Individual, Family, School, And Community Predictors For Depression And Self-esteem: A Comparative Study Between Asian And Latino Adolescents

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify the predictors within the family, school, and community environments of Hispanic and Asian adolescents' that may predict mental health (depression and self-esteem). Another aim was to compare the significant predictors of depression and self-esteem between Hispanic and Asian adolescents. This study used secondary data from Wave II of the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study (CILS). The target population was 2,114 students (1,008 Hispanics and 1,106 Asians) who were about to graduate from high school and 1,213 parents. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine the associations between environmental variables and mental health (depression and self-esteem) in Latino and Asian adolescents, as well as the additional effects of predictors in a sequential way. In terms of predicting depression, gender and family cohesion were significant predictors for both Hispanic and Asian adolescents. Ethnic differences were observed in the effects on self-esteem. For the Hispanic sample, family cohesion, perceptions of school quality, perceptions of school safety, and perceptions of neighborhood safety were significant predictors. Along with the Hispanic group, family cohesion, perceptions of school quality, and perceptions of school safety were also significant predictors for the Asian sample. However, perception of neighborhood safety was not a significant predictor for Asian adolescents. Practice implications for effective interventions and recommendations for future study were suggested based on the findings of this study.