Mental Health
Acculturation, Social Support, and Mental Health among Latinos in New York City John Wetmore* John Wetmore Wetmore Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
Background: Acculturation and social support are central social determinants of mental health among U.S. Latinos, yet their combined effects on depression, anxiety, and stress are not well characterized.
Methods: We analyzed cross-sectional data from 358 Latino residents of northern Manhattan, New York. Acculturation profiles (traditional, bicultural, integrated) were derived using latent class analysis incorporating migration history, language use, and cultural orientation. Social support was measured with the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) and dichotomized as high (>5) versus low (≤5). Logistic regression was used to assess associations of acculturation profile with high social support. Depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), and perceived stress (PSS) were modeled using linear regression to estimate marginal means (EMMs). All regression models adjusted for age, gender, education, marital status, and Latino origin subgroup (e.g., Dominican, Mexican).
Results: Prevalence of high social support did not differ among acculturation profiles (all p≥0.32). Compared with integrated participants, bicultural participants had higher adjusted EMMs for depression (5.4±0.5 vs 3.7±0.6, p=0.01) and anxiety (4.6±0.5 vs 3.2±0.6, p=0.02). In stratified analyses, acculturation-related differences were most pronounced among participants with low social support, where bicultural participants exhibited markedly higher depression (6.7±0.8 vs 2.8±1.0, p<0.001), anxiety (4.8±0.8 vs 2.2±0.9, p=0.01), and stress (15.9±1.3 vs 12.7±1.5, p=0.047) than integrated participants. Interaction tests supported effect modification by social support for depression.
Conclusions: Acculturation-related differences in depression, anxiety, and stress were evident under conditions of low social support. Social support may buffer acculturation-related mental health risk, underscoring its potential as a modifiable intervention target for reducing mental health disparities among Latinos.