Over the past decade, there has been a shift in Latinx immigration patterns to the U.S. (76% increase of immigrants from Venezuela; 37% increase of immigrants from Guatemala). Seeking asylum from political unrest, many of these immigrants are disproportionately impacted by the compounding conditions of pre and post immigration- stress, trauma, depressive symptoms and alcohol misuse. Most investigations on the interrelations of these conditions have been conducted among mostly Mexican immigrants residing in the U.S. for an extended period of time. Far less is known about the dynamics of the cumulative effect of these conditions among recent Latinx immigrants (RLI). The proposed study will examine the interrelatedness and interactive effects of pre and post immigration stress, trauma, depressive symptoms and alcohol misuse among young adult RLI while considering the role of traditional gender roles. To address this objective, a cross-sectional secondary data analysis will be conducted using baseline data from a NIAAA funded longitudinal study examining drinking and driving trajectories of N= 540 (N= 271 males and N= 269 females) young adult RLI between the ages of 18-34 (M=27.46, SD=5.01) who immigrated to South Florida within the past 12 months. The proposed research study aims to (1) examine the cumulative effects of pre-migration stress/trauma and post-immigration stressors on the depressive symptoms and alcohol use severity of young adult RLI in the U.S., (2) evaluate if gender has a moderating effect on the aforementioned associations, (3) test if these conditions demonstrate to be a syndemic factor, and (4) determine the association between adherence to traditional Latinx gender roles and this proposed syndemic factor. The central hypothesis is that greater levels of pre-migration stress/trauma and post-immigration stressors will be positively associated with post-immigration depressive symptoms and alcohol use severity, and this association will be moderated by gender. Additionally, a single syndemic factor will explain the covariance between these conditions and greater adherence to Latinx traditional gender roles will be positively associated with this syndemic factor. The proposed research questions will be tested by employing hierarchical multiple regression (HMR), moderation analyses, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). A strong mentorship team has been assembled with training activities designed to enhance the applicant?s knowledge and skills in the following areas: (1) alcohol use, trauma, gender roles, and mental health outcomes among recent Latinx immigrants, (2) quantitative data analytic techniques in epidemiological studies, (3) responsible conduct of research, and (4) professional development skills related to alcohol use research (grant and manuscript writing and conference presentations). The proposed research and training experience will successfully position the applicant towards becoming an independent researcher specializing in alcohol use in minority populations and provide essential skills to help her successfully compete for a post-doctoral research position.
Recent Latinx immigrants experience conditions of trauma and stress prior to migrating to the U.S., and immigration-related stressors, depressive symptoms, and alcohol misuse after immigrating to the U.S.; however, the cumulative and possible syndemic health effects of these conditions has not been previously examined. Therefore, this study will examine: (a) the cumulative effects of pre-migration stress/trauma and post-immigration stressors on the depressive symptoms and alcohol use severity among young adult recent Latinx immigrants, (b) evaluate if gender has a moderating effect on the aforementioned associations, (c) test if these conditions demonstrate to be a syndemic factor, and (d) examine the association of adherence to traditional Latinx gender roles on this proposed syndemic. Findings from the proposed study have the potential to inform the development of structural interventions in South Florida and other immigrant receiving communities that address the ethno-racial health disparities caused by the clustering conditions of: alcohol misuse, immigration stress, trauma, and depressive symptoms among young adult recent Latinx immigrants.
