SPECIAL SECTION
Strong cultural connectedness buffers urban American Indian children from the negative effects of stress on mental health
Monica Tsethlikai,
Kevin Korous,
Juyoung Kim,
Corresponding Author
Monica Tsethlikai
School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
Correspondence
Monica Tsethlikai, School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorKevin Korous
Institute for Health & Equity, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Search for more papers by this authorJuyoung Kim
School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
Search for more papers by this authorMonica Tsethlikai,
Kevin Korous,
Juyoung Kim,
Corresponding Author
Monica Tsethlikai
School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
Correspondence
Monica Tsethlikai, School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorKevin Korous
Institute for Health & Equity, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Search for more papers by this authorJuyoung Kim
School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
Search for more papers by this authorThe title for this Special Section is Highlighting Indigenous Child Development: Edges and Possibilities in State-of-the-Art Research, edited by Monica Tsethlikai, Ph.D., Ashley Cole, Ph.D., Adam Hoffman Ph.D., Megan Bang, Ph.D. and Florrie Ng, Ph.D.
Abstract
We explored whether urban American Indian (AI) caregivers who maintained a strong sense of cultural connectedness buffered their children from the negative effects of stress on mental health. A community sample of 161 urban AI children (91 girls) ages 8–15 years (M = 11.20 years) and their primary caregivers participated between 2016 and 2017. Caregiver cultural connectedness moderated associations among child stressful life events and increased anger (R 2 = .13) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms (R 2 = .15). For caregivers with greater cultural connectedness, associations were attenuated and not significant. Higher hair cortisol was related to increased depressive (R 2 = .11), anxiety (R 2 = .10), and PTSD (R 2 = .15) symptoms and was not moderated by cultural connectedness.
Open Research
DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT
The data and materials necessary to reproduce the analyses and attempt to replicate the findings are not publicly accessible due to ethical considerations and to protect the privacy, confidentiality, and anonymity of the vulnerable populations involved in this study. The statistical code is available upon request from the first author. The analyses were not pre-registered.
Supporting Information
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| cdev14149-sup-0001-Supinfo.docxWord 2007 document , 108.8 KB |
Appendix S1. |
Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article.
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