Methods: We used data from the Filipinx Americans in Massachusetts Health Study (June-March 2020). Participants completed an online survey using Qualtrics. The primary exposure variable was the Colonial Mentality Scale, a 36-item measure (five subscales: within-group discrimination, physical characteristics, colonial debt, cultural shame, and internalized cultural/ethnic inferiority) with higher scores indicating higher levels of CM. Dependent variables were the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, a 10-item scale that measured levels of distress; Lubben Social Network Scale, a 12-item scale measuring social isolation; and an item from the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index to measure insomnia. Covariates included age, gender, sexual orientation, educational level, and distress were adjusted for the latter two outcomes. We performed linear and logistic regressions using Stata 17.
Results: Of the 148 participants, the mean CM was 64.34 (SD=22.22; range=36-170), mean distress was 23.01 (SD=8.67; range=10-46), mean social isolation was 18.12 (SD=8.24; range=4-30), and 27% reported insomnia. Within-group discrimination (β=0.22; 95% CI: 0.10, 0.51) and internalized cultural/ethnic inferiority (β=0.26; 95% CI: 0.18, 0.74) were associated with increased distress. Physical characteristics (β=-0.19; 95% CI: -0.22, -0.01), colonial debt (β=-0.23; 95% CI: -0.29, -0.04), cultural shame (β=-0.19; 95% CI: -0.52, -0.03), and CM (β=-0.21; 95% CI: -0.08, -0.01) were associated with decreased social isolation. Cultural shame was associated with increased odds of insomnia (OR=1.12; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.26). The Variance Inflation Factor (VIF) for all models were below 2.0 indicating low multicollinearity.
Conclusions and Implications: An increased likelihood of distress and insomnia was associated with some CM subscales, while others were associated with a decreased likelihood of social isolation. Findings underscore the reverberating effects of colonization and intergenerational trauma on Filipinx American health outcomes. Social workers may leverage our results to strategically intervene and interrupt the transmission of CM through intergenerational trauma by fostering critical consciousness and promoting a positive ethnic identity to address the deleterious effects of CM. Future studies should similarly examine the well-being of minoritized ethnic groups and the impact of their colonial history; doing so may identify means of healing that are rooted in their cultural knowledge, beliefs, and practices.