Acculturative Stress and Latino Depression: The Mediating Role of Behavioral and Cognitive Resources

Although research has found that acculturative stress is significantly associated with adverse psychological adjustment among Latinos, the mechanism by which this relationship exists is not clearly understood. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of behavioral and cognitive resources—active coping and self-efficacy, respectively—as mediators of the relationship between acculturative stress and depression among a sample of Latina/o adults (N = 469). Multiple mediator analysis indicated that active coping partially mediated the relationship between acculturative stress and depression symptom severity. The indirect relationship of acculturative stress to depression symptom severity through self-efficacy was not significant. The results suggest that acculturative stress directly relates to Latino psychological adjustment, and lower behavioral active coping partially accounts for this relationship. Results are discussed in the context of culturally based stress and coping models, wherein the relationship between stressors and subsequent psychological adjustment is influenced by the degree of fit between stressor demands and individuals’ resources. Implications for treatment and theory are discussed

Discrimination, Acculturation, Acculturative Stress, and Latino Psychological Distress: A Moderated-Mediational Model

Prior research has found that perceived discrimination is associated with adverse mental health outcomes among Latinos. However, the process by which this relationship occurs remains an understudied area. The present study investigated the role of acculturative stress in underlying the relationship between perceived discrimination and Latino psychological distress. Also examined was the ability of acculturation to serve as a moderator between perceived discrimination and acculturative stress. Among a sample of Latino adults (N = 669), moderated mediational analyses revealed that acculturative stress mediated the perceived discrimination-psychological distress relationship, and that the link between perceived discrimination and acculturative stress was moderated by Anglo behavioral orientation but not Latino behavioral orientation. The findings are discussed within a stress and coping perspective that identifies the psychological consequences associated with perceived discrimination and acculturative stress

Microaggressions and Psychological Functioning among High Achieving African-Americans: A Mixed-Methods Approach

Racial microaggressions and their influence on mental health were examined among African American doctoral students and graduates of doctoral programs. Using a mixed-methods approach, the current study first identified the types of microaggressions reported by African American participants (N = 97) and then investigated the mechanism by which these experiences influence mental health over time with a separate sample of African Americans (N = 107). The qualitative findings revealed three categories of microaggressions including Assumption of Criminality/Second-Class Citizen, Underestimation of Personal Ability, and Cultural/racial Isolation. The quantitative analyses found support for a moderated-mediational model by which Underestimation of Personal Ability was associated with greater perceived stress at one-year follow-up, which in turn was related to greater depressive symptoms. Active coping was found to moderate the racial microaggression-perceived stress link such that individuals who endorse active coping behaviors reported lower perceived stress. These findings are discussed in terms of practical and theoretical implications regarding the role of racial micro-aggressions in the lives of high-achieving African Americans and the mechanisms by which these experiences contribute to mental health problems

Stress-Generation Processes in Latinos: The Roles of Acculturation, Acculturative Stress, and Intercultural Competence

Using a brief longitudinal design, this study examined the role of cultural adaptation processes (acculturation, acculturative stress, and intercultural competence) in predicting depression symptoms among Latinos living in the United States. Based on previous research employing stress generation processes (e.g., Hammen, 2005), it was hypothesized that depression symptoms measured at baseline predicted dependent stressful life events measured at six-month follow-up. It was further hypothesized that depression symptoms measured at baseline predicted dependent stressful life events measured at six-month follow-up indirectly through acculturation, acculturative stress, and intercultural competence, also measured at six-month follow-up. Finally, it was hypothesized that six-month follow-up acculturation, acculturative stress, and intercultural competence predicted severity of six-month follow-up depression symptoms indirectly through dependent stressful life events. Although results did not support study hypotheses, supplementary analyses found support for a longitudinal relationship between baseline dependent stressful life events and six-month follow-up acculturative stress mediated by baseline depression. Supplementary analyses also found evidence of possible longitudinal relationship between Latino acculturation and six-month follow-up acculturative stress mediated by baseline depression at the trend level of significance. Results are discussed in the context of a transactional relationship between stress and depression and the possible corresponding influence of this relationship on the cultural adaptation experience of Latinos living in the United States

Administrative Regulations - Medically Indigent Must be Eliminated From Medi-Cal Before Health and Welfare Agency May Reduce Minimum Services To Recipients of Public Assistance; Before Omitting any Medical Service, Regulations Must Make Proportionate Reductions in all Services. Morris v. Williams (Cal. 1967).

This recent case discusses Morris v. Williams (Cal. 1967)

Workmen\u27s Compensation - Employee, When Paid a Substantial Travel Allowance, Is Covered by Workmen’s Compensation While Traveling Outside Control of Employer to a Distant Job Site. Zenith National Ins. Co. v. Workmen’s Compensation Appeals Board (Cal. 1967).

This recent case discusses Zenith National Ins. Co. v. Workmen\u27s Compensation Appeals Board (Cal. 1967)

Thermally excited Trivelpiece–Gould modes as a pure electron plasma temperature diagnostic

Thermally excited plasma modes are observed in trapped, near-thermal-equilibrium pure electron plasmas over a temperature range of 0.05<kT<5 eV. The modes are excited and damped by thermal fluctuations in both the plasma and the receiver electronics. The thermal emission spectra together with a plasma-antenna coupling coefficient calibration uniquely determine the plasma (and load) temperature. This calibration is obtained from the mode spectra themselves when the receiver-generated noise absorption is measurable; or from separate wave reflection/absorption measurements; or from kinetic theory. This nondestructive temperature diagnostic agrees well with standard diagnostics, and may be useful for expensive species such as antimatter