Theses and Dissertations from UMD
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Item AN INTERSECTIONALITY, MINORITY STRESS, AND LIFE-COURSE THEORY INFORMED LATENT PROFILE ANALYSIS OF STRESS(OR) AND PSYCHOSOCIAL BUFFERING FACTORS AMONG FIRST-GENERATION LATINX IMMIGRANT YOUTH FROM THE NORTHERN TRIANGLE: EFFECTS ON MENTAL HEALTH AND SUICIDALITY(2022) Salerno, John P.; Boekeloo, Bradley O; Public and Community Health; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)In alignment with the intersectionality theoretical framework, first-generation Latinx immigrant youth from the Northern Triangle (i.e., El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras) may suffer from complex forms of vulnerability as a result of their multiple marginalized social identities and statuses. Indeed, consistent with the life-course perspective, immigrant youth from the Northern Triangle face unique risks for experiencing cumulative external stressors across the life-course in the context of the phases of migration, including pre- to post-migration victimization, and immigration-related family separation (e.g., forced family separation). The minority stress theory adds the potential for experiencing immigrant minority identity/status-related stress, such as discrimination or negative feelings attributed to being an immigrant, specifically during the post-migration context in the U.S., which could exacerbate mental health by adding to cumulative stress. Yet, the post-migration time period may be an important turning point for Latinx immigrant youth from the Northern Triangle, during which psychosocial buffering resources, like school, peer, and family support, and ethnic identity importance may have a strong and distinct impact that could significantly mitigate the cumulative mental health effects of life-course and minority stress(ors). Considering the increasing surge of immigrant youth from the Northern Triangle, which account for the majority of youth being apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border, as well as grave concerns about their experiences of vulnerability and mental health, it is of utmost importance to utilize intersectionality, minority stress, and life-course theories to identify and understand the psychosocial risk and protective factors that can mitigate or exacerbate their mental health during post-migration in the U.S. To this end, in collaboration with a community-partner and a high school in Hyattsville, Maryland, primary surveys assessing external life-course stressors across the phases of migration (i.e., pre- to post-migration victimization, and family separation), post-migration immigrant-related minority stress (i.e., immigrant-related discrimination and negative immigrant stress-related feelings), and post-migration psychosocial buffering factors (i.e., family, peer, and school support, and ethnic identity importance) among first-generation Latinx immigrant youth from the Northern Triangle were administered (N = 172). In Paper 1, the aim was to identify potential intersections of minority stress (post-migration immigrant minority stress) and psychosocial buffering resources (family, peer, and school support, and ethnic identity importance), and their associations with external stressors (pre- to post-migration victimization and immigration-related family separation). Latent profile analysis was conducted to identify and describe latent profiles that varied at the intersections of post-migration immigrant minority stress and psychosocial buffering factors, and their associations with pre- to post- migration victimization, and family separation stressors. In Paper 2, the aim was to understand whether latent profiles characterized by the intersections of immigrant minority stress and psychosocial buffering factors, and external stressors (pre- to post-migration victimization and immigration-related family separation) jointly predicted mental health outcomes. ANOVA models were conducted to examine the associations of latent profile membership, pre- to post-migration victimization, and family separation with mental health outcomes (i.e., PTSD, depression, anxiety, and emotional problem symptoms) when all were included in the model as independent predictors. In Paper 3, the aim was to understand whether latent profile membership and external stressors jointly predicted suicidality. Logistic regression models were conducted to examine the associations of latent profile membership, pre- to post-migration victimization, and family separation with suicidality (i.e., suicidal ideation) when all were included in the model as independent predictors. Paper 1 findings revealed a three latent-profile model characterized by post-migration 1) moderate immigrant minority stress and low psychosocial buffering factors (moderate stress/low buffer), 2) moderate immigrant minority stress and moderate psychosocial buffering factors (moderate stress/moderate buffer), and 3) low immigrant minority stress and high psychosocial buffering factors (low stress/high buffer). Post-migration victimization was significantly associated with latent profile membership, such that those in the low stress/high buffer profile group (11%) were least likely to experience post-migration victimization compared to the moderate stress/moderate buffer (most likely; 49%) and moderate stress/low buffer (33%) profile groups (p < .001). Overall prevalence of in-transit victimization (7.70%) was too low for valid statistical assessment. Pre-migration victimization and family separation were not significantly associated with latent profile membership. Paper 2 