Familial Acculturative Stress and Adolescent Internalizing and Externalizing Behaviors in Latinx Immigrant Families of the Southwest

Experiencing acculturative stress burdens Latinx families in a variety of negative and deleterious ways. Using the Family Stress Model, this study aims to explore the patterns and experiences of acculturative stress in Latinx families, and how these experiences related to Latinx adolescent internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Data came from baseline reports of three cohorts of parent-youth dyads (n = 532) participating in a longitudinal randomized control effectiveness trial testing a parenting intervention in southwestern U.S. area. Findings indicate that youth exhibited more depressive symptomology when both parent and child reported higher acculturative stress. While youths’ anti-social behaviors were only associated with their own acculturative stress and not their parents’ acculturative stress levels. This study advances new knowledge about the relationship between acculturative stress and youth behaviors, and provides recommendations for developing future interventions with Latinx youth to prevent the onset of internalizing and externalizing behaviors.