ArticleInternational journal of epidemiology2012
Does cultural integration explain a mental health advantage for adolescents?
Article in International journal of epidemiology, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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16 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Associations between ethnicity and mental health problems among children and adolescents in the United Kingdom: A systematic review and narrative synthesis.BMC public health · 2024Pooled it
- Trial
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- Adverse childhood experiences and adolescent drug use in the UK: The moderating role of socioeconomic position and ethnicity.SSM - population health · 2022Article
- Explaining ethnic variations in adolescent mental health: a secondary analysis of the Millennium Cohort Study.Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology · 2022Article
- Acculturation and ethnic group differences in well-being among Somali, Latino, and Hmong adolescents.The American journal of orthopsychiatry · 2021Article
- Discrimination and Psychosocial Well-Being of Migrants in Spain: The Moderating Role of Sense of Community.Frontiers in psychology · 2020Article
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- Adjustment of refugee children and adolescents in Australia: outcomes from wave three of the Building a New Life in Australia study.BMC medicine · 2018Article
- The influence of racism on cigarette smoking: Longitudinal study of young people in a British multiethnic cohort.PloS one · 2018Article
- The Impact of Acculturation Style and Acculturative Hassles on the Mental Health of Somali Adolescent Refugees.Journal of immigrant and minority health · 2016Article
- The influence of social support on ethnic differences in well-being and depression in adolescents: findings from the prospective Olympic Regeneration in East London (ORiEL) study.Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology · 2015Article
- The Determinants of young Adult Social well-being and Health (DASH) study: diversity, psychosocial determinants and health.Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology · 2015Review
- Adolescent health and adaptation in Canada: examination of gender and age aspects of the healthy immigrant effect.International journal for equity in health · 2014Article
- The relationship between acculturation strategies and depressive and anxiety disorders in Turkish migrants in the Netherlands.BMC psychiatry · 2014Article
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Abstract
backgroundA mental health advantage has been observed among adolescents in urban areas. This prospective study tests whether cultural integration measured by cross-cultural friendships explains a mental health advantage for adolescents.
methodsA prospective cohort of adolescents was recruited from 51 secondary schools in 10 London boroughs. Cultural identity was assessed by friendship choices within and across ethnic groups. Cultural integration is one of four categories of cultural identity. Using gender-specific linear-mixed models we tested whether cultural integration explained a mental health advantage, and whether gender and age were influential. Demographic and other relevant factors, such as ethnic group, socio-economic status, family structure, parenting styles and perceived racism were also measured and entered into the models. Mental health was measured by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire as a 'total difficulties score' and by classification as a 'probable clinical case'.
resultsA total of 6643 pupils in first and second years of secondary school (ages 11-13 years) took part in the baseline survey (2003/04) and 4785 took part in the follow-up survey in 2005-06. Overall mental health improved with age, more so in male rather than female students. Cultural integration (friendships with own and other ethnic groups) was associated with the lowest levels of mental health problems especially among male students. This effect was sustained irrespective of age, ethnicity and other potential explanatory variables. There was a mental health advantage among specific ethnic groups: Black Caribbean and Black African male students (Nigerian/Ghanaian origin) and female Indian students. This was not fully explained by cultural integration, although cultural integration was independently associated with better mental health.
conclusionsCultural integration was associated with better mental health, independent of the mental health advantage found among specific ethnic groups: Black Caribbean and some Black African male students and female Indian students.
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