Anxiety Reporting and Culturally Associated Interpretation Biases and Cognitive Schemas: A Comparison of Mexican, Mexican American, and European American Families

Abstract

This study examined whether Mexican (n = 53), Mexican American (n = 50), and European American (n = 51) children differed in their reporting of anxiety symptoms and whether parental influence and specific cognitive schemas associated with Mexican culture were related to differences in anxiety reporting. As expected, Mexican and Mexican American children reported significantly more physiological and worry symptoms than the European American children. Mexican and Mexican American children endorsed collectivism as a cultural value more strongly than European American children, and the Mexican children evidenced greatest use of social strategies reflecting simpatia. In family discussions of ambiguous, potentially anxiety-arousing situations, Mexican and Mexican American parents verbalized a greater percentage of somatic interpretations than the European American parents. Results indicate potential linkages between cultural values, socialization practices, and anxiety reporting.

Racial/Ethnic Differences in Internalizing and Externalizing Symptoms in Adolescents

“…Previous research examining racial/ethnic differences in adolescent anxiety have largely not included sizeable numbers of White, Black, and Hispanic adolescents; as such, this study is the first to our knowledge to document elevated anxiety symptoms in Hispanic adolescents, particularly females, across the range of anxiety symptomatology. These findings are consistent with several studies that have reported higher levels of somatic symptoms and distress among Hispanic youth (Pina and Silverman 2004;Varela et al 2004) and one study that reported higher levels of separation anxiety disorder among treatment-seeking Hispanic youth (Ginsburg and Silverman 1996).…”

“…Hispanic youth tended to report more somatic symptoms (Pina and Silverman 2004) and higher rates of separation anxiety disorder (Ginsburg and Silverman 1996) than non-Hispanic White participants. Another study also found that Hispanic youth reported more physiologic symptoms of anxiety and higher levels of worry than non-Hispanic White participants (Varela et al 2004). …”

Neighborhood Youth Centers and Families as Supportive Environments for Youth in High Risk Urban Settings

“…Pina & Silverman, 2004;Varela, Vernberg, Sanchez-Sosa, Riveros, Mitchell, & Mashunkashey, 2004;Varela, Weems, Berman, Hensley, & Rodriquez de Bermal, 2007). Some evidence also has suggested that Hispanic females are the most vulnerable group for symptoms of depression and anxiety (McLaughlin, Hilt, & Nolen-Hoeksema, 2007).…”

“…Another explanation is that among Hispanic/Latino families it is common for parents to exert a controlling parenting style that includes demanding the child's acceptance of parent's assertions and beliefs, and foreclosure of discussion when differences arise. This parenting style has been associated with increased anxiety in the child (Varela et al, 2004). A final explanation is that mental health problems carry a heavy negative stigma in the Latino culture which may lead to adolescents being more likely to internalize emotional distress rather than express it more openly (Varela et al, 2007).…”

Immigrant Youth Mental Health, Acculturation, and Adaptation

“…Based on several investigations (Joiner, Perez, Wagner, Berenson, & Marquina, 2001;Roberts & Chen, 1995;Roberts & Sobhan, 1992), Hill, Bush, and Roosa (2003) described a consensus in the field that "children of Mexican descent have higher levels of depression" compared with Euro-American children (p. 189). Noting the need to move beyond epidemiologic studies, Varela et al (2004) recently commented that "the paucity of research regarding anxiety in Hispanic children, and their mental health in general, is alarming considering the ethnic composition of the U.S. population" (p. 237).…”