1
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Sugimura K, Hihara S, Hatano K, Umemura T, Crocetti E. The Interplay Between Personal Identity and Social Identity Among Vocational High School Students: A Three-Wave Longitudinal Study. J Youth Adolesc 2024:10.1007/s10964-024-02073-9. [PMID: 39302608 DOI: 10.1007/s10964-024-02073-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 08/19/2024] [Indexed: 09/22/2024]
Abstract
Although identity research has predominantly focused on college-bound adolescents, it has largely neglected vocational high school students who enter the job market immediately after graduation. Furthermore, most studies have concentrated on personal identity and have overlooked the concurrent development of social identity. This study examined the relationship between adolescents' personal and social identities over three years of vocational high school. The participants were 4,264 vocational high school students in Japan (Time 1: 46.44% girls; Mage = 15.78). Using a random intercept cross-lagged panel model, the results indicated that within-person increases in social identity predicted increases in personal identity one year later. These findings highlight the importance of social identity as a valuable resource for personal identity development among vocational high school students, a group underrepresented in identity research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazumi Sugimura
- Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Hiroshima University, 1-1-1 Kagamiyama, Higashihiroshima, Hiroshima, 739-8524, Japan.
| | - Shogo Hihara
- Faculty of Business Administration, Matsuyama University, 4-2 Bunkyo-cho, Matsuyama, Ehime, 790-8578, Japan
| | - Kai Hatano
- Graduate School of Sustainable System Science, Osaka Metropolitan University, 1-1 Gakuen-cho, Naka-ku, Sakai, Osaka, 599-8531, Japan
| | - Tomotaka Umemura
- Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Hiroshima University, 1-1-1 Kagamiyama, Higashihiroshima, Hiroshima, 739-8524, Japan
| | - Elisabetta Crocetti
- Department of Psychology, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Viale Berti Pichat 5, Cesena, FC, 47521, Italy
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2
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Gottlieb A, Mathias B, Berry M, Flynn K, Wilson R. Does the State Impact Hope? The Impact of Direct and Vicarious Police Contact on the Optimism of Youth in Large Cities. CHILD & ADOLESCENT SOCIAL WORK JOURNAL : C & A 2024; 41:185-197. [PMID: 38800508 PMCID: PMC11114084 DOI: 10.1007/s10560-022-00861-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/22/2022] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
A growing body of research has begun to examine the implications of police contact for youth. Largely emphasizing serious police contact (arrest, court involvement, and incarceration), this scholarship has generally found that police contact is associated with negative health and educational outcomes. In this study, we build on this work by examining the implications of direct and vicarious police contact for youth attitudes towards the future, both generally and with respect to graduating college. Using multivariate regression models that incorporated a wide range of control variables and data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, we found that youth who experienced police stops without an arrest were less optimistic in general and with respect to college graduation. We found the same for youth who experienced vicarious police contact, but for youth who experienced arrest we only found a significant reduction in optimism with respect to college graduation. Therefore, based on our findings and prior scholarship, we argue that social workers should push policymakers to move beyond the status quo and to make significant changes to how they go about promoting public safety.
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3
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Crocetti E, Karataş S, Branje S, Bobba B, Rubini M. Navigating Across Heritage and Destination Cultures: How Personal Identity and Social Identification Processes Relate to Domain-Specific Acculturation Orientations in Adolescence. J Youth Adolesc 2024; 53:397-415. [PMID: 37775692 PMCID: PMC10764387 DOI: 10.1007/s10964-023-01870-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
Personal identity and social identification processes can be challenging for adolescents belonging to an ethnic minority, who have to cope with the acculturation task of navigating several (and often conflictual) alternatives put forth by their cultural heritage community and destination society. Because identity and acculturation tasks are embedded in core domains of adolescents' life, this three-wave longitudinal study with ethnic minority adolescents (N = 244, 43.4% male; Mage = 14.9) examined how personal identity processes and social identifications are related to acculturation orientations in the education and friendship domains. Results of traditional cross-lagged models showed that, in the educational domain, adolescents who scored higher on cultural heritage maintenance compared to their peers, scored higher on commitment later on. In the friendship domain, stronger associations were found, such that adolescents who scored higher on cultural heritage maintenance compared to their peers, reported higher commitment and in-depth exploration later on, while those who scored higher on identification with friends reported over time also higher cultural heritage maintenance and destination culture adoption. Random-intercept crossed-lagged models indicated that, when adolescents reported above their own average on reconsideration of educational commitment, they reported increased cultural heritage maintenance later on. Furthermore, consistent associations (at baseline and over time) emerged. Overall, this study points to virtuous alliances between the fulfillment of tasks related to adolescents' identity development and acculturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabetta Crocetti
- Department of Psychology, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
| | - Savaş Karataş
- Department of Psychology, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Department of Education and Pedagogy, Educational Psychology-Socialisation and Culture Research Group, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Susan Branje
- Department of Youth and Family, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Beatrice Bobba
- Department of Psychology, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Monica Rubini
- Department of Psychology, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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4
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Motti-Stefanidi F. Acculturation and resilience of immigrant-origin youth: Do their school experiences reflect nonimmigrants' "native supremacy"? Dev Psychopathol 2023; 35:2155-2167. [PMID: 37539699 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579423000895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
