Ethnic Differences in the Relationships Between Parental Expectations and Psychological Well-Being

Introduction: Studies have demonstrated that Asian and Latino families in the United States tend to hold stronger values and expectations regarding their duty to help, support, and respect their families than their non-Latino and non-Asian peers (Fuligni, 2001; Fuligni, Tseng, & Lam, 1999). This sense of responsibility and obligation to the family is typically associated with a higher emphasis on the importance of education and greater academic motivation for these youth (Fuligni, 2001). Given these cultural beliefs, it is important to understand how filial obligations influence the endorsement and assessment of depressive symptoms. This study sought to test whether endorsement of meeting parental expectations differed in their association with depressive symptoms and self-esteem across Latino, Asian, and non-Latino white (NLW) emerging adults. Methods: Participants were 1,223 young adults recruited from a psychology subject pool at a large state university. The mean age of the sample was 19.2 years (SD = 1.5) and half of respondents were women (51%). The sample self-identified: 59% Hispanic/Latino, 22% NLW, and 19% Asian. The survey included questionnaires that assessed for self-esteem (i.e., positive esteem and self-deprecation), depressive symptoms, and the degree to which students perceived themselves as meeting parental expectations (i.e., regarding dating, academic/career, and being responsible).

 Results: Results found that associations between meeting parents’ expectations regarding personal responsibility and youth depressive symptoms were only significant for Asian American students (B = -.317, p = .001). The association between this same predictor and self-deprecation was statistically significant in all of the groups, however the association was stronger for Asian Americans (B = -.451, p < .001) compared to the non-Latino whites and Latinos (B = -.275, p < .001). On the other hand, the path from meeting parental academic expectations to positive esteem was significant for both Asians and Latinos (B = .300, p < .001), but not among the White participants (B = .095, p = .24). Similarly, the path from meeting academic expectations to self-deprecation was also significant among Asians and Latinos (B = -.358, p < .001), but not among NLW (B = .056, p = .55).

 Conclusions: These results point to the importance of taking into account how depressive cognitions may have familial elements, particularly with regard to family obligations, for Asian youth across contexts, and for both Latino and Asian youth for academics. Assessment of depressive symptoms needs to take into account culturally-congruent values.