The relationship between latino adolescents' perceptions of discrimination, neighborhood risk, and parenting on self-esteem and depressive symptoms

Andrew O. Behnke, Scott W. Plunkett, Tovah Sands, Mayra Y. Bámaca-Colbert

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

91 Scopus citations

Abstract

Guided by Bronfenbrenner's bioecological framework, this study examined the roles of Latino adolescents' reports of discrimination, neighborhood risk, parent-child conflict over culture, and parental support in relation to their self-esteem and depression.Analysis of self-report data from 383 ninth grade, Latino students from one Los Angeles high school was used to validate a Multigroup Structural Equation Model of self-esteem and depressive symptoms for boys and girls.As expected, self-esteem was negatively and significantly related to depressive symptoms, yet the influence of other factors were less clear.Five paths marked the influence of mothers' and fathers' interactions on youths' outcomes, demonstrating a strong path from fathers' support to adolescent self-esteem and differing paths from cultural conflict with mother and father to youth outcomes.Neighborhood risks were significantly related to boys' and girls' self-esteem and depressive symptoms, especially for boys.Societal discrimination was significantly related to youths' reports of depressive symptoms yet not significantly related to self-esteem.Results are discussed in terms of applications for both practice and future research.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1179-1197
Number of pages19
JournalJournal of Cross-Cultural Psychology
Volume42
Issue number7
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 2011

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Social Psychology
  • Cultural Studies
  • Anthropology

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'The relationship between latino adolescents' perceptions of discrimination, neighborhood risk, and parenting on self-esteem and depressive symptoms'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this