Types and Cultural Sources of Social Support: The Relationship between Social Support and Mental Health for Mexican-Americans.

摘要

Although there have been great strides in acculturation research, social support has not been adequately researched through the lens of acculturation. The available literature indicates that a bicultural acculturation strategy and high levels of social support are associated with beneficial outcomes for both physical and mental health (Berry, 2005; Sarason & Sarason, 2009). Furthermore, social support from both the heritage and host cultures are associated with optimal development for Latin s (Finch & Vega, 2003; Jasinskaja-Lahti et al., 2006). Discrimination, however, can directly affect both well-being and stress (Crockett et al., 2007). To date, the connections between these constructs have been examined generally, but the specific mechanisms throughout which this process occurs have not been fully explored. The present study will investigate the connection between social support, discrimination, well-being, and stress for individuals who endorse a bicultural acculturation strategy. More specifically, it will examine how certain types of support from identified cultural sources influence the positive outcomes that are often associated with the social support literature. A sample of 161 bicultural Mexican-American college students participated in the present study. Results indicated that Mexican/Mexican-American peer emotional and appraisal support had important positive implications for subjective well-being. Mexican/Mexican-American peer emotional support actually moderated the negative effects of discrimination on subjective well-being. European American peer informational support negatively impacted subjective well-being. Understanding how culture influences the connection between social support, well-being, and stress is important for informing prevention programs that can support academic and psychological success. Future directions and implications for bicultural college students are discussed.