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A Modified Trier Social Stress Test for Vulnerable Mexican American Adolescents
Published on: July 10, 2017
Neighborhood structural characteristics and Mexican-origin adolescents' development
Rebecca M B White1, Katharine H Zeiders2, M Dalal Safa1
1Arizona State University.
Development and Psychopathology
|October 6, 2018
Summary
Living in Latino-concentrated neighborhoods during adolescence benefits youth by fostering school attachment and identity exploration, leading to better behavioral and psychological outcomes. This highlights the positive impact of ethnic-racial residential concentration.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Sociology
- Public Health
Background:
- Residential segregation and socioeconomic stratification are pervasive in the U.S., influencing adolescent development.
- Neighborhood characteristics can impact youth's adaptive and maladaptive functioning, presenting both risks and opportunities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine how neighborhood structural characteristics, specifically Latino concentration and concentrated poverty, affect adolescent outcomes.
- To investigate the mediating roles of community participation and engagement (ethnic-racial identity exploration, peer discrimination, school attachment) in these relationships.
Main Methods:
- Prospective longitudinal study with 733 Mexican-origin adolescents across three waves (ages 12.79 to 17.37).
- Analysis of neighborhood structural factors (Latino concentration, concentrated poverty) and downstream outcomes (internalizing, externalizing, prosocial behaviors, ethnic-racial identity resolution).
- Mediation analysis examining intermediate variables: ethnic-racial identity exploration, peer discrimination, and school attachment.
Main Results:
- Higher neighborhood Latino concentration in early adolescence predicted increased school attachment and ethnic-racial identity exploration, and decreased peer discrimination in middle adolescence.
- These intermediate benefits were associated with reduced internalizing and externalizing behaviors and enhanced ethnic-racial identity resolution and prosocial behaviors in late adolescence.
- Concentrated poverty did not show significant direct or indirect effects on the studied outcomes.
Conclusions:
- Neighborhood Latino concentration can offer protective benefits for Mexican-origin adolescents, fostering positive identity development and adaptive behaviors.
- Findings underscore the importance of considering cultural context and community characteristics in understanding adolescent development and psychopathology.
- Interventions should leverage community strengths within segregated neighborhoods to promote positive youth outcomes.
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