The successful integration of immigrant-origin youth is a highly important issue for multiple stakeholders in many countries. It has important benefits both to countries of destination and countries of origin, as well as to immigrants and nonimmigrants. In this article, I examine immigrant-youth adaptation through the lens of a recently developed resilience model integrating acculturation and social psychological influences on adaptation. Who among immigrant-origin youth adapt well, academically, and socially, in the Greek school context? What is the role of acculturation in immigrant youth resilience? These questions are addressed using scientific evidence drawn from the Athena Studies of Resilient Adaptation (AStRA) project, a three-cohort, three-wave longitudinal project on immigrant-origin youth adaptation conducted in Greece, as well as from the international literature. Following an anti-racist research approach to understanding the AstRA findings, I will argue that the lived school experiences of immigrant-origin youth may be a reflection of societal-level xenophobic and anti-immigrant attitudes. Such systemic and structural racism is the key determinant of the difficulties they face in their adaptation. The findings presented reveal the need to promote an equitable and inclusive education that will be beneficial for all students promoting their well-being, and their sense of belonging to school and society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frosso Motti-Stefanidi
- Department of Psychology, School of Philosophy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
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5
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Sugimura K, Hihara S, Hatano K, Crocetti E. Adolescents' Identity Development Predicts the Transition and the Adjustment to Tertiary Education or Work. J Youth Adolesc 2023; 52:2344-2356. [PMID: 37561288 DOI: 10.1007/s10964-023-01838-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
Although identity development is crucial in individuals' psychological adjustment from adolescence to adulthood, little is known about its impact in the transition to tertiary education or work. This study examined whether identity development during high school predicts career choices and adjustment (i.e., engagement) and maladjustment (i.e., burnout) after graduation. A total of 357 Japanese adolescents participated throughout the 3-year period of vocational high school (Mage = 15.75; 62.75% girls). A follow-up assessment, at 18 months after the school-to-tertiary education or school-to-work transitions, was conducted. Higher identity synthesis during high school years predicted entry into tertiary education, while higher identity confusion predicted transition to work. Furthermore, higher identity synthesis during the high school years predicted higher post-graduation academic engagement, and higher levels of identity confusion predicted higher levels of post-graduation academic or work burnout. Overall, this study contributes to the understanding of the role of identity development in adolescence as a valuable asset for predicting the transition and the adjustment to tertiary education or work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazumi Sugimura
- Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Hiroshima University, 1-1-1 Kagamiyama, Higashihiroshima, Hiroshima, 739-8524, Japan.
| | - Shogo Hihara
- Faculty of Business Administration, Matsuyama University, 4-2 Bunkyo-cho, Matsuyama, Ehime, 790-8578, Japan
| | - Kai Hatano
- Graduate School of Sustainable System Science, Osaka Metropolitan University, 1-1 Gakuen-cho, Naka-ku, Sakai, Osaka, 599-8531, Japan
| | - Elisabetta Crocetti
- Department of Psychology, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Viale Berti Pichat 5, Cesena, FC, 47521, Italy
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6
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Raemen L, Claes L, Buelens T, Vankerckhoven L, Van Oudenhove L, Luyckx K. Personal identity, somatic symptoms, and symptom-related thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in adolescence: Examining between- and within-person associations and the role of depressive symptoms. J Youth Adolesc 2023:10.1007/s10964-023-01811-9. [PMID: 37329388 DOI: 10.1007/s10964-023-01811-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Recent literature highlights the complex relationship between personal identity and body-related pathology, yet there is a lack of integrative longitudinal research on the relationship between identity and somatic symptoms. The present study investigated the longitudinal associations between identity functioning and (psychological characteristics of) somatic symptoms, and examined the role of depressive symptoms in this relationship. A total of 599 community adolescents (Time 1: 41.3% female; Mage = 14.93, SD = 1.77, range = 12-18 years) participated in three annual assessments. Using cross-lagged panel models, a bidirectional relationship between identity and (psychological characteristics of) somatic symptoms, mediated by depressive symptoms, emerged at the between-person level; whereas only a unidirectional relationship from psychological characteristics of somatic symptoms to identity functioning, mediated by depressive symptoms, emerged at the within-person level. Identity and depressive symptoms were bidirectionally related at both levels. The present study suggests that adolescent identity development is closely related to somatic and emotional distress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leni Raemen
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
- Child & Youth Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Laurence Claes
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Child & Youth Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (CAPRI), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Tinne Buelens
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Lore Vankerckhoven
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Child & Youth Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lukas Van Oudenhove
- Laboratory for Brain-Gut Axis Studies (LaBGAS), Translational Research Center for Gastrointestinal Disorders (TARGID), Department of Chronic Diseases and Metabolism (CHROMETA), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Lab, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Koen Luyckx
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Child & Youth Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- UNIBS, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
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7
