Acculturative Stress and Depression in Latinx Youth: Exploring the Roles of Emotion Reactivity and Maternal Attachment

Abstract

Acculturative stress (AS) is a type of stress that emerges from acculturation challenges and is commonly experienced by families of immigrant backgrounds affecting their mental health and well-being. AS is strongly associated with negative emotion and psychological outcomes, including increased depressive symptoms. While previous research has primarily focused on the direct relation between AS and mental health, fewer studies have examined the mechanisms explaining this association or the factors that may buffer its effects. This study utilizes data from 281 Latinx youth (Mage = 11.4; SD = 0.94) to explore the roles of Emotion Reactivity (ER) and Maternal Attachment in the relation between AS and depressive symptoms. ER was tested as a mediator, and maternal attachment dimensions (trust, communication, and alienation) were examined as moderators of the AS and ER link. Mediation analyses showed that ER partially mediated the association between AS and depressive symptoms, with higher AS predicting greater ER, which in turn predicted increased depressive symptoms. Moderation analyses revealed that the strength of the association between AS and ER differed for two of the three maternal attachment dimensions. The AS–ER association was strongest among youth with higher maternal trust and higher maternal communication. Moderated mediation analyses further indicated that the indirect effect of AS on depressive symptoms through ER was significantly moderated by maternal trust, maternal alienation, but not by maternal communication. These findings show how emotion reactivity and specific dimensions of maternal attachment interact to shape the effects of acculturative stress on depressive symptoms among Latinx youth