Different Effects of Acculturative Stress and Family Life Stress on Depressive Symptoms among Married Vietnamese Immigrant Women in South Korea

Married Vietnamese immigrant women often face multiple stressors related to sociocultural adaptation and new family lives in South Korea. The purpose of this paper is to identify the different influences of acculturative and family life stress on depressive symptoms among Vietnamese immigrant wives. Data were collected through a questionnaire survey of 301 married Vietnamese immigrant women residing in South Korea. The study utilized linear regression analysis to test the relationships between the variables. The findings show that both acculturative and family life stress are positively related to depressive symptoms. Family life stress influences depressive symptoms to a greater extent than acculturative stress. The study emphasizes the significance of family‐related stress on mental health among married Vietnamese immigrant women in Korea and provides some implications for research, clinical practice, and policy.     

Adolescent Weight and Depressive Symptoms: For Whom is Weight a Burden?*

Objective. Adolescent weight and depressive symptoms are serious population health concerns in their own right and as they relate to each other. This study asks whether relationships between weight and depressive symptoms vary by sex and race/ethnicity because both shape experiences of weight and psychological distress. Methods. Results are based on multivariate analyses of National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) data. Results. There are no associations between adolescent girls' weight and depressive symptoms, but these associations vary considerably among boys. Underweight is associated with depressive symptoms among all boys and subpopulations of white and Hispanic boys. Among Hispanic boys, those who are overweight (vs. normal weight) have a lower probability of reporting depressive symptoms. Finally, among normal weight boys, Hispanics and blacks are more likely to report depressive symptoms than whites. Conclusions. Findings are a reminder that understanding population health issues sometimes requires a focus on subpopulations, not simply the population as a whole.     

Contributing Factors of Depressive Symptoms Among Elderly Korean Immigrants in Texas

This study examined various life stresses associated with relocation that may contribute to depressive symptoms among Korean immigrant elders in Texas. A sample of 120 elders was assessed using the Geriatric Depression Scale–Short Form and a 90-min face-to-face interview. Over 1/3 of respondents (37.5%) had symptoms of depression. Regression analyses (R² = .331) indicate that self-rated health, stressful life events, English language proficiency, satisfaction of visiting one's birth place, and watching TV were correlates of depressive symptoms among them. The findings of this observational study may be used as a baseline for designing service program for this population.     

Job stress,daily stress,and depressive symptoms among low-wage workers in Korea: the role of resilience

This study examined the effects of job stress and daily stress on depressive symptoms and the role of resilience as a moderator among low-wage workers in South Korea. Using purposive sampling, we analysed 254 low-wage workers of private-sector organisations in Seoul and Gyeong-gi province. Results indicated that age, self-rated health, job stress, and daily stress were significant predictors of depressive symptoms, and the moderating effect of resilience was significant only for the relationship between daily stress and depressive symptoms. Findings suggest the significance of using different approaches to manage job stress and daily stress, which in turn will affect low-wage workers’ mental health.     

Fitting in: the roles of social acceptance and discrimination in shaping the daily psychological well-being of Latino youth

Objectives: We examine how acculturation experiences such as discrimination and social acceptance influence the daily psychological well-being of Latino youth living in newly emerging and historical receiving immigrant communities. Methods: We use data on 557 Latino youth enrolled in high school in Los Angeles or in rural or urban North Carolina. Results: Compared to Latino youth in Los Angeles, Latino youth in urban and rural North Carolina experienced higher levels of daily happiness, but also experienced higher levels of daily depressive and anxiety symptoms. Differences in nativity status partially explained location differences in youths’ daily psychological well-being. Discrimination and daily negative ethnic treatment worsened, whereas social acceptance combined with daily positive ethnic treatment and ethnic and family identification improved, daily psychological well-being. Conclusions: Our analysis contributes to understanding the acculturation experiences of immigrant youth and the roles of social context in shaping adolescent mental health.     

Risk and Protective Factors for Depressive Symptoms Among Indigenous Older Adults: Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) and Social Support

Research on depression and intimate partner violence (IPV) experienced by Indigenous older adults is virtually nonexistent. Given the associations between IPV and depression and their disproportionately high rates among Indigenous peoples in a context of historical oppression, the purpose of this inquiry is to examine how IPV and social support are associated with depressive symptoms for Indigenous older adults. We expand the knowledge base on IPV in later life, which primarily focuses on female samples, by including older men. We predicted: (a) IPV will be positively associated with depressive symptoms and (b) levels of social support will be negatively associated with depressive symptoms. Hierarchical regression analyses of data from a sample of Indigenous older adults (N = 233) in the Upper Midwest indicated that physical aggression (but not psychological aggression, sexual coercion, injury, or negotiation) was positively associated with depressive symptoms, whereas social support was negatively associated with depressive symptoms.     

