Cultural stressors experienced by young Latinas with depressive symptoms living in a tumultuous sociopolitical climate in the United States.

All participants had depressive symptoms, so their stress experiences may differ from Latina young women without depressive symptoms. The design cannot separate cultural stress from depressive symptoms, so it cannot show which stressors are caused by culture or by depression. The sample included too many participants born outside the mainland U.S. and too few whose families had been in the U.S. for several generations, so comparisons between generational groups are limited. The study included only young Latinas who spoke English, so it does not describe those who speak only Spanish. Documentation status was not asked, so differences related to legal status could not be examined. The study was done in a large Midwest city, so findings may not apply elsewhere. Participants with imminent self-harm or significant mental distress were excluded, so the findings do not represent those in acute crisis.

The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The paper is listed as supported by NIH extramural and non-U.S. government research funding.

Do not conclude that these cultural stressors cause depressive symptoms in Latina young women. This qualitative study describes experiences of English-speaking young Latinas with depressive symptoms in a Midwest city, so it cannot show cause or prevalence.