"Relations among acculturative stress, internalizing symptoms, and prosocial behaviors in Latinx college students"

Professor Gustavo Carlo published an article in the Journal of Latinx Psychology on the impact of acculturative stress on Latinx college students.

The title of the article is “Relations among acculturative stress, internalizing symptoms, and prosocial behaviors in Latinx college students.” Co-authors are Sahitya Maiya (University of Missouri), Alexandra N. Davis (University of New Mexico), and Cara Streit.(Lesley University).

Carlo’s primary research interest focuses on understanding positive social development and health in culturally diverse children and adolescents. Many of his projects focus on U.S. ethnic/racial groups, including Latino/a youth and families. He has published more than 200 books, chapters, and research papers. He currently serves as a member of the Society for Research in Child Development Governing Council, as associate editor of the International Journal of Behavioral Development, and as co-editor of the upcoming APA Handbook of Adolescent Development. Carlo is director of UCI’s Cultural Resilience and Learning Center.

Abstract
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Acculturative stress is viewed as detrimental to the mental health and prosocial behaviors of Latinx young adults, but empirical research on the topic is scarce. The present study examined the intervening role of internalizing symptoms in associations between acculturative stress and prosocial behaviors in Latinx college students. Participants included 1410 (74.9% women; M age = 19.71 years; 77.5% U.S.-born) Latinx college students, who reported on their levels of acculturative stress, internalizing symptoms, and public, and altruistic prosocial behaviors. Path analyses showed that acculturative stress was directly and indirectly related to public and altruistic prosocial behaviors via internalizing symptoms. Moreover, these associations varied by nativity (U.S.-born vs. foreign-born status) of participants. Our findings highlight the mental health strain on prosocial behaviors in the context of acculturative stress. Discussion focuses on the importance of studying within-group (e.g., nativity) differences in Latinx college students’ acculturative stress and adjustment. Implications for theory and intervention work for Latinx positive development are presented.