Stress in Relation to Anxiety and Depression Among Racial/Ethnic Minority Women: The Differential Impact of Cultural Mismatch on Somatic and Cognitive Symptoms

Abstract

The study examined the interactive effects of stress and cultural mismatch, as evidenced by low independent self-construal, in relation to cognitive/somatic symptoms of anxiety and depression among racial/ethnic minority women. Results showed that stress and independent self-construal work synergistically to differentially affect cognitive, rather than somatic, symptoms of anxiety and depression. Findings highlight the importance of investigating the interplay between stress and contextual factors to improve current treatment models for marginalized groups.El estudio examinó los efectos interactivos del estrés y la discordancia cultural, probados por un bajo autoconcepto independiente, en relación con los síntomas cognitivos/somáticos de la ansiedad y la depresión entre mujeres de minorías raciales/étnicas. Los resultados mostraron que el estrés y el autoconcepto independiente trabajan en sinergia para afectar diferencialmente a los síntomas cognitivos, no así a los somáticos, de la ansiedad y la depresión. Los hallazgos subrayan la importancia de investigar la interacción entre el estrés y los factores contextuales para mejorar los modelos de tratamiento actuales para grupos marginalizados.Palabras clave: síntomas somáticos/cognitivos, ansiedad, depresión, estrés, minoría racial/étnica M ultiple lines of evidence indicate that racial/ethnic minority women experience disproportionate rates of internalizing symptoms such as anxiety and depression compared

Examining the relationship between non-suicidal self-injury and mental health among female Arab minority students: the role of identity conflict and acculturation stress

“…These strategies contribute to problems in self-regulation that could lead to maladaptive coping (53). Indirectly, minority stress could lead to NSSI due to symptoms of depression, mainly due to racism and discrimination (54,55). In our study, this is reflected by the fact that most participants with identity conflict and acculturative stress also reported high levels of depression.…”

Managing Intersectional Invisibility and Hypervisibility During the Transition to College Among First-Generation Women of Color

“…Broadly, cultural mismatch theory posits that inequality is produced when mainstream institutional cultural norms do not match the norms among underrepresented social groups in those institutions (Stephens, Fryberg et al, 2012b). For example, the cultural mismatch between American university norms of independence and FGS norms of interdependence may decrease students’ sense of belonging and undermine performance and mental health (Chang et al, 2020; Stephens, Fryberg et al, 2012a; Stephens, Townsend et al, 2012; Talavera et al, 2019). Additionally, the impact of cultural mismatch may extend beyond the first year of college, as is the case for women in male-dominated fields (Hirschfield, 2017; Stephens, Fryberg et al, 2012b; Phillips et al, 2020).…”

“…One limitation of the existing work is the lack of an intersectional lens in interpreting the experiences of college students with multiple minoritized 2 identities. This is especially important for first-generation women of color (FGWOC), who may face higher risks of social exclusion and depression, yet have received relatively less attention in the academic literature (Talavera et al, 2019; Torres-Harding et al, 2020).…”

Examining the Experience of Racial/Ethnic Discrimination and the Mental Health Outcomes of Students of Color

“…Another factor of Race-related stress is cultural mismatch, the incompatibility between culture at home and culture in other environments that POC frequently spend significant amounts of time in (Talavera et al, 2019). Often, cultural mismatch has been proven to "increase depressive symptoms and negatively affect emotional well-being" (Talavera et. al., 2019).…”