Filial Responsibility, Bicultural Competence, and Socioemotional Well-Being Among Latina College Students

Objective: Filial responsibility includes instrumental and expressive caregiving. Research on the perceptions of filial responsibility has examined perceived unfairness-the perception of the lack of equity and mutuality in the distribution of such tasks. Previous research on filial responsibility among Latinx young adults is inconsistent and limited but has indicated that examining dimensions of filial responsibility is key to understanding its impact on socioemotional outcomes. Furthermore, it is important to consider how dimensions of bicultural competence (comfort, facility, and advantages perceived in navigating two cultural contexts), moderate these relations. The current study examined filial responsibility and socioemotional well-being among Latina college students. We also examined the moderating role of dimensions of bicultural competence. Method: Latina college students (N = 312, M-age = 19.12, SD = 1.15) provided self-reports on filial responsibility, bicultural competence, depressive symptoms, and self-esteem. Stepwise regression and moderation analyses were conducted to examine the aims of the study. Results: For filial responsibility, we found that expressive caregiving related to more depressive symptoms. Instrumental caregiving is related to higher self-esteem. Perceived unfairness was related to more depressive symptoms and lower self-esteem. Although the global measure of bicultural competence was not a significant moderator, certain dimensions of bicultural competence moderated these relations. Bicultural facility amplified the relations between expressive caregiving and depressive symptoms. Bicultural comfort amplified the relation between perceived unfairness and depressive symptoms. Bicultural comfort and advantages amplified the relations between perceived unfairness and self-esteem. Conclusion: The study has implications for improving the socioemotional well-being of Latina college students.