Life stress, social support, coping and depressive symptoms: a comparison between the general population and family caregivers

Major depression is one of the four most prevalent psychiatric diseases in Taiwan. Furthermore, a study showed that 45 per cent of the family caregivers of persons with persistent psychiatric disability were at risk of depression. The present study aimed at examining if caregivers experienced more depressive symptoms than the general population while controlling for other variables (direct effect), and if the constellation of correlates of depressive symptoms was different between the general population and caregivers (interaction effect). Data from 1979 subjects were gathered in a national survey, using stratified random sampling. The results revealed that the caregivers experienced significantly more depressive symptoms than the general population. However, the effect disappeared when other variables were taken into account. Life stress appeared to be more important than coping and social support. The other two common correlates of depressive symptoms were age and being unmarried. Relational stress mattered especially for caregivers. Lastly, social support variables were significant only for the general population; satisfaction with support could buffer the negative effect of survival stress on depressive symptoms.     

Impact of Having a First Child on Maternal Depressive Symptoms: Does the Birth of a Mother's First Baby Increase Symptoms of Depression in the Mother?

Previous studies on the impact of having a first child on a mother's psychological well‐being has not been extensively examined in Korea. The present study aims to understand how having a first child is associated with a first‐time mother's depressive symptoms when compared with their childless counterparts. A sample of 140 women aged 20–40 years, married, and childless in wave 1 of the Korean National Welfare Panel Study (KOWEPS) was selected. The depressive symptoms of women who became mothers between wave 1 and wave 2 of the study and those who remained childless were compared using CES‐D. Two different types of analytical methods (i.e. pooled OLS, fixed effects model) were employed. The results consistently indicated that Korean mothers were more depressed after the birth of the first child than wives without a child. Employment status and satisfaction of social relationship were associated with women's depression in the fixed effect model. The consistent finding that shows a negative association between having a first child and maternal depressive symptoms provides empirical grounds for the development of prevention and intervention programs for first‐time mothers. Implications of the study findings are discussed.     

Child maltreatment,maladaptive cognitive schemas,and perceptions of social support among young women care leavers

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the associations between child maltreatment, cognitive schemas of disconnection/rejection reported in emerging adulthood, and social support perceived in emerging adulthood among young women who have exited placements in residential care. The sample is derived from a longitudinal study conducted with 132 young women who had been placed in residential care during adolescence in Montreal (Canada) in 2008–2009. The present study relied solely on the last measurement wave of this study, which was conducted approximately 5 years (2012–2014) after Wave 1. At this time, participants were out of residential care (mean age = 19.4 years). Results showed that the more severe the retrospective accounts of child maltreatment were, the less social support young women perceived as available to them in emerging adulthood. When the tendency to endorse disconnection/rejection schemas is considered, the direct connection between maltreatment and perceived social support disappears, and we instead see an indirect relationship through these schemas. Findings suggest that programs and services must go beyond identifying social‐support networks for young women care leavers. Considerable effort should be devoted to helping these young women develop the skills they need to build and maintain trusting relationships with significant people around them.     

Intergenerational Conflict,Attitudinal Familism,and Depressive Symptoms Among Asian and Hispanic Adolescents in Immigrant Families: A Latent Variable Interaction Analysis

ABSTRACT

Research has shown an association between intergenerational conflict (IC) due to acculturation and negative mental health outcomes, including depressive symptoms, among Asian and Hispanic adolescents from immigrant families. Using the data from the first survey of the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study, which included a culturally diverse sample of second-generation immigrant children, this study examines whether attitudinal familism (AF) moderates the effect of IC on depressive symptoms among Asian and Hispanic adolescents. Latent variable interaction models involving multiple-group comparisons were established. Results show that there is a significant buffering effect (b = –.05, p < .001). Specifically, a high level of AF is generally associated with fewer depressive symptoms compared with a low level of AF. These findings may inform the development of social service programs that aim to reduce IC by exposing immigrant adolescents to more traditional cultural values. Future research implications are discussed.     

Autonomy and relatedness in early adolescent friendships as predictors of short‐ and long‐term academic success

This study examined early adolescent autonomy and relatedness during disagreements with friends as key social competencies likely to predict academic achievement during the transition to high school and academic attainment into early adulthood. A sample of 184 adolescents was followed through age 29 to assess predictions to academic success from observed autonomy and relatedness during a disagreement task with a close friend. Observed autonomy and relatedness at age 13 predicted relative increases in grade point average (GPA) from 13 to 15, and greater academic attainment by age 29, after accounting for baseline GPA. Findings remained after accounting for peer acceptance, social competence, scholastic competence, externalizing and depressive symptoms, suggesting a key role for autonomy, and relatedness during disagreements in helping adolescents navigate challenges in the transition to high school and beyond.     

