultural conflict. The study also aligns with previous research in that ICC is a risk factor for depressive symptoms. By identifying predictors and mechanisms leading to depressive symptoms in Korean American adolescents, our study can inform preventive interventions targeting parental academic socialization behaviors to promote healthy family relationships and psychological well-being.

Authors

• Hyunkyung Lee, Texas State University
  Presenting Author

• Yishan Shen, Texas State University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Yoonsun Choi, University of Chicago
  Non-Presenting Author