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Sugimura K, Hihara S, Hatano K, Nakama R, Saiga S, Tsuzuki M. Profiles of Emotional Separation and Parental Trust from Adolescence to Emerging Adulthood: Age Differences and Associations with Identity and Life Satisfaction. J Youth Adolesc 2023; 52:475-489. [PMID: 36525106 PMCID: PMC9884255 DOI: 10.1007/s10964-022-01716-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Youth become psychologically independent by emotionally separating from their parents and simultaneously developing a sense of trust in them. While these relational components have been addressed separately, studies focusing on the change in dynamics of these components are lacking. This study examined profiles of parent-youth relationship quality based on emotional separation and parental trust, age differences in the prevalence of these profiles, and age differences in the associations between the profiles, identity, and life satisfaction. Participants included 14,428 youth living in Japan from five age groups (44.8% girls/women; Mage = 20.6 years; range = 12-25 years). Six profiles were identified: healthy-independent, unhealthy-independent, balanced, moderate/ambivalent, connected, and distant. The connected profile was predominant among early adolescents, while the healthy-independent profile was predominant among late adolescents and early and middle emerging adults. Among all age groups, identity synthesis was the highest in the healthy-independent profile, and life satisfaction was the highest and identity confusion was the lowest in the healthy-independent and connected profiles. These findings indicate that young people navigate the process of becoming independent from their parents by balancing emotional separation and parental trust, and this balance relates to identity development and life satisfaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazumi Sugimura
- Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Hiroshima University, 1-1-1 Kagamiyama, Higashihiroshima, Hiroshima, 739-8524, Japan.
| | - Shogo Hihara
- Faculty of Business Administration, Matsuyama University, 4-2 Bunkyo-cho, Matsuyama, Ehime, 790-8578, Japan
| | - Kai Hatano
- Graduate School of Sustainable System Science, Osaka Metropolitan University, 1-1 Gakuen-cho, Naka-ku, Sakai, Osaka, 599-8531, Japan
| | - Reiko Nakama
- Graduate School of Education, Hyogo University of Teacher Education, 942-1 Shimokume, Kato, Hyogo, 673-1494, Japan
| | - Satoko Saiga
- Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Hiroshima University, 1-1-1 Kagamiyama, Higashihiroshima, Hiroshima, 739-8524, Japan
| | - Manabu Tsuzuki
- Faculty of Letters, Chuo University, 742-1 Higashinakano, Hachioji, Tokyo, 192-0393, Japan
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8
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Karataş S, Crocetti E, Schwartz SJ, Rubini M. Developmental trajectories of ethnic and national identities in adolescents from migrant families: The role of social identification with family and classmates. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY 2023. [DOI: 10.1177/08902070221149602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Given that adolescents from migrant families live within at least two cultural contexts (i.e., the heritage and the destination cultures), they generally must negotiate and construct ethnic and national identities. Accordingly, the present three-wave longitudinal study was designed to identify distinct developmental trajectories of ethnic and national identities among adolescents from migrant families ( n = 244, 56.6% female; Mage = 14.90, SDage = 0.84 at Time 1). Multivariate latent class growth analyses indicated that participants could be classified into one of four groups based on their identity profiles: ethnic-oriented identity, national-oriented identity, dual identity, and marginalized identity. Further, social identification with family and classmates was examined as a predictor of memberships in these distinct identity profiles. Results of multinomial logistic regression analysis indicated that greater social identification with family increased the probability of being classified into the ethnic-oriented and dual identity profiles rather than into the marginalized identity profile, whereas greater social identification with classmates increased the likelihood of being classified into either national-oriented or dual identity profiles rather than into the marginalized identity profile. These findings provide novel insights into the roles of families and peers as influential socializing agents during the negotiation of ethnic and national identities among immigrant youth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Savaş Karataş
- Department of Psychology, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Crocetti
- Department of Psychology, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Seth J. Schwartz
- Departments of Kinesiology, Health Education, and Educational Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Monica Rubini
- Department of Psychology, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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9
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Cultural Identity Configurations: A Latent Profile Analysis of Ethnic/Racial and U.S. Identity Process and Content. J Youth Adolesc 2023; 52:105-121. [PMID: 36242697 DOI: 10.1007/s10964-022-01690-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Cultural identity, which represents the degree to which individuals define themselves with the cultural groups to which they belong, is a particularly salient developmental task for ethnic/racial minoritized youth. Two important identity domains of cultural identity, ethnic-racial and U.S. identity, have been consistently associated with psychological and academic adjustment. That said, the majority of this research has been variable centered, limiting the capacity to understand the specific developmental configurations of ethnic/racial and U.S. identity. Addressing this gap, the current study utilized latent profile analysis (LPA) to identify unique profiles of ethnic/racial identity and U.S. identity across process and content dimensions among a sample of 376 Hispanic/Latinx college students (Mage = 20.58, SD = 2.69) and examine the separate and joint links between ethnic/racial and U.S. identity profile membership and adjustment. The LPA identified three similar profiles for ethnic/racial identity (i.e., Diffused/Negative, Diffused/Neutral, and Developed/Positive), U.S. identity (Diffused/Negative, Diffused/Positive, and Developed/Positive), and ethnic/racial and U.S. identity (i.e., Diffused/Negative, Diffused/Neutral, and Bicultural), highlighting that ethnic/racial and U.S. identity not only share parallel dimensionality but manifest themselves remarkably similar in their configuration across process and content dimensions. Separately, individuals classified in a Developed/Positive profile reported the highest levels of adjustment. Jointly, individuals classified as Bicultural (60.49%) exhibited the highest levels of adjustment. The findings highlight the benefit of a positive bicultural identity that embraces both domains of cultural identity.
