Risk and resilience processes, familism, and depressive symptoms in Latino adolescents

This study employed a developmental psychopathology framework to examine the relationship between familism and depressive symptoms across relational contexts in adolescence. Familism, a core cultural value for Latinos, is characterized as a strong attachment to family, reciprocated loyalty and obligation, a subjugation of self to one's family, and maintenance of respect for parental desires and expectations. The majority of research on familism finds that it predicts fewer depressive symptoms in adolescence. However, recent findings suggest that under some circumstances familism may not be protective. The current study extends past research by examining whether maternal depressive symptoms, maternal warmth and support, and peer and teacher support moderate the relationship between familism and depressive symptoms. One hundred and seventy-six Latino adolescents (52.9% female) in 7th- 10th grades and seventy-four of their mothers participated in this study. Overall, familism was associated with fewer adolescent depressive symptoms, even in the context of maternal depressive symptoms. However, maternal warmth and support moderated the relationship between familism and adolescent depressive symptoms such that familism was only protective at high levels of maternal warmth and support. Peer and teacher support was also a moderator. Only at moderate to high levels of peer and teacher support was familism related to fewer adolescent depressive symptoms. In the context of high peer and teacher support, adolescents reported low depressive symptoms regardless of familism. Thus, familism is a multidynamic construct conferring protective effects in most contexts, but failing to be protective in some contexts