factorial ANOVA analyses demonstrated that latent profile membership post-migration victimization, and family separation were statistically significant predictors of mental health outcomes (PTSD, depression, anxiety, and emotional problem symptoms) when all were included in the models. Bonferroni-corrected factorial ANOVA test findings revealed that youth in the low stress/high buffer profile group were significantly less likely to experience PTSD (p < .001, p = .003), depression (p < .001, p < .001), anxiety (p < .001, p < .001), and emotional problem symptoms (p = .002, p = .041) compared to youth in both the moderate stress/moderate buffer and moderate stress/low buffer profile groups (respectively). The moderate stress/low buffer profile group did not differ significantly from the moderate stress/moderate buffer profile group in-terms of any mental health outcome. Post-migration victimization was independently and positively associated with PTSD (p = .010), anxiety (p < .001), and emotional problem (p = .042) symptoms (but not depression symptoms), and forced family separation was independently and positively associated with PTSD (p = .026), anxiety (p = .017), and depression symptoms (p = .009; but not emotional problem symptoms) in factorial ANOVA. Pre-migration victimization was not a significant predictor of any mental health outcomes, and in-transit victimization prevalence was too low for valid statistical assessment of its association with mental health outcomes. Paper 3 multivariable logistic regression analyses demonstrated that latent profile membership was the only statistically significant predictor of suicidality. The low stress/high buffer profile group was significantly less likely to experience suicidality compared to both the moderate stress/moderate buffer (87.8% decrease in the odds; OR = 0.122; p < .001) and moderate stress/low buffer (95.6% decrease in the odds; OR = 0.044; p < .001) profile groups in multivariable logistic regression. The moderate stress/low buffer profile group did not differ significantly from the moderate stress/moderate buffer profile group in-terms of suicidality. Post-migration victimization was no longer a statistically significant predictor of suicidality in the multivariable logistic regression model. Pre-migration victimization and family separation were not significant predictors of suicidality, and in-transit victimization prevalence was too low for valid statistical assessment of its association with suicidality. Considering the results of all three studies in Papers 1-3, latent profiles, characterized by the intersections of immigrant minority stress and psychosocial buffering resources, were a significant independent predictor of all mental health outcomes and suicidality. Yet, external stressors, particularly post-migration victimization (PTSD, anxiety, and emotional problem symptoms) and immigration-related family separation (PTSD, anxiety, and depression symptoms) were also significant independent predictors of mental health outcomes, suggesting that these factors also explain post-migration mental health outcomes to some degree above and beyond latent profile membership. In totality, findings strongly suggest that further exploration of post-migration immigrant minority stress and psychosocial buffering resources is urgently warranted to identify ways of overcoming the effects of externalized immigrant-related stressors and reducing mental health burden among first-generation Latinx immigrant youth from the Northern Triangle, a highly vulnerable population. Consistent with minority stress and intersectionality theories, protective associations with mental health were present when post-migration immigrant minority stress was low and psychosocial buffering was high, but these protective associations were lost when immigrant minority stress increased to moderate level and when psychosocial buffering decreased to moderate or low level. From another viewpoint, there were risk associations with mental health when post-migration immigrant minority stress was moderate and psychosocial buffering was low or moderate, but these risk associations were reversed toward being protective when immigrant minority stress lowered to low level and when psychosocial buffering increased to high level. That post-migration victimization and forced family separation remained positive predictors of mental health outcomes in multivariable analyses highlights that these external life-course stressors exacerbated mental health above and beyond the associations of post-migration immigrant minority stress and psychosocial buffering latent profile membership alone. Findings provide valuable information for policy and intervention development and reform in the U.S. that focuses on factors that can be intervened on during the post-migration phase in the U.S. (as opposed to less intervenable factors that occurred during pre and in-transit migration) to positively impact mental health and wellbeing among first-generation Latinx immigrant youth from the Northern Triangle. When immigrant youth experience low immigrant minority stress, strong peer and family support networks, as well as supportive schools and feeling that their foreign, cultural, and ethnic identities are celebrated and welcomed, this could have a significant protective effect toward their mental health and suicidality. However, if youth are facing low levels of these psychosocial buffering experiences and moderate (or potentially high) levels of immigrant minority stress, they may experience negative effects that hinder their mental health and