The Continuing Consequences of Segregation: Family Stress and College Academic Performance*

Objectives. We seek to determine whether the high levels of African‐American residential segregation experienced have continuing academic consequences. Because segregation works to concentrate poverty and the social problems associated with it, the friends and relatives of African‐American students face an elevated risk of stressful life events, which undermine grade performance. Methods. We use data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Freshmen to measure the frequency with which members of students' social networks experienced stressful events during their freshman and sophomore years of college, comparing whites, Asians, Latinos, and African Americans from integrated neighborhoods with those coming from segregated neighborhoods. Results. African‐American students from segregated neighborhoods experience higher levels of family stress than others. This stress is largely a function of violence and disorder in segregated neighborhoods. Students respond by devoting more time to family issues and their health and grades suffer as a result. Conclusions. Racial segregation is a structural feature of U.S. society that has continuing power to undermine the academic achievement of students long after they have seemingly left segregated living behind.     

Latino Adolescents' Community Violence Exposure: After‐school Activities and Familismo as Risk and Protective Factors

Low‐income, urban adolescents are exposed to extremely high rates of witnessing and being victimized by community violence. Such violence exposure presents serious implications for youth's development and psychological well‐being. In a sample of 223 ninth‐grade Latino adolescents, we examine: (1) what types of after‐school activity participation increase or reduce adolescents' risk for violence exposure and (2) the role of the cultural value of familismo in moderating the impact of violence exposure on adolescents' psychological well‐being. Our results indicate that spending unstructured leisure time with peers and participating in non‐school sports and non‐school clubs were associated with higher levels of community violence exposure, whereas adhering to the cultural value of familismo was associated with lower levels of violence exposure. Additionally, familismo moderated the positive association between violence exposure and depressive symptoms, but not posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. Implications of these results are discussed.     

A Comparison of Rural and Urban Older Adults in Iowa on Specific Markers of Successful Aging

This study examines the differences between rural and urban older adults on level of life satisfaction and depressive symptoms, focusing on the effect of social support. Data were collected through structured interviews at senior centers and senior meal sites in eastern and southeastern Iowa. The Duke Social Support Index (DSSI), the Life Satisfaction Index-Z (LSI-Z), and the Geriatric Depression Scale 15 (GDS15) were used. Correlations (Pearson's r), independent sample t-tests, and multiple regression were computed. Findings indicated that urban residents reported more depressive symptoms, as compared to rural residents. Subjective level of social support was a stronger predictor of life satisfaction and was more negatively related to depressive symptoms among rural than among urban older adults. Results suggest that social workers who work with aging people need to be aware of rural–urban differences in mental health. Furthermore, social workers need to have knowledge of older adults' social networks and work to ensure greater opportunity for social interaction.     

Residential Patterns of Black Immigrants and Native‐Born Blacks in the United States*

Objective. Although high levels of black‐white residential segregation have long been observed, relatively little is known about the residential patterns of black immigrants. This analysis examines the role of nativity and Hispanic ethnicity for the residential patterns of blacks in the United States. Methods. This article uses data from the 2000 Census to calculate dissimilarity indexes and conduct regression analyses. Results. We find differences in the extent of segregation of blacks from whites, with Hispanic blacks and non‐Hispanic black immigrants exhibiting higher levels of segregation from whites than U.S.‐born non‐Hispanic blacks. Conclusions. The strength of nativity and socioeconomic status provides some support for spatial assimilation theory. Metropolitan context also plays a role in explaining residential patterns: one reason foreign and Hispanic blacks are very segregated from whites is that they tend to reside in metropolitan areas where black‐white segregation has generally been high. Despite the role of these factors, race itself remains of great importance in explaining residential patterns, as segregation from whites is high among all black subgroups.     

Influence of positive development opportunities on student well-being,depression and suicide risk: the New Zealand Youth Health and Well-being Survey 2012

This study explores the association between neighbourhood opportunities for Positive Youth Development (PYD) and adolescent depressive symptoms, well-being and suicide risk. A 2-stage random sample of 8500 students(years 9–13) from 91 high schools from throughout New Zealand was collected in 2012. Analyses were restricted to neighbourhoods with more than 10 students resulting in a final sample of 5191 adolescents within 266 neighbourhoods. Multilevel models linked data from neighbourhoods to individual student data to explore the association between neighbourhood opportunities for PYD and student depressive symptoms, well-being and suicide risk. Neighbourhoods with a high proportion of students involved in activities that help others, attend church groups, or participate in sports teams were associated with significantly increased well-being among students living in these neighbourhoods. No neighbourhood-level measures were found to significantly alter rates of depressive symptoms or suicide risk. Findings suggest that providing neighbourhood opportunities for PYD may enhance adolescent well-being.     

