The American journal of orthopsychiatry
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Am J Orthopsychiatry · Jan 2015
Ethnic identity, perceived support, and depressive symptoms among racial minority immigrant-origin adolescents.
Although racial minority immigrant-origin adolescents compose a rapidly growing sector of the U. S. population, few studies have examined the role of contextual factors in mental health among these youth. The present study examined the relationship between ethnic identity and depressive symptoms, the relationship between perceived social support and depressive symptoms, and the relationship between sociodemographic factors (ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status) and depressive symptoms, among a culturally diverse group of adolescents. ⋯ The findings suggest the importance of gender and ethnic identity in mental health and, more broadly, the complexity of social location in mental health outcomes among U. S.-born and foreign-born immigrant-origin adolescents. Implications for research and interventions with immigrant-origin adolescents are discussed.