About this poster

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Panel information
Panel 2. Cultural Processes

Abstract

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The transition to college represents a critical juncture in young adulthood, marked by unique challenges that can significantly impact wellbeing and mental health. Among Hispanic/Latinx youth, Mexican and American cultural values (Knight et al., 2010) such as familism and competition have been associated with fewer mental health problems and greater resiliency (Consoli & Llamas, 2013; Corona et al., 2017; Galligan et al., 2010). Prior studies have often focused on how cultural values may reduce negative outcomes, rather than how cultural values may influence distinct aspects of wellbeing and flourishing (e.g, happiness and life satisfaction, meaning and purpose). Moreover, it is unclear how Mexican and American cultural values may predict positive outcomes among non-Hispanic White students. In line with Goal 3 of SRCD’s mission of integrating diversity, we aimed to explore the role of Mexican (e.g., familism, religion) and American (e.g., material success, competition and personal achievement) cultural values in predicting the depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and various aspects of wellbeing and flourishing among a sample of Hispanic/Latinx and non-Hispanic White college first-year students. Our study contributes to a growing body of literature seeking to uncover the cultural determinants that shape positive mental health outcomes among emerging adults.

Data were drawn from the Pathways to College Health Study and included 760 first-year college students. 263 participants self-identified as Hispanic/Latinx (Mean age= 19.34, 76.0% female, n=213 Mexican-origin) and 437 of the participants self-identified as White and not Hispanic/Latinx (Mean age= 19.48, 75.5% female). Participants were enrolled full time at a large Hispanic-serving public university in the Southwestern United States (Cohort 1 Fall 2020 n= 425; Cohort 2 Fall 2021 n= 335). Participants completed an online survey via Qualtrics and reported on their Mexican and American cultural values, depressive and anxiety symptoms during the past week, and wellbeing across various dimensions. T-tests were conducted to examine mean-level differences in cultural values, mental health, and wellbeing between Hispanic/Latinx and non-Hispanic White students. Multigroup regression analyses were conducted to examine if various aspects of Mexican and American cultural values predict wellbeing and mental health outcomes and if these associations differ by ethnicity. Participants’ age, sex, parental education, living arrangement (on-campus, off-campus with friends, off-campus with family or other) were included as covariates.

Descriptive statistics, t-tests, and bivariate correlations between key study variables are presented in Table 1. Hispanic/Latinx students reported significantly greater religion, familism, and competition values than Non-Hispanic White students. Results from multiple regression and multigroup analyses are presented in Table 2. Higher familism values were associated with greater happiness/life satisfaction, character and virtue, and close social relationships among both Hispanic/Latinx and non-Hispanic White students. Higher familism values were also associated with greater meaning and purpose and fewer depressive and anxiety symptoms among only non-Hispanic White first-years. Greater religion values were associated with greater meaning and purpose for non-Hispanic White students. Greater material success values were associated with lower close social relationships for Hispanic/Latinx students. Multigroup analyses did not reveal significant differences in associations in any regression models for Hispanic/Latinx and non-Hispanic White students.

In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that familism values continue to play a prominent role in the wellbeing and flourishing of Hispanic/Latinx and non-Hispanic White emerging adults. This study contributes valuable insights into the interplay between Mexican and American cultural values and the wellbeing and flourishing of first-year college students. By examining both Hispanic/Latinx and non-Hispanic White students, our research offers a more comprehensive understanding of how cultural values’ may influence mental health, wellbeing, and flourishing differently for Hispanic/Latinx and non-Hispanic White first-years.

Author information

Author	Role
Belal Jamil, Arizona State University- Department of Psychology	Presenting author
Angel Treviño , Arizona State University- Department of Psychology, United States	Non-presenting author
Jinni Su, Arizona State University- Department of Psychology, United States	Non-presenting author

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