Ethnic Identity and Collective Self-Esteem Mediate the Effect of Anxiety and Depression on Quality of Life in a Migrant Population

Abstract

Migration processes can often trigger negative interactions with the context, generating problems in both the physical and mental health of migrants, which have an impact on both their well-being and their quality of life. In this framework, the research aimed to assess the mediating effect of ethnic identity and collective self-esteem on the inverse relationship between mental health problems and quality of life. Data were collected from 908 first-generation Colombian migrants living in Chile, of whom 50.2% were women and with an average age of 35 years. They were assessed with The World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQoL)-Bref, Smith’s ethnic identity questionnaire, Basabe’s collective self-esteem, and Beck’s Anxiety and Depression questionnaires. The results provide evidence that both collective self-esteem and ethnic identity exert a partial mediation effect on the relationship between anxiety and depression on quality of life. The study provides evidence of the protective role that the maintenance and reinforcement of ethnic identity and collective self-esteem can have, with a view to strengthening the planning of interventions both in the field of prevention of mental health problems and in the improvement of quality of life based on evidence.

School climate and academic burnout in medical students: a moderated mediation model of collective self-esteem and psychological capital

“…Firstly, positive campus characteristics such as good teacher-student relationships, sound infrastructures and fair systems promote a higher sense of belonging to the school, making students feel part of the school, more aware of their importance and value in their group, hold more positive evaluations of the school and show higher levels of collective self-esteem [ 65 ]. Secondly, anxiety is an important emotional manifestation of academic burnout, and self-esteem is an important force in reducing anxiety [ 26 , 77 ]. Individuals with high collective self-esteem are more likely to have a positive emotional experience of school, maintain a good emotional state even when suffering from chronic academic stress, seek social support to alleviate anxiety, and engage in learning with a positive attitude, thereby reducing academic burnout [ 78 ].…”

Positive Social Interaction and Psychological Kinship Mediate the Effect of Identity Fusion on Psychological Well-Being in South-South Migrants

“…South America and Chile in particular are no exception, with migrants in the latter constituting 7.8% of the country’s total population (INE, 2021 ), the largest percentage coming from other Latin American countries, with Venezuelan migration being the main one in the last 10 years (DEM, 2021 ). Despite how attractive and hopeful it seems to be to migrate in search of better opportunities, migrating is not easy, since on the one hand one leaves behind family, friends, interpersonal relationships, economic resources, culture, and customs and, on the other hand, once migrants arrive in the host country, being part of a minority group, they often suffer experiences of prejudice and discrimination that negatively affect their health and welfare (Firat, & Noels, 2021 ; Lincoln et al, 2021 ; Urzúa et al, 2022 ).…”

“…It has been shown that some variables related to social identity would have an important influence on the health and well-being of migrants (Balidemaj & Small, 2019 ; Espinosa & Tapia, 2011 ; Haslam et al, 2009 ; Luhtanen & Crocker, 1992 ; Phinney et al, 2001 ; Urzúa et al, 2022 ). Social identity has traditionally been defined as an individual’s knowledge that he or she belongs to certain social groups along with some emotional and value meaning to him or her of group membership (Tajfel, 1972 ).…”