Threat and deprivation as distinct predictors of posttraumatic stress and depression symptoms in first and second generation Latinx youth

AbstractRecent adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) scholarship emphasizes that differing ACEs affect the onset and course of psychopathology, and that sociopolitical context contributes to ACEs experienced by marginalized youth. Guided by the Immigration-Related Adverse Childhood Experiences Model, we explored the associations between different ACEs—immigration enforcement fear and perceived economic hardship—on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression among first and second-generation Latinx youth in immigrant families. Participants (n = 306) included students from 11 high schools in two states (58% female; 25% aged 17 or older). Fifty-three percent were first generation students and 80% were born in, or had a parent from, Mexico or Central America. We found that immigration enforcement fear predicted greater PTSD symptoms after accounting for other key covariates. Perceived economic hardship was associated with depression across all subscales. Findings highlight the need for a multidimensional approach to assess and understand how ACEs, including immigration enforcement fear, influence mental health for youth in Latinx immigrant families. AcknowledgmentsWe would like to thank the participating school districts and all of the students who participated in the study for their contributions.Disclosure statementThis article was prepared while Randy Capps was employed at the Migration Policy Institute. The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the view of the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Health and Human Services, or the United States government. The other authors report there are no competing interests to declare.Data availability statementDue to the sensitive nature of the data, and the possible consequences of identification, the data are not currently publicly available. However, additional or supplemental analysis are available by request.Additional informationFundingThis work was supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities through the University of Houston’s HEALTH Research Center for Addictions Research and Cancer Prevention under grant [U54MD015946] in which T.A.C. is supported.