Stress and Social Support as Predictors of Depressive Symptoms in Mexican Americans and Non-Hispanic Whites

We hypothesized that differences in depressed mood between Mexican-Americans and non-Hispanic whites would be accounted for by ethnic differences in exposure or vulnerability to stress and in access to or effectiveness of social resources. We tested this hypothesis in a household probability sample of Mexican-Americans (N = 1,206) and non-Hispanic whites (N = 1,088). Mexican-Americans had higher depression scores, greater exposure to strain, and less access to some kinds of social support than did non-Hispanic whites. In contrast, Mexican-Americans' social networks were characterized by greater geographic proximity and less social conflict. Multiple regression analysis suggested that Mexican-Americans' greater exposure to stress accounted for their higher mean depression levels. There was no evidence for greater vulnerability to stress or lesser effectiveness of social support among Mexican-Americans. Low social conflict was protective against depression for Mexican-Americans.