Mental and Behavioral Health of Immigrants in the United States: Cultural, Environmental, and Structural Factors

Mental and Behavioral Health of Immigrants in the United States reviews research on immigrant mental health, acculturation, and multicultural psychology.  The book is divided into three sections: Section A addresses the geographic and social context of immigration, including how parents and children navigate the acculturation process, how different cultural orientations affect behavior, and research methods on acculturation. Sections B and C focus on mental health issues common to Latinx, Asian, and Arab/Middle Eastern immigrants, and then more broadly across immigrant groups.  Included here are a focus on depression, anxiety, and somatization, as well as alcohol abuse, insomnia, and issues for LGBTQ+ individuals.  Pre- and post-migration stressors are discussed, as well as the effects of prejudice and bias, the mental health effects of religion and spirituality, and managing the demands of both work and family.  Contributors from psychology, education, and social work provide different perspectives and identify opportunities for future research. 

Summarizes research on mental health issues common to immigrantsIdentifies prevalence of mental disorders among ethnic minorities in the United StatesExamines the impact of group-based discrimination on mental healthExplores the impact of acculturation on mental healthReviews mental health issues specific to Latinx, Asian, and Middle Eastern immigrantsCovers alcohol abuse, sleep, and other disorders across immigrant groups

Section A Acculturation

1. Linking acculturation factors, family environments, and mental health outcomes among Latino families in traditional, emerging, and crisis immigrant receiving contexts in the United States Cory L. Cobb, Charles R. Martinez. Jr, Alejandra Garcia Isaza, Heather H. McClure and J. Mark Eddy

2. Acculturation, parent-child relationships, and mental health of adolescents in Chinese and Mexican immigrant families Su Yeong Kim, Minyu Zhang, Yang Hou and Yishan Shen

3. Acculturation, enculturation, and bicultural orientations:Conceptualizations and links to alcohol use Byron L. Zamboanga, P. Priscilla Lui and Savannah Pham

4. Acculturation science: Limitations and new directions Miriam J. Alvarez, Angel D. Armenta and Michael A. Zárate

Section B Mental health

5. A gendered look at work-family conflict among diverse US immigrants Lizette Ojeda, Cristal Lopez and Abigail Sharer

6. Being a Latina/o immigrant parent in the United States:Links with parents’ and adolescents’ mental health and health risk behaviors Elma I. Lorenzo-Blanco and Seth J. Schwartz

7. Contextual stressors and the role of religion and spirituality in the mental health of Latino/a immigrant parents and youth Rosario Ceballo, Francheska Alers-Rojas, Jessica P. Montoro and Andrea S. Mora

8. Mental and behavioral health in immigrant populations: Assessment and interventions for culturally competent practice Hee Yun Lee and Jessica A. Neese

9. Intersectional complexities of South Asian Muslim Americans: Implications for identity and mental health Tania Chowdhury and Sumie Okazaki

10. Mental health considerations for immigrants of Arab/MENA descent Germine H. Awad, Hien Nguyen, Flor Castellanos, Taylor Payne and Hanan Hashem

Section C Psychopathology

11. The immigrant mental health advantage in the US among ethnic minority and other groups: Findings and potential mechanisms David M. Barnes, Sarah A. Lieff, Evan L. Eschliman, YiPing Li and Lawrence H. Yang

12. Internalizing behavior problems in Latinx children: Patterns and correlates of anxiety, depressive, and somatic symptoms from pre-kindergarten through third grade R. Gabriela Barajas-Gonzalez, Esther J. Calzada and Keng-Yen Huang

13. Risk and protective factors for insomnia among Asian, Black, and Latinx adult immigrants in the United States: A socioecological analysis Luciana Giorgio Cosenzo, Sarah Valentina Diaz, Melanie Morris and Carmela Alcántara