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10
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Perceived Discrimination at School and Developmental Outcomes among Bai Adolescents: The Mediating Roles of Self-Esteem and Ethnic Identity. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19020657. [PMID: 35055479 PMCID: PMC8775612 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19020657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Revised: 12/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Although discrimination is widely acknowledged to impair developmental outcomes among ethnic minority adolescents, literature differentiating discrimination based on personal characteristics and group membership is lacking, especially in Chinese contexts, and the mechanisms of those relationships remain unclear. In response, the study presented here examined whether self-esteem mediates the relationship between perceived academic discrimination and developmental outcomes among such ethnic minority adolescents, and whether ethnic identity mediates the relationship between perceived ethnic discrimination and developmental outcomes. Multistage cluster random sampling performed in Dali and Kunming, China, yielded a sample of 813 Bai adolescents whose data was analysed in structural equation modelling. The results indicate that perceived academic discrimination had a direct negative effect on adolescents' mental health, while perceived ethnic discrimination had direct negative effects on their behavioural adjustment and social competence. Perceived academic discrimination also indirectly affected adolescents' behavioural adjustment, mental health, and social competence via self-esteem, whereas perceived ethnic discrimination indirectly affected their behavioural adjustment and social competence via ethnic identity. These findings deepen current understandings of how perceived discrimination, self-esteem, and ethnic identity affect the developmental outcomes of ethnic minority adolescents and provide practical recommendations for policymakers and social workers to promote those outcomes in China.
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11
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Potterton R, Austin A, Robinson L, Webb H, Allen KL, Schmidt U. Identity Development and Social-Emotional Disorders During Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Youth Adolesc 2021; 51:16-29. [PMID: 34783954 PMCID: PMC8732894 DOI: 10.1007/s10964-021-01536-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Depression, anxiety and eating disorders ("social-emotional disorders") are common during adolescence/emerging adulthood, periods of intense identity development. Despite this, there are few reviews of existing research on the relationship between symptoms of these disorders and ongoing identity development. This study systematically reviewed, narratively synthesized and meta-analyzed longitudinal investigations of the relationship between identity synthesis/confusion and depression, anxiety and eating disorders symptoms during adolescence/emerging adulthood. Three databases (PsycInfo, Medline, Embase) were searched. Study quality was systematically appraised, findings were qualitatively synthesized and (where possible) meta-analyzed. 20 studies (55% "fair" quality, 45% "poor" quality) were identified, including 13,787 participants (54.2% female, mean age = 14.48 years, range 10-29 years). The narrative synthesis found evidence of bidirectional relationships between identity synthesis/confusion and depression, anxiety and eating disorder symptoms. Meta-analyses and meta-regressions of a sub-sample of studies (N = 9) indicated no significant associations between identity synthesis or confusion and anxiety or depression symptoms. More high-quality research is needed before firm conclusions can be drawn.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Potterton
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Section of Eating Disorders, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Amelia Austin
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Section of Eating Disorders, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Lauren Robinson
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Section of Eating Disorders, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Hannah Webb
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Section of Eating Disorders, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Karina L Allen
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Section of Eating Disorders, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.,The Eating Disorders Service, Maudsley Hospital, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ulrike Schmidt
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Section of Eating Disorders, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.,The Eating Disorders Service, Maudsley Hospital, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
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12
