Mechanisms Linking Parental Discrimination Experiences to Child Mental Health in Latinx Families

Background and Purpose: Parents from racialized backgrounds are at disproportionate risk for mental health problems due to experiences of marginalization. The present study with Latina mothers considers how the racialization of parents impacts the mental health of their children. Specifically, this study investigates the mechanisms that link parents’ experiences of discrimination (PED) with child mental health, mediated by parental heightened vigilance (PHV) and parental mental health. The extant literature shows robust associations between discrimination and both parent and child mental health, but less is known about the mechanisms by which parental discrimination experiences impact children. We focus on PHV, specifically, because past studies show that while vigilance appears to have a negative relationship with adults’ mental health, it may also serve as a protective factor for children’s mental health.

Methods: Data were drawn from a three-wave longitudinal study in a mid-sized city in Texas. The present study sample included Latina mothers who had a child entering pre-kindergarten or kindergarten in 2021 at one of the 12 participating public elementary schools (n = 210). At baseline, mothers were 30.8 years old on average. 82.8% had high school degrees or lower; 60.5% were employed, and 45.2% earned less than $25K per year. Children were 4.8 years old, on average, and 50.5% were boys.

PED measured at wave 1 was the independent variable; PHV at wave 2 and parental mental health at wave 3 were examined as mediators; and child mental health at wave 3 was the dependent variable. Child mental health was assessed using the NIH Emotion Battery and included four subscales: anger, fear-over anxiety, fear-separation, and sadness. Parent mental health was assessed using the PROMIS-10 scale, with higher scores indicating better mental health. Path analyses were conducted for each child mental health outcome and income was controlled in the model.

Results: Approximately 45% of Latina mothers reported experiencing discrimination, and PED was positively correlated with PHV. PED and PHV were positively correlated with parental mental health. Parental mental health was negatively correlated with each of the child mental health subscales. There were also positive correlations between the child mental health subscales. Preliminary analysis of the conceptual model showed a good fit (CFI=1, TLI=1, RMSEA=0, SRMR=0) and suggested a positive association between PED and PHV and a negative association between PHV and child anger, uniquely. Additionally, parental mental health was negatively associated with child mental health subscales. The path from PED to anger via PHV approached significance. Final results using an imputed dataset will be presented.

Conclusion and Implication: The racialization of Latinx parents has implications for their own mental health and the mental health of their children. The present study findings suggest that Latina mothers’ experiences of discrimination and vigilant behavior influence child anger but in opposite directions, with PHV serving as a protective factor. Discussion will focus on the nuanced role that vigilance may be playing in Latinx families by potentially worsening parental mental health while simultaneously mitigating risk for child mental health problems.