Abstract
US Latino/as experience high rates of discrimination, resulting in personal and relational distress. A sample of 238 Latino/a young adults (Mage = 25.37 years; 57.6% men; 54.4% Mexican) was used to investigate how perceived discrimination was associated with romantic relationship instability via young adults’ depressive symptoms. The moderating roles of ethnic identity and romantic relationship maintenance on these associations were examined. Greater relationship maintenance and ethnic identity affirmation were associated with less depression and relationship instability. Under conditions of high ethnic identity exploration and resolution, the association between discrimination and depressive symptoms was stronger, leading to greater relationship instability. The findings reveal that the protective roles of cultural and relational factors may depend on the stressor and outcomes examined.
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Acknowledgements
We would like to thank the participants in our study and acknowledge Sahitya Maiya for her work on the project.
Author Contributions
S.K. designed the study, conducted the analyses, drafted sections of the manuscript, and provided a critical review; J.K.M. designed the study, drafted sections of the manuscript, and provided a critical review; M.G.B. participated in the study design, drafted sections of the manuscript, and provided a critical review; G.K. drafted a section of the manuscript; S.J. drafted a section of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Funding was provided by the Department of Human Development and Family Science at the University of Missouri and the USDA National Institute of Food & Agriculture, Hatch Project 1006258 awarded to Sarah Killoren.
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The datasets generated and/or analyzed during the current study are not publicly available but are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
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Killoren, S.E., Monk, J.K., Gonzales-Backen, M.A. et al. Perceived Experiences of Discrimination and Latino/a Young Adults’ Personal and Relational Well-being. J Youth Adolescence 49, 1017–1029 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-019-01175-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-019-01175-z