Cultural Stress, Mental Health, and Alcohol Misuse Among Hispanic Parents In the US: The Mediating Role of Resilience

Background and Purpose: Hispanic parents in the United States experience elevated levels of cultural stress (e.g., discrimination and negative context of reception), which research suggests are associated with adverse mental health and alcohol misuse. However, less is known about the mechanisms through which cultural stress influences health outcomes, particularly the role of resilience as a promotive factor. This study examines whether resilience mediates the association between cultural stress and internalizing symptoms (i.e., depressive and anxiety symptoms) and alcohol misuse among Hispanic parents.

Methods: Data were drawn from a sample of 515 Hispanic parents (54.8% female; M age = 40.4, SD = 8.8; 49.3% Texas, 50.7% Florida) of children aged 9-16 years residing in the United States, who completed an online panel survey (~25-minute duration). Cultural stress was specified as a latent construct via confirmatory factor analysis in Mplus, indicated by perceived discrimination (PDS-7) and negative context of reception (NCR-6). Outcomes included depressive symptoms (CES-D-10), anxiety symptoms (GAD-7), and alcohol misuse (AUDIT-C), with resilience (BRS-7) examined as a mediator. Path analysis via structural equation modeling was conducted in Mplus using maximum likelihood estimation with 5,000 bootstrap samples. Indirect and total effects were estimated using the MODEL INDIRECT command. Models adjusted for age, sex, income, education, generational status, and state of residence. Model fit was evaluated using standard indices (CFI, TLI, RMSEA, SRMR).

Results: The model demonstrated good fit (CFI = .99, TLI = .96, RMSEA = .05, SRMR = .02). Cultural stress was positively associated with depressive symptoms (β = .54, p < .001), anxiety (β = .50, p < .001), and alcohol misuse (β = .45, p < .001). Cultural stress was negatively associated with resilience (β = -.26, p < .001), and resilience was negatively associated with depressive symptoms (β = -.26, p < .001), anxiety symptoms (β = -.26, p < .001), and alcohol misuse (β = -.11, p = .009). Indirect effects through resilience were statistically significant for all outcomes, indicating significant partial mediation for depressive symptoms (β = .07, p < .001), anxiety symptoms (β = .07, p < .001), and alcohol misuse (β = .03, p = .014).

Conclusions and Implications: Findings suggest that cultural stress affects mental health symptoms and alcohol misuse among Hispanic parents in the United States, with resilience showing a promotive effect on these outcomes. Further research should examine the longitudinal effects of cultural stressors on family functioning and long-term health outcomes. These results underscore the need for preventive interventions that strengthen resilience as a resource for navigating cultural stress, including evidence-based curricula integrated into parenting programs aimed at reducing alcohol use and improving mental health outcomes in Hispanic families in the United States.