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Mastrotheodoros S, Kornienko O, Umaña-Taylor A, Motti-Stefanidi F. Developmental Interplay between Ethnic, National, and Personal Identity in Immigrant Adolescents. J Youth Adolesc 2021; 50:1126-1139. [PMID: 33864567 PMCID: PMC8116219 DOI: 10.1007/s10964-021-01434-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Developing a personal identity is a core developmental task for all adolescents. Immigrant adolescents need to integrate the meaning that their belonging to their ethnic group and the receiving nation has for them into their personal identity. The purpose of this study was to examine the longitudinal interplay between personal, ethnic, and national identities of a middle school sample of immigrant youth (N = 765, Mage = 12.7 years, SD = 0.6 at T1; 46% girls) enroled in Greek schools. Data were collected in three waves with repeated measures. To test the link between these identities, two trivariate Cross-Lagged Panel Models were ran, one examining identity exploration and the other examining identity commitment. The results revealed robust within time positive links between ethnic, national and personal identities for both exploration and commitment at all three time-points. There was some evidence that ethnic and national identities were negatively linked longitudinally, and limited support for longitudinal associations between these domains and personal identity. Follow-up analyses suggest that these processes may be specific to second generation youth and that findings may differ by ethnic background. Finally, the findings that emerged are discussed with attention to the socio-political climate in the receiving nation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Olga Kornienko
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, GA, USA
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13
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Meca A, Moreno O, Cobb C, Lorenzo-Blanco EI, Schwartz SJ, Cano MÁ, Zamboanga BL, Gonzales-Backen M, Szapocznik J, Unger JB, Baezconde-Garbanati L, Soto DW. Directional Effects in Cultural Identity: A Family Systems Approach for Immigrant Latinx Families. J Youth Adolesc 2021; 50:965-977. [PMID: 33599938 DOI: 10.1007/s10964-021-01406-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Although there is a substantial body of work focusing on the processes underlying cultural identity in general, less is known regarding how these processes might operate within the context of Latinx families. Moreover, among the limited research that has included the adolescent and caregiver cultural identity, most of the research has primarily focused on how caregivers influence their adolescent's cultural identity. In the present study, the directional pathways between recently immigrated adolescents' and caregivers' ethnic and U.S. identity belonging were examined using data from a longitudinal study of acculturation and identity development among recently arrived Latinx immigrant families. The sample consisted of 302 primary caregivers (Mage = 41.09, SD = 7.13 at baseline; 67.5% mothers) and their adolescents (Mage = 14.51, SD = 0.88 at baseline; 46.7% female). The results indicated that caregivers' ethnic identity belonging significantly predicted adolescents' ethnic identity belonging over time. At the same time, adolescents' ethnic identity negatively predicted caregivers' ethnic identity belonging over time, whereas adolescents' U.S. identity belonging positively predicted caregivers' later ethnic identity belonging. The findings indicate that immigrant caregivers may retain their native culture to direct and respond to their children's changing cultural identifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan Meca
- Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA.
| | | | - Cory Cobb
- University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Daniel W Soto
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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14
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Vos SR, Shrader CH, Alvarez VC, Meca A, Unger JB, Brown EC, Zeledon I, Soto D, Schwartz SJ. Cultural Stress in the Age of Mass Xenophobia: Perspectives from Latin/o Adolescents. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INTERCULTURAL RELATIONS : IJIR 2021; 80:217-230. [PMID: 33456095 PMCID: PMC7806182 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijintrel.2020.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
During the last four years, xenophobic rhetoric directed toward Latino immigrants in U.S. media outlets and political forums has greatly increased. Using a general inductive approach, this qualitative study examined the forms of cultural stress, with a focus on discrimination and xenophobia, experienced by Latino adolescents in urban U.S. settings in 2018 and 2019. Six focus groups were conducted in Miami and Los Angeles (three groups per city) with first- and second-generation tenth-grade Latino students (n = 34). The following four themes emerged from the data: perceived discrimination from other Latino subgroups (in-group discrimination), perceived discrimination from non-Latino groups (out-group discrimination), internalization of stressors and discrimination experienced by participants' parents, and the current U.S. political rhetoric surrounding immigration. Understanding cultural stress among Latino adolescents provides valuable insight for future interventions to offset negative health outcomes associated with cultural stress.
