Transactional experiences of discrimination, depressive symptoms, and ethnoracial socialization in Mexican-origin families
Transactional experiences of discrimination, depressive symptoms, and ethnoracial socialization in Mexican-origin families

Transactional experiences of discrimination, depressive symptoms, and ethnoracial socialization in Mexican-origin families

Dev Psychol. 2024 Oct 31. doi: 10.1037/dev0001887. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Racial-ethnic discrimination is a prevalent stressor for Mexican-origin individuals that potentiates health inequities in depressive symptoms. However, existing research has primarily focused on individual-level associations between discrimination and depressive symptoms, neglecting the interdependent nature within family systems. Little is known about how one family member’s discriminatory experiences relate to the depressive symptoms of others. Although ethnoracial socialization may disrupt the link from discrimination to depressive symptoms, how different ethnoracial socialization practices operate and influence parents themselves have not been examined. This study examines the associations among discriminatory experiences, depressive symptoms, and ethnoracial socialization among 604 Mexican-origin adolescents and their parents from low-income families. The findings revealed intraindividual and interindividual discrimination-depressive symptoms associations. Parental ethnoracial socialization’s role in the link varied over time, individuals, and practices. Mental health research and services should consider shared and nonshared experiences among family members and adopt personalized approaches to support different family members. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

PMID:39480304 | DOI:10.1037/dev0001887