Acculturative Stress, Anxiety, and Depression in Latinx Youth: The Role of Behavioral Inhibition, Cultural Values, and Active Coping

Research highlights distinct temperamental, cultural, and behavioral characteristics that may contribute to the differential experience and impact of acculturative stress in Latinx youth. The current study aims to explain the risk of developing anxiety and depression by clarifying how acculturative stress interacts with individual temperamental (behavioral inhibition), cultural (values), and behavioral (active coping) characteristics in a sample of 161 Latinx youth. Main analyses included a separate hierarchical linear regression for each potential moderating variable with anxiety and depression as the outcome variable. Results indicated a significant and positive relationship between acculturative stress, anxiety, and depression. Furthermore, active coping moderated the relationship between acculturative stress and depression, such that higher levels of active coping resulted in a stronger relationship between acculturative stress and depression than at lower levels. Findings from the current study make advancements towards an understanding of individual characteristics that interact with the experience of acculturative stress, anxiety, and depression.