Research Paper Summaries
In-depth Studies and Scholarly Contributions by Dr. Su Yeong Kim
Cultural Stress, Parenting Practices, and Mental Health Among Mexican-Origin Mothers and Adolescents: A Dyadic Approach
Summary: This study by Yan et al. (2025) investigates the effects of cultural stress on mental health as well as on parenting behavior in Mexican-origin mother–adolescent dyads based on a two-wave longitudinal design with an actor partner interdependence mediation model (APIMeM). Based on the Family Stress Model and Family Systems Theory, researchers explored individual ("actor") and reciprocal ("partner") effects of cultural stress on mental health as well as on parenting. There were 595 mother-adolescent pairs (Mage = 38 for mothers, Mage = 12 for adolescents) who were predominantly low-income residents in Central Texas. Cultural stress as a multidimensional construct consisting of ethnic discrimination, group discrimination, cultural estrangement, and foreigner stress was theorized. Parenting was measured in terms of maternal warmth and hostility, each rated by the mother and adolescent, respectively. Major findings showed that in Wave 1 (W1), cultural strain in mothers and adolescents significantly predicted poor mental health outcomes (depressive and anxiety symptoms) in Wave 2 (W2), mediated through negative parenting styles such as maternal hostility. Teens with lower maternal warmth or higher hostility in Wave 1 were found to manifest high levels of mental health issues in the long run. Conversely, mothers with higher cultural strain also exhibited higher hostile parenting, correlating with worsening maternal mental health. Interestingly, while systematic actor effects were strong, partner effects were confined. Importantly, mothers’ cultural stress had an indirect impact on adolescents’ mental health through adolescent-perceived hostility, yet adolescents’ stress had no significant impact on mothers’ mental health, potentially due to under-reporting of discriminatory experiences. This research emphasizes the two-way interaction between parent-child interaction and mental health and focuses on cultural stress as a significant risk predictor in families. Family-based interventions aimed at cultural stressors, warm parent-child interaction, and mental health are recommended among immigrant populations.
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