The vulnerable populations conceptual framework guided this secondary analysis of a subset of cross sectional data from 129 pregnant and postpartum women, taken from an original data set of 315 women of Mexican descent living in an urban area of northern California. In this descriptive, correlational, and comparative study, survey methods were used to collect data on risks(traumatic events including crime, disasters, sexual violation, and violence), resources(income, education, access to a car, etc.), protective factors(level of resilience, life satisfaction, and sense of mastery), and outcomes including depression. The specific aim of this secondary analysis was threefold: 1)to determine the relationship between number of traumatic events, resilience, and depressive symptoms among women of Mexican descent during pregnancy and postpartum; 2) to determine if acculturation had an effect on levels of resilience, sense of mastery, number or type of traumatic events, and depression; and 3) to determine which cluster of risk, resource, and protective variables accounted for the majority of variance in depressive symptoms. Results revealed that women who spent all of their childhood years in Mexico reported fewer depressive symptoms and less exposure to trauma but fewer financial resources than women who spent all or some of their childhood years in the U.S. A three-step hierarchical regression analysis revealed that protective factors (resilience, mastery, and life satisfaction) accounted for most (45%) of the variance in depressive symptoms for this sample. Results of this study challenge the meaning of resilience for women of Mexican descent. Implications for culturally relevant services are discussed.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant will be able to: 1. Discuss the relationship between risks such as traumatic events, resources such as resilience, and outcomes such as depression during pregnancy/postpartum, in relation to immigration and acculturation, for women of Mexican descent. 2. Critically analyze the definition of "resilience" or "personal competence" in relation to its cultural relevance and practical reality for women of Mexican descent living with low incomes in the U.S. 3. Analyze the usefulness of various proxies for acculturation commonly used in clinical care, health policy, and research (place of birth, language spoken, place of childhood)in relation to depression, trauma, and psychological well being for women of Mexican descent
Keywords: Latinas, Violence
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: none
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.