Internalizing symptoms in Latinos: The role of anxiety sensitivity

    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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