Development and validation of the Parent Communication Avoidance Scale for youth of Korean Descent in Japan (PCAS-KJ)

Abstract

Acculturative stress and acculturation discrepancies are universal challenges associated with the mental health of the growing population of immigrant and ethnic-minority youth globally. In particular, the avoidance of parent-child communication has garnered attention as a maintaining factor for their psychological distress. The present study aimed to develop the Parent Communication Avoidance Scale for Youth of Korean Descent in Japan (PCAS-KJ) and to examine its reliability and validity among youth of Korean descent residing in Japan. The participants were 278 individuals aged 18–30 years (M = 21.68, SD = 2.81, 133 women, 142 men, three participants chose not to answer). Confirmatory factor analysis supported a two-factor structure consisting of Avoidance of Discussion and Expression and Negative Thoughts toward Parents. Internal consistency, as assessed by McDonald's omega (ω = .81–.90), and test-retest reliability, as indicated by intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC = .74–.84), were satisfactory. The PCAS-KJ subscales showed significant weak-to-moderate positive correlations with measures of acculturation discrepancy, depression, anxiety, social isolation, and cognitive fusion, thereby supporting convergent validity. Furthermore, cross-sectional mediation analyses revealed significant indirect effects of the PCAS-KJ on the relationship between acculturation discrepancy and depression, anxiety, and social isolation. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses demonstrated that adding the PCAS-KJ to experiential avoidance (EA) and acculturation discrepancy significantly improved the prediction of depression and social isolation. These findings suggest that the PCAS-KJ is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing EA specifically related to parent-child communication among youth of Korean descent in Japan. Furthermore, this study may inform theories of psychological distress, scale development, and ACT-based interventions for ethnic-minority populations.