Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 1, 2026

A Modified Trier Social Stress Test for Vulnerable Mexican American Adolescents
Published on: July 10, 2017
Emotion expressivity, suicidal ideation, and explanatory factors: Differences by Asian American subgroups compared
Lillian Polanco-Roman1, Khadijah Ahmad2, Ashley Tigershtrom3
1Department of Psychology, Graduate Center, City University of New York.
Objective:
The relationship between emotion expressivity and psychological symptoms varies by race/ethnicity, and reduced expression of emotions has been implicated in risk for suicidal ideation. The present study examined differences in the relation between emotion expressivity and suicidal ideation through well-documented correlates of suicide risk (i.e., hopelessness, depressive symptoms) among Asian American subgroups compared with White emerging adults.
Method:
A sample of 829 emerging adults, Ages 18 to 28 years, identifying as Asian American (27% East Asian, 18% South Asian, 11% Southeast Asian) or White (44%) completed measures of emotion expressivity, hopelessness, depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation.
Results:
Lower emotion expressivity was statistically associated with higher levels of suicidal ideation, via hopelessness and depressive symptoms, among White, East Asian, and South Asian American emerging adults, but not among Southeast Asian Americans, though this difference in mediation was not statistically significant.
Conclusion:
A focus on Asian Americans as a homogenous group occludes important ethnic differences in the relation between emotion expressivity and vulnerability to suicidal ideation. Ethnic differences in the function of emotion expressivity should be considered in suicide prevention and interventions among Asian American emerging adults. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Ethnic Identity within a Larger Culture
Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification
Emerging Adulthood
Self-Esteem and Culture
Sources of Self-Esteem III: Social Comparison
Depressive Disorders: Etiology
Biological Factors in Depression
Biological predispositions significantly influence the risk of developing depressive disorders. Genetic studies highlight the role of variations in the serotonin transporter...