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Meca A, Park H, Higgins J, Hamrick H, Webb T, Davies R, Golembiewski L, Bravo AJ, Kelley ML. The role of United States identity in adjustment among Veterans. MILITARY PSYCHOLOGY 2020; 32:408-416. [PMID: 38536242 PMCID: PMC10013209 DOI: 10.1080/08995605.2020.1802400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Given over 2.77 million US service members have been deployed in the past 20 years and the intense process of reintegration to civilian life, understanding factors that contribute to Veterans' mental health and substance use is critical. This study sought to understand the effects of US identity exploration, US identity commitment, US identity affirmation, and US identity centrality on substance use and symptoms of depression and anxiety. The sample consisted of 195 US military Veterans (n = 184, 53.3% women; 73.3% White; Mage = 35.12 years, SD = 9.60 years). Bivariate correlations indicated US identity affirmation was negatively associated with substance use and symptoms of depression and anxiety whereas US identity centrality was positively correlated with alcohol use. Utilizing structural equation model, US identity affirmation and US identity centrality were, respectively, negatively and positively associated with alcohol use, substance use, and symptoms of depression and anxiety. Partially consistent with our hypothesis, US identity exploration was positively associated with symptoms of anxiety. In contrast to our hypothesis, US identity commitment was not significantly associated with any outcome. Results are discussed in terms of important directions for identity research in the transition to civilian life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan Meca
- Department of Psychology, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia
| | - HyeJung Park
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
| | - Jennise Higgins
- Department of Psychology, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia
| | - Hannah Hamrick
- Department of Psychology, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia
| | - Taylor Webb
- Department of Psychology, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia
| | - Rachel Davies
- Department of Psychology, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia
| | | | - Adrian J. Bravo
- Psychological Sciences, William & Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia
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16
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Martinez-Fuentes S, Umaña-Taylor AJ, Jager J, Seaton EK, Sladek MR. An Examination of Ethnic-Racial Identity and U.S. American Identity among Black, Latino, and White Adolescents. IDENTITY-AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF THEORY AND RESEARCH 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/15283488.2020.1784177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Martinez-Fuentes
- T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | | | - Justin Jager
- T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Eleanor K. Seaton
- T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Michael R. Sladek
- Harvard Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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17
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Schwartz SJ, Szabó Á, Meca A, Ward C, Martinez CR, Cobb CL, Benet-Martínez V, Unger JB, Pantea N. The Convergence Between Cultural Psychology and Developmental Science: Acculturation as an Exemplar. Front Psychol 2020; 11:887. [PMID: 32477217 PMCID: PMC7235335 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2019] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The present article proposes an integration between cultural psychology and developmental science. Such an integration would draw on the cultural-psychology principle of culture-psyche interactions, as well as on the developmental-science principle of person↔context relations. Our proposed integration centers on acculturation, which is inherently both cultural and developmental. Specifically, we propose that acculturation is governed by specific transactions between the individual and the cultural context, and that different types of international migrants (e.g., legal immigrants, undocumented immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, crisis migrants) encounter quite different culture-psyche interactions and person↔context relations. We outline the ways in which various acculturation-related phenomena, such as acculturation operating at macro-level versus micro-level time scales, can be viewed through cultural and developmental lenses. The article concludes with future directions in research on acculturation as an intersection of cultural and developmental processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seth J. Schwartz
- Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, United States
| | - Ágnes Szabó
- School of Health, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Alan Meca
- Department of Psychology, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, United States
| | - Colleen Ward
- Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, United States
| | - Charles R. Martinez
- College of Education, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Cory L. Cobb
- College of Education, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | | | - Jennifer B. Unger
- Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Nadina Pantea
- School of Psychology, Universitatea Babes̨-Bolyai, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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18
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Meca A, Paulson JF, Webb TN, Kelley ML, Rodil JC. Examination of the Relationship between Parenting Identity and Internalizing Problems: A Preliminary Examination of Gender and Parental Status Differences. IDENTITY 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/15283488.2020.1737070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alan Meca
- Department of Psychology, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia, USA
- Virginia Consortium Program in Clinical Psychology, Norfolk, Virginia, USA
| | - James F. Paulson
- Department of Psychology, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia, USA
- Virginia Consortium Program in Clinical Psychology, Norfolk, Virginia, USA
| | - Taylor N. Webb
- Department of Psychology, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia, USA
| | - Michelle L. Kelley
- Department of Psychology, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia, USA
