Acculturative Stress, Resilience, and a Syndemic Factor Among Latinx Immigrants.
Rosa M Gonzalez-Guarda, Brian E McCabe, Gabriela A Nagy and 6 others
PMID 37350696WHAT IT FOUND
Acculturative stress, especially marital and family strain, strongly predicted co-occurring substance use, violence, and mental health issues in Latinx immigrants.
Emotional support and individual resilience buffered these effects. Cultural identity alone did not protect against these risks in this community setting.
Key findings
01Acculturative stress was the strongest predictor of the syndemic factor, followed by resilience and avoidant coping.
02Marital stress and family stress were the most influential subtypes of acculturative stress driving the syndemic outcomes.
03Emotional support and individual resilience buffered the relationship between acculturative stress and the syndemic factor.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study is cross-sectional, so it cannot determine causality or the direction of effects. The sample was predominantly female and Spanish-speaking, limiting generalizability to male or English-speaking Latinx immigrants. The study took place in a recent immigrant-receiving community in the South, which may differ significantly from established immigrant hubs like Miami or New York. Sexual risk indicators were removed from the final model because they did not fit the syndemic factor, leaving a gap in understanding HIV-related risks in this population.
Declared interests
The authors have no conflicts of interest to report.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that strong cultural identity or ethnic pride automatically protects Latinx immigrants from mental health and substance use issues. In this study, these factors did not have a direct protective effect on the syndemic outcomes; emotional support and individual resilience were the significant buffers.