Hoping for a Better Tomorrow: Do Hope and Optimism Serve As Protective Factors Against Discrimination for Latinx Immigrants?

Background & Purpose:

The criminalization of Latinx immigration and discrimination of Latinx immigrants in the US contribute to poor psychosocial outcomes such as depression, anxiety, and stress (Alegría et al., 2017; Torres, et al., 2018). However, Latinx immigrants’ hope and optimism for the future may serve as a protective factor against the negative impacts of discrimination. Using an Ecological Risk and Resilience Framework, the purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between perceived discrimination and the mental health of Latinx immigrants, as well as whether hope and optimism serve as protective factors against the negative mental health impacts of discrimination among men and women.

Methodology:

Data for this study were drawn from a sample of adult Latinx immigrants (n=417). The sample consisted of 40% men and 60% women. The mean age was 35 and the mean number of years in the US was 18. Discrimination was a 6-item scale (α= .82). The dependent variables in this study were Depression (7-item scale, α= .91), Anxiety (7-item scale, α= .95), and Stress (7-item scale, α= .96). Hope & Optimism was a 5-item scale that asked participants questions regarding their hope and optimism for the future (α= .93).

Multivariate OLS linear regression models examined the main effects of the relationship between discrimination and depression, anxiety, and stress. To examine whether hope and optimism moderated the effects of discrimination on mental health, an interaction variable, discrimination x hope and optimism, was created and added to the models. In order to examine differences by self-identified gender, separate models were run for men and women.

Results:

For women, the results indicated significant direct effects between perceived discrimination and greater symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. The results also indicated significant direct effects between hope and optimism and fewer symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. With the addition of the moderation variable (discrimination x hope and optimism), the results indicated a moderation effect of discrimination on reported symptoms of depression (B = -.069, p < .001).

For men, results indicated significant direct effects between greater discrimination and higher symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. The results also indicated significant direct effects between hope and optimism and fewer symptoms of depression, and anxiety. With the addition of the moderation variable, the results indicated a moderation effect of discrimination on reported symptoms of depression (B = -.179, p < .001), anxiety (B = -.109, p < .001), and stress (B = -.060, p < .05).

Conclusions & Implications:

Hope and optimism moderated the effects of discrimination for symptoms of depression, for women and depression, anxiety, and stress, for men. Although further research is needed to examine gender differences, developing culturally affirming interventions focused on hope and optimism may open new pathways for positive mental health outcomes for Latinx immigrants. However, while hope and optimism were found to be significant moderators for the harmful effects of discrimination, advocating for policies focused on eliminating the sources of systemic oppression and discrimination should be an imperative focus for social workers.