- Virginia Consortium Program in Clinical Psychology, Norfolk, Virginia, USA
| | - Julia C. Rodil
- Department of Psychology, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia, USA
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Taylor ZE, Kittrell N, Nair N, Evich CD, Jones BL. Developmental antecedents of adolescent optimism in rural midwestern U.S. Latinx youth. JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY 2020; 48:448-463. [PMID: 31654590 DOI: 10.1002/jcop.22267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Revised: 10/07/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
AIMS Decades of scientific research have found optimism to have wide-ranging effects on individuals' health and well-being. Researchers have largely examined optimism in adults, but have begun addressing the benefits of optimism in adolescents. Challenges and stressors in adolescence can threaten youths' subjective well-being; therefore, identifying factors that contribute to the growth of optimism could have important health implications. However, researchers have more often examined the effect of optimism on youth outcomes rather than factors that might positively or negatively contribute to the development of optimism. METHODS We assessed how salient developmental tasks (resilience, ethnic pride, and school attachment), family stress, and depressive problems individually contribute to Latinx youths' optimism at two time points (N = 123, 58.8% female, M age = 11.54 years). RESULTS We found support for associations between both resilience and school attachment and optimism, but findings were weaker across time and with stressors included in the model. Depressive problems also appeared to weaken optimism across time. CONCLUSION Given the established links between optimism and health, it will be important for researchers to continue to identify factors that contribute to the development of youth optimism, and assess whether they could be used in interventions to foster optimism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoe E Taylor
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
| | | | - Nayantara Nair
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
| | - Carly D Evich
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
| | - Blake L Jones
- Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah
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Meca A, Gonzales-Backen M, Davis R, Rodil J, Soto D, Unger JB. Discrimination and ethnic identity: Establishing directionality among Latino/a youth. Dev Psychol 2020; 56:982-992. [PMID: 32105119 DOI: 10.1037/dev0000908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Ethnic identity is a consistent predictor of positive youth adjustment, whereas discrimination has been associated with negative outcomes among Latino/a youth. Scholars have proposed associations between ethnic identity and discrimination; however, directionality of effects remains unclear. Addressing this gap, the current study examined the directional relationship between ethnic identity and discrimination and their effects on psychosocial functioning utilizing a random-intercept cross-lagged model spanning 3 waves of data among 1,613 Latino/a adolescents (Mage = 13.99, SD = .40 at baseline; 51.2% female). Results support a bidirectional association between ethnic identity and discrimination. Specifically, adolescents who reported higher levels of perceived discrimination reported higher levels of ethnic identity exploration 1 year later. Further, higher levels of ethnic identity belonging predicted more reported discrimination 1 year later. No differences in the longitudinal associations between ethnic identity and discrimination were found based on generational status. More experiences of discrimination were also associated with more alcohol and cigarette use and more depressive symptoms. Additionally, ethnic identity belonging was indirectly associated with increased substance use and depressive symptoms via elevated discrimination experiences. Implications for promoting coping strategies for perceived discrimination in efforts to promote ethnic identity are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Julie Rodil
- Institute for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Research
| | - Daniel Soto
- Institute for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Research
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Losoncz I, Marlowe J. Regulating Immigrant Identities: the Role of Government and Institutions in the Identity Construction of Refugees and Other Migrants. JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION AND INTEGRATION 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s12134-019-00700-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Meca A, Rodil JC, Paulson JF, Kelley M, Schwartz SJ, Unger JB, Lorenzo-Blanco EI, Des Rosiers SE, Gonzales-Backen M, Baezconde-Garbanati L, Zamboanga BL. Examining the Directionality Between Identity Development and Depressive Symptoms Among Recently Immigrated Hispanic Adolescents. J Youth Adolesc 2019; 48:2114-2124. [PMID: 31342229 DOI: 10.1007/s10964-019-01086-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 07/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Although personal identity development has been conceptualized as a source of psychological stability and protective against depressive symptoms among Hispanic immigrants, there remains ambiguity regarding the directional relationship between identity development and depression. To address this limitation, the current study sought to establish directionality between identity development and depressive symptoms. The sample consisted of 302 recent (<5 years) immigrant Hispanic adolescents (53.3% boys; Mage = 14.51 years at baseline; SD = 0.88 years) from Miami and Los Angeles who participated in a longitudinal study. The findings suggested a bidirectional relationship between identity and depressive symptoms such that identity coherence negatively predicted depressive symptoms, yet depressive symptoms also negatively predicted coherence and positively predicted subsequent identity confusion. Findings not only provide further evidence for the protective role of identity development during times of acute cultural transitions, but also emphasize the need for research to examine how depressive symptoms, and psychopathology more broadly, may interfere with establishing a sense of self.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan Meca
- Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA. .,Virginia Consortium Program in Clinical Psychology, Norfolk, VA, USA.