suicidality. Additionally, post-migration victimization and forced family separation are particularly impactful predictors of mental health above and beyond the effects of latent profile group membership alone, which indicate the urgent need for mental health services and support resources that address these stressful and traumatic life-course experiences among first-generation Latinx immigrant youth from the Northern Triangle. Findings elucidate post-migration immigrant minority stress and psychosocial buffering pathways for future development and evaluation to improve Northern Triangle immigrant youths’ mental health and suicidality.Item ASIAN-AMERICAN IMMIGRANT PARENTS’ BELIEFS ABOUT HELPFUL STRATEGIES FOR ADDRESSING ADOLESCENT MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS(2018) Frese, Kristen Marie; Wang, Cixin; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The present exploratory, mixed-methods study explores Asian-American immigrant parents’ beliefs about helpful strategies for addressing youth mental illness (i.e., depression and eating disorders). Nineteen Asian-American immigrant parents (M=46.1 years, SD=3.9) completed closed-ended surveys and semi-structured interviews. Frequency counts were collected from the surveys on parents’ attitudes toward mental health services, products, and providers for the prevention and intervention of adolescent mental illnesses. The interviews were coded for themes using thematic analysis in order to explore parents’ beliefs about helpful strategies for addressing youth mental illness. Five primary strategies for addressing youth mental health concerns emerged: Providing social support; providing strategies to improve mental health; teaching adolescents about mental health; seeking help from professionals; and identifying the cause or diagnosing the problem. The roles that the school and culture play in each of those strategies is discussed. Implications are given for school-based mental health providers.Item Akwantuo: Plight of the Immigrant(2018) Braimah, Mustapha; Keefe, Maura; Dance; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Akwantuo: Plight of The Immigrant was an evening-length dance concert performed March 9, 10 and 11, 2018, at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center in partial fulfillment of the Master of Fine Arts degree from University of Maryland’s School of Theatre, Dance and Performance Studies. This paper addresses the creation of the original piece, which blends African and contemporary dance with Ghanaian dance theatre. These styles have been linked to the ramifications of the development of dance in Ghana before and after independence. The project situates the choreographer’s personal experience arriving from Ghana at a US airport. This work tackles the feeling of vulnerability, injustice, frustration, humiliation, disappointment and sheer terror of being at someone else’s mercy when being denied a visa or entry into the United States of America. In sum, this paper is a documentation demonstrating the inspiration, research, movement motif, creative process, and conception of the project.Item BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS OF CHILDREN IN L.A: EXTENDED FAMILY, NEIGHBORHOOD, AND NATIVITY(2017) Kang, Jeehye; Cohen, Philip N.; Sociology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This dissertation consists of three papers that examine the association between family living arrangements and internalizing and externalizing behavioral problems in children. With increasing immigration and growing heterogeneity in family forms, extended family members are of increasing importance in children’s lives. However, knowledge about extended family living arrangements is lacking. The first paper examines the association between the presence of co-resident extended kin and children’s internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Children in the sample were found to be disadvantaged in extended households, especially with regard to internalizing behaviors. This association was found mostly among married-parent extended households. Further, this pattern emerged more clearly among children of documented immigrants, compared to those with native-born parents and those whose parents were undocumented immigrants. These findings suggest a need to revisit previous theories on extended family living arrangements. The second paper examines what kinds of household extension are associated with child behavioral problems. I specify the types of household extension by their relation to the householder—vertical, horizontal, and non-kin. Results from the cross-sectional sample indicate that horizontal extension is associated with higher internalizing behavior problems in children. However, the results from fixed effects models suggest that this pattern may be due to selection effects. Fixed effects estimations show that children moving into vertically extended household increase externalizing behaviors or that children moving out of a vertically extended household decrease externalizing behaviors. I discuss what implications this type of transition represents. The third paper examines the interaction between extended family household structure and neighborhood characteristics on children’s behavioral functioning. Findings suggest that the co-residence with extended kin is associated with both higher internalizing and externalizing behaviors for children. Although the health disadvantage of living with extended kin seems to be independent of the neighborhood income and racial minority concentration levels, extended kin moderate the associations