The Stress Process among Foreign-Born Latinos: Examining the Roles of Migration-Related Stress and Family Relationships in Psychological Distress

Georgiana Bostean, Chapman University
Flavia Andrade, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Edna A. Viruell-Fuentes, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

This study draws on the stress process model to examine the roles of migration-related stress (e.g., felt guilty for leaving family in country of origin; find it hard interacting with others because of difficulties with the English language) and family conflict in psychological distress among foreign-born Latinos, and whether family cohesion mediates or moderates the association between psychological distress and migration-related stress. We examine the National Latino and Asian American Survey (n=1,524). Results show that family cohesion is protective among those with low migration-related stress. Those with the highest family conflict have much higher distress levels than those with the lowest conflict (approximately 20 versus 11, respectively). These results can inform interventions aimed at reducing psychological distress among foreign-born Latinos by focusing on decreasing family conflict, and focusing on family cohesion particularly among those with low levels of migration stress.