Experiences of Acculturation Stress in First-Generation Immigrant Children: Examining the Relationship Among Acculturation Stress, Depression, and Family Dynamics

Throughout the years, immigration has been a significant movement in the USA and leads to the examination of acculturative stress. By employing the acculturation stress and vulnerability models, the present study aimed to examine the association among acculturation stress, self-esteem, depression, family cohesion, and familism in first-generation immigrant children. Longitudinal data from the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study (CILS) were used. The analytical sample (n = 5262) was predominantly female (51.1%) and between the ages of 12 and 18 (M = 14.23) years old. SPSS 27 and AMOS 27 were utilized to conduct a path analysis to examine the relationships among acculturation stress, self-esteem, depression, family cohesion, and familism. Our results showed good fit (chi 2/df ratio = 11.49; CFI = 0.91; RMSEA = 0.05, CI [.04, .05]) for the full path model. Acculturation stress had a significant, negative association with depression (beta = - 0.12, p < .001); a significant, negative association with self-esteem (beta = - 0.12, p < .001); and a significant, positive association with family cohesion (beta = 0.60, p < .01) and the familism index (beta = 0.05, p < .05). Acculturation stress was found to be predictive of self-esteem, depression, and family cohesion for first-generation immigrant children between the ages of 12 and 18 years old. This study provides general implications for how mental health providers can understand the struggles and provide culturally competent therapeutic services for children and their families.