Building a nest in a storm

The impact of immigration‐related stress on Latino mothers' parenting

Bibliographic Data

ID21320021
AuthorsJaime Fuentes Balderrama (0000-0002-8225-0294, Steve Hicks School of Social Work University of Texas at Austin Austin Texas USA, corresponding author), Alyssa Vanderziel (0000-0003-0971-1485, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics Michigan State University East Lansing Michigan USA), José Rubén Parra-Cardona (0000-0003-0250-1012, Steve Hicks School of Social Work University of Texas at Austin Austin Texas USA)
Year2023
Volume62
Issue2
Pages687-701
Publication date2023-06-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueFamily Process (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0014-7370 • E-ISSN: 1545-5300
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/famp.12797
PMID35698277
OpenAlexW4282826127
LanguageEN
Citations received9
References cited55

Latina/o immigrant mothers in the United States (U.S.) often experience discrimination, which results in deleterious impacts on their parenting practices. Because of the cumulative impact of immigration‐related stress, there is a need for research aimed at identifying specific contextual stressors that have the greatest impact on Latina/o immigrant parenting. Further, given significant barriers to access mental health services, there is an urgency to comprehend how pre‐existing family strengths might counteract these parenting shortcomings in Latina/o families. Accordingly, we examined in these investigation‐specific pathways through which immigration‐related stress affects maternal parenting practices, and how emotional and relational processes within families might act as predecessors to positive parenting practices within a context of adversity. This study is embedded within a larger program of research aimed at culturally adapting evidence‐based parenting programs for low‐income Latina/o immigrants. Our sample consisted of 71 Mexican‐origin Latina/o mothers, residents of an urban setting in the Midwest. According to Bayesian estimated path analysis, immigration‐related stress was associated with parenting stress and emotional support, while emotional support, parenting stress, and the co‐parenting alliance were associated with positive parenting practices. Indirect effects demonstrate that immigration‐related stress is negatively associated with positive parenting practices when mediated by parenting stress and emotional support. Current findings highlight the need to carefully examine the impact of immigration‐related stress on the parenting practices of Latina/o immigrant families and the need to inform parent training interventions accordingly

Context (archaeology) · Developmental psychology · Geography · Immigration · Mental health · Parenting styles · Path analysis (statistics) · Political science · Psychiatry · Psychological intervention · Stressor · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development · Clinical Psychology · Migration, Health and Trauma · Psychology · Racial and Ethnic Identity Research

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