The role of ethnic identity, other protective factors, and acculturative stress in at-risk Mexican-American adolescents

Mexican-American youth stand a greater risk than Caucasian youth of developing various academic, psychological, and social problems. A number of these problems are a result of stress related to the acculturation process. However, there is a paucity of research focusing on the factors that may reduce the occurrence of problems in at-risk populations. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship that ethnic identity, self-efficacy, prosocial attitudes, global positive expectancies, and acculturative stress have with external and internal psychological problems in 11-18 year old Mexican-American adolescent boys and girls attending an alternative education program as a consequence of rule-breaking and aggressive behavior in their mainstream school. Two hundred and nineteen Mexican-American youth participated in the study. Results show that culture specific ethnic identity status was not significantly related to psychological problems in at-risk Mexican-American adolescents and was not significantly related to any of the other protective factors examined in this study. However, self-efficacy and global positive expectancies were significantly, negatively related to psychological problems. In addition, acculturative stress was significantly, positively related to psychological problems. Directions for future research as well as implications for culturally appropriate methods for working with at-risk Mexican-American adolescents are discussed.