Interaction between adoptive mothers’ and fathers’ depressive symptoms in risk for children’s emerging problem behavior

The effect of parental depression on children's adjustment has been well documented, with exposure during early childhood particularly detrimental. Most studies that examine links between parental depression and child behavior are confounded methodologically because they focus on parents raising children who are genetically related to them. Another limitation of most prior research is a tendency to focus only on the effects of maternal depression while ignoring the influence of fathers’ depression. The purpose of this study was to examine whether infants’ exposure to both parents’ depressive symptoms, and inherited risk from birth mother internalizing symptoms, was related to school age children's externalizing and internalizing problems. Study data come from a longitudinal adoption study of 561 adoptive parents, biological mothers, and adopted children. Adoptive fathers’ depressive symptoms during infancy contributed independent variance to the prediction of children's internalizing symptoms and also moderated associations between adoptive mothers’ depressive symptoms and child externalizing symptoms.     

Depressive Symptoms and Economic Outcomes of Low-Income Women: A Review of the Social Causation, Social Selection, and Interactionist Hypotheses

We review research that connects depression and depressive symptoms to employment and economic factors for low-income women. Women who have low incomes and are unemployed or underemployed are vulnerable to mental health distress. The strain of balancing work and family life can be exacerbated by poor psychological health or nonsufficient economic resources. Research on the barriers that impede self-sufficiency can lead to policies that improve the economic and psychological health of low-income populations.
The discussion is framed by contrasting evidence for three theoretical perspectives: the social causation, social selection, and interactionist (bidirectional) hypotheses. The only causal relation reported is an effect of increased income on reduced depressive symptoms. Yet strong associations are found among psychological distress, earnings, employment stability, income, and job characteristics. The effects of programs to increase employment and the benefits of (and barriers to) depression treatment are also discussed. A bidirectional or interactionist perspective best conceptualizes the relationship between depression and economic factors. The reported negative effects of both poor mental well-being and low-quality employment suggest the need for stronger policies in the areas of mental health and work supports. We present policy recommendations addressing mental health treatment and outreach, employment placement, and workplace flexibility.     

COVID-19 pandemic and the determinants of depressive symptoms among senior citizens of India: An empirical investigation

The COVID-19 pandemic inflicted multiple threats to individuals' physical, mental, and financial health conditions. The pandemic-related restrictive behaviors pose serious consequences for public health and increase the risk of mental illness among individuals, particularly among older citizens. The combination of their pre-existing illnesses, social isolation, COVID fear, and financial adversity frequently aggravates their condition and leads to depression and mental illness. Thus, the present study investigates the mental health status and the determinants of depressive symptoms among older adults of Bhubaneswar during the COVID pandemic context. The study used the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) to measure their depressive symptoms. The social isolation parameter is measured with the De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale. Financial self-efficacy, COVID-19-related psychological fear, and comorbidity health status are other determinants considered. A chi-square test and multinomial logistic regression (MLR) models are adopted to find the probable risk factors that may influence depressive symptoms among older people. The results indicate that comorbidity health conditions, a social isolation mindset, and financial efficacy issues are the significant determinants that drive an older person towards different depression categories. The improvement of these influential factors can lead senior citizens to avoid any health emergency like COVID pandemic. In the event of a public health emergency, such as COVID pandemic, the government could use the study's findings to devise methods for assisting the elderly. Society as a whole should be aware of these findings, which can lead to depressive symptoms, and offer support to the elderly. Future research may concentrate on identifying the causes of depressive symptoms in different age groups or in the presence of specific comorbidity health conditions. Future research may also investigate the factors influencing depressive symptoms in a specific occupation.     

Results of an Intervention to Reduce Perinatal Depression Among Low-Income Minority Women in Community Primary Care

Abstract

With little past research on interventions to reduce perinatal depression among minority women, we tested a multicomponent psychosocial intervention that spanned the puerperium. We recruited 187 low-income African American and Hispanic women from three innercity community health centers. Women with depressive symptoms were randomly assigned to a multicomponent psychosocial intervention or to the usual health center social services. The two intervention conditions were equally effective in reducing depression. Lack of difference may be due to the similarity of the two treatment conditions and logistical barriers in delivering full “doses” of the specialized intervention. Continued research to identify characteristics of effective interventions during pregnancy and postpartum is recommended.