with neighborhood structure. The advantage of living in higher-income neighborhood strengthens for extended families, reducing internalizing behavioral problems in children. Minority concentrated neighborhood functions as an advantage for extended families, decreasing externalizing behavioral problems. I conclude with discussion of future research and policy implications.Item The Boom and the Bust: The Jewish Community of Portsmouth, VA, 1910-1930(2016) Gunn, Allison R.; Rozenblit, Marsha L; History/Library & Information Systems; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)In 1917, Jews came in large numbers to Portsmouth, VA, for the economic opportunity offered by a booming World War I economy and the new market the war workers offered. Between 1907 and 1918 alone, the Jewish population grew by an astonishing 1,042%. The community declined rapidly, however, immediately after the war. The primary reason for the decline of the community was economic. Jews came to Portsmouth, not as laborers, but as retailers and business owners. They therefore relied upon a large, stable, local market which dissipated in the Interwar period. Studying Portsmouth reveals the foundational dynamics between Jewish communities and the local economy. In the period, American Jews relied on specific economic niches such as retail to prosper. When an economy was unfavorable for such businesses, Jewish communities did not thrive.Item Meaning Making for Immigrant Latino Fathers in Dynamic Family Contexts(2014) Ospina, Estefania; Roy, Kevin; Family Studies; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Existing research on fathers has historically focused on fatherhood involvement with children as a cornerstone of paternity. These studies have primarily used White-male fathers as the exemplary demographic (Campos, 2008). However, less has been said about immigrant Latino father's parenting and even less about their process of fatherhood meaning making. The present study used a qualitative approach to better understand immigrant Latino men's accounts of their fathering in dynamic contexts. The data used consisted of transcribed life history interviews conducted with 19 immigrant Latino fathers who were recruited from a HEAD START program and lived in neighborhoods of Chicago, Illinois. In using this method, insights of their experiences and perspectives on fathering were discerned into three chapters. The findings suggest that the fatherhood meaning making for this sample was fluid and influenced by relationships and context. The analysis provides four major contributions to Latino fatherhood literature: immigrant Latino fathers exemplify a different kind of machismo that is multidimensional; protection was important to fathers and embedded in context; fathers were active agents that conveyed familismo through practicing and teaching family values; and the cultural value of familismo looks into the future and enriches efforts to create a family legacy.Item Assessment of Metabolic Syndrome in a sample of Central and South Americans living in the Washington, D.C. area(2010) Gill, Regina Marie; Jackson, Robert T.; Nutrition; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The Central/South American population is growing rapidly in the U.S., but little is known about the health status. The purpose of this study was 1) to estimate the prevalence of MS and its individual components, 2) compare risk factors among Hispanic sub-groups, and 3) examine how metabolic syndrome (MS) prevalence estimates have changed from 1993–1994 to 2008–2009 in a sample of Central/South Americans living in the D.C. area. In this cross-sectional, medical record extraction survey, data from 1993–1994 were compared with data from 2008–2009 on 1,042 male and female adults collected by questionnaire. 28% of our subjects had MS. The most prevalent MS components were low HDL (43.2% men; 50.7% women), elevated triglycerides (37%), and high BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 (75.6%). Among Central/South Americans, Salvadorans had the highest prevalence of MS (30.7%). MS prevalence was significantly greater for the 2008–2009 subjects (27.9%) compared with 1993–1994 subjects (19.7%) (p ≤ 0.05).Item Asian Parents' Perceptions of Child Disability and School Contact for Services(2010) Kim, Nayoung; Gottfredson, Gary D.; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This study examined Asian parents' perceptions of children's disability and factors influencing their utilization of school services. Using the parent questionnaires from a large national sample of high school sophomores (the ELS:2002 data), survey results from Asian American (n=810) and European American parents (n=7710) were analyzed to examine cultural differences between the two ethnic groups as well as between immigrant vs. non-immigrant Asians. This study also assessed the extent to which parental characteristics (Belief About Learning, Recency of Immigration, English Proficiency, Socio-Economic Status, and whether they indicate their child is disabled) predict contacting the school for services. Results indicated that Asians were less likely than Europeans to believe that their child has a disability and also were less likely to contact the school for help. Nevertheless, immigrant parents sought help when they perceived that their child had a disability. Neither immigrant parent's length of stay in the U.S. nor English proficiency predicted the school contact behaviors. Implications for introducing school-based services and outreach for Asian American parents are suggested, particularly for recent immigrants.