The relationship of ethnic identity to social support, self-esteem, psychological distress, and help-seeking behavior among Asian-American college students

This study examined the role of ethnic identity in perceived social support, self-esteem, psychological distress, and help-seeking behavior with a revised ethnic identity model and a newly devised measure, the Asian-American Ethnic Identity Scale (the AAEIS). Subjects were 139 Asian-American college students (58 males and 81 females). Internal consistency and factor analyses for the AAEIS were examined before major analyses were conducted. A one-way MANOVA showed an overall significant effect of ethnic identity. Within-group differences (Asian-American vs. Asian vs. American vs. Ambiguous Identities) were found for ethnic preference for support, number of social supports available, and patterns of help-seeking behavior. No support was found for the effects of ethnic identity on either self-esteem or psychological distress. Between-group differences (i.e., Chinese vs. Filipino vs. Korean vs. Vietnamese) were also examined, although findings were non-significant. Clinical implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.U of I OnlyETDs are only available to UIUC Users without author permissio