Segmented assimilation and attitudes toward psychotherapy: a moderated mediation analysis

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Sociology
• Public Health

Background:

• Acculturative stress significantly impacts immigrant mental health and service utilization.
• Understanding racial differences in acculturative stress effects is crucial for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the relationship between acculturative stress, mental health, and psychotherapy attitudes.
• To investigate if these relationships differ between immigrants of color and White immigrants.
• To test a moderated mediation model where mental health mediates the acculturative stress-psychotherapy attitude link, moderated by race.

Main Methods:

• Survey of 149 first-generation immigrant young adults (ages 18-29) identifying as White, Black, Latino, or Asian.
• Statistical analysis including correlation and moderated mediation analysis.
• Assessment of acculturative stress, mental health symptoms, and attitudes toward psychotherapy.

Main Results:

• A significant negative correlation was found between acculturative stress and attitudes toward psychotherapy.
• Mental health symptoms mediated the negative relationship between acculturative stress and psychotherapy attitudes for immigrants of color.
• This mediation effect was not significant for White immigrants.

Conclusions:

• Acculturative stress adversely affects psychotherapy attitudes among immigrants of color, with mental health acting as a key mediator.
• Racial disparities exist in how acculturative stress influences mental health and attitudes toward seeking psychological support.
• Findings highlight the need for culturally sensitive mental health services tailored to the unique stressors faced by diverse immigrant populations.