Title

Internalizing symptoms in Latinos: The role of anxiety sensitivity

Authors

Authors

R. E. Varela; C. F. Weems; S. L. Berman; L. Hensley;M. C. R. de Bernal

Comments

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Abbreviated Journal Title

J. Youth Adolesc.

Keywords

internalizing symptoms; children; Latino; Latin American; anxiety; sensitivity; anxiety; depression; somatic symptoms; MEXICAN-AMERICAN; PANIC-ATTACKS; UNITED-STATES; CHILDREN; ADOLESCENTS; DISORDERS; FAMILIES; STRESS; FEAR; PSYCHOPATHOLOGY; Psychology, Developmental

Abstract

Latin American youth in the United States tend to report more internalizing symptoms than white non-Latino youth, yet little is known about the factors that may contribute to such differences. The present study examined the role that anxiety sensitivity, gender, and ethnic minority status may play in the expression of internalizing symptoms across Latin American adolescents (n = 116) and white non-Latino adolescents (n = 72) in the United States and Colombian adolescents in Colombia (n = 163). Results provide evidence that because fear of anxiety related phenomena and physiological symptoms of anxiety in particular may be normative in Latino culture anxiety sensitivity does not amplify somatic complaints for Latin American and Colombian youth as it does for white non-Latino youth. Results further suggest that anxiety sensitivity and being female predicted anxiety and depressive symptoms independent of cultural background. Implications of the findings to our understanding of cultural variability in internalizing symptoms are discussed.

Journal Title

Journal of Youth and Adolescence

Volume

36

Issue/Number

4

Publication Date

1-1-2007

Document Type

Article

Language

English

First Page

429

Last Page

440

WOS Identifier

WOS:000246227400005

ISSN

0047-2891

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