| | | | - James F Paulson
- Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA.,Virginia Consortium Program in Clinical Psychology, Norfolk, VA, USA
| | - Michelle Kelley
- Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA.,Virginia Consortium Program in Clinical Psychology, Norfolk, VA, USA
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23
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Moise R, Meca A, Schwartz SJ, Unger JB, Lorenzo-Blanco EI, Cano MÁ, Szapocznik J, Piña-Watson B, Rosiers SED, Baezconde-Garbanati L, Soto DW, Pattarroyo M, Villamar JA, Lizzi KM. The use of cultural identity in predicting health lifestyle behaviors in Latinx immigrant adolescents. CULTURAL DIVERSITY & ETHNIC MINORITY PSYCHOLOGY 2019; 25:371-378. [PMID: 30335406 PMCID: PMC6472997 DOI: 10.1037/cdp0000229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study explored whether cultural identity predicts health lifestyle behaviors. METHOD Participants included 302 recently immigrated (<5 years in the U.S.) Latinx adolescents (53% boys; mean age 14.51 years at baseline) from Miami and Los Angeles. Participants completed cultural identity measures at baseline and 1-year post baseline. A path analysis was used to estimate associations between cultural identities (ethnic, national, and bicultural) and health lifestyle behaviors (physical activity, diet, and sleep hygiene). RESULTS Ethnic identity positively predicted diet. Results also indicated a significant interaction between ethnic and national identity on sleep hygiene. Specifically, when national identity was high (+1 SD), ethnic identity positively predicted sleep hygiene. CONCLUSION This study focuses on health lifestyle behaviors such as physical activity, diet, and sleep hygiene in this population. Results highlight the need to explore the protective nature of cultural identity retention in relation to health lifestyle behaviors in Latinx adolescents. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Rhoda Moise
- University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Department of Public Health Sciences, Miami, Florida
| | - Alan Meca
- Old Dominion University, Department of Psychology, Norfolk, VA
| | - Seth J. Schwartz
- University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Department of Public Health Sciences, Miami, Florida
| | - Jennifer B. Unger
- University of Southern California, Department of Institute for Health Promotion & Disease Prevention, Los Angeles, California
| | | | - Miguel Ángel Cano
- Florida International University, Department of Epidemiology, Miami, Florida
| | - José Szapocznik
- University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Department of Public Health Sciences, Miami, Florida
| | - Brandy Piña-Watson
- Texas Tech University, Department of Counseling Psychology, Lubbock, Texas
| | | | - Lourdes Baezconde-Garbanati
- University of Southern California, Department of Institute for Health Promotion & Disease Prevention, Los Angeles, California
| | - Daniel W. Soto
- University of Southern California, Department of Institute for Health Promotion & Disease Prevention, Los Angeles, California
| | - Monica Pattarroyo
- University of Southern California, Department of Institute for Health Promotion & Disease Prevention, Los Angeles, California
| | - Juan A. Villamar
- Northwestern University, Department of Preventive Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Karina M. Lizzi
- University of Michigan, Department of Internal Medicine, Ann Arbor, Michigan
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Schwartz SJ, Meca A, Ángel Cano M, Lorenzo-Blanco EI, Unger JB. Identity Development in Immigrant Youth. EUROPEAN PSYCHOLOGIST 2018. [DOI: 10.1027/1016-9040/a000335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Abstract. Rates of immigration are at an all-time high in many Western countries, and immigration can exert profound influences on identity development. These influences occur both at the individual level and at the group level, but these two sets of influences have rarely been considered simultaneously. Accordingly, this article adopts a multilevel approach to identity development among immigrant youth, with a focus on North American receiving contexts. We focus not only on individual ethnic, national, and personal identity development, but also on the societal-level intergroup processes (e.g., threats and stereotypes) that constrain the identity options available to immigrants. We highlight the prominence of biculturalism – endorsement of both heritage and destination-country identities – but also discuss ways in which biculturalism may be difficult to attain for some immigrants and immigrant groups. We also emphasize the interplay between individual immigrants’ identities and the mechanisms through which defensive policies enacted by “threatened” majority groups may harm identity development among immigrant youth. The article concludes with a listing of priorities for future work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seth J. Schwartz
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, FL, USA
| | - Alan Meca
- Department of Psychology, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA
| | - Miguel Ángel Cano
- Department of Epidemiology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Elma I. Lorenzo-Blanco
- Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, TX, USA
| | - Jennifer B. Unger
- Institute for Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Personal Identity Development in Hispanic Immigrant Adolescents: Links with Positive Psychosocial Functioning, Depressive Symptoms, and Externalizing Problems. J Youth Adolesc 2016; 46:898-913. [PMID: 27882458 DOI: 10.1007/s10964-016-0615-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2016] [Accepted: 11/14/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The present study was designed to examine trajectories of personal identity coherence and confusion among Hispanic recent-immigrant adolescents, as well as the effects of these trajectories on psychosocial and risk-taking outcomes. Personal identity is extremely important in anchoring young immigrants during a time of acute cultural change. A sample of 302 recently immigrated (5 years or less in the United States at baseline) Hispanic adolescents (Mage = 14.51 years at baseline; SD = 0.88 years, range 14-17) from Miami and Los Angeles (47 % girls) completed measures of personal identity coherence and confusion at the first five waves of a six-wave longitudinal study; and reported on positive psychosocial functioning, depressive symptoms, and externalizing problems at baseline and at Time 6. Results indicated that identity coherence increased linearly across time, but that there were no significant changes in confusion over time and no individual differences in confusion trajectories. Higher baseline levels of, and improvements in, coherence predicted higher levels of self-esteem, optimism, and prosocial behavior at the final study timepoint. Higher baseline levels of confusion predicted lower self-esteem, greater depressive symptoms, more aggressive behavior, and more rule breaking at the final study timepoint. These results are discussed in terms of the importance of personal identity for Hispanic immigrant adolescents, and in terms of implications for intervention.
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