Familism and mental health: variation between Asian American children of refugees and immigrants

Informed by a psychoanalytic theory, the current study aimed to examine variation in the acculturation of Asian American refugees and immigrants, their children's endorsement of familism, and its mental health consequences. Specifically, we hypothesized that refugees would acculturate less than immigrants, which, in turn, would partially mediate a higher endorsement of familism in the former's children. Furthermore, we hypothesized that familism would negatively impact the mental health of children of refugees but not that of children of immigrants. The study used data from the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study (CILS). A group of 491 Asian American refugee and 391 immigrant parents and their adolescent children served as the sample. As predicted, refugees were less acculturated than immigrants, which partially mediated the effect of migration type on their children's level of familism. Also, as predicted, familism negatively impacted the mental health of children of refugees but not that of children of immigrants. Implications for mental health services targeting this population are discussed.