(PS4-19) Depressive Stress Generation and Relationship Quality Among Latinx Couples: The Protective Roles of Acculturation and Intercultural Competence

Abstract Text: Acculturation refers to changes individuals experience as a result of sustained intercultural contact (Berry et al., 1992; Torres, 2007). Intercultural competence, culture-specific instrumental skills and attributes that facilitate effective cultural interactions (Torres, 2013), has been associated with lower depression (Torres, 2017). Stress generation theory suggests that depressed individuals actively contribute to the occurrence of stressors, leading to an increased experience of stressful events (Hammen, 2006), particularly in romantic relationships (Eberhart, 2010). Thus, acculturation and intercultural competence may influence relationship functioning through their influence on depression severity. This study examined the relationship between acculturation and domains of relationship functioning, as well as intercultural competence and depression as mediators of these relationships.

Mexican American adults (n = 208; M age = 29.39, SD = 5.85; 51.9% female) completed self-report measures of acculturation, intercultural competence, depression, relationship disengagement, and quality of marriage. Data were analyzed with serial mediation using PROCESS (Hayes, 2022).

Results indicated Latinx acculturation, but not Anglo acculturation, indirectly influenced relationship disengagement. Specifically, intercultural competence and depression fully mediated the indirect relationship such that greater Latinx acculturation was significantly associated with greater intercultural competence, which in turn was significantly associated with lower depression, and lower subsequent relationship disengagement (ß= - .03, SE= .01, bootstrap 95%CI -0.05 – -0.001). Similarly, Latinx acculturation, but not Anglo acculturation, influenced quality of marriage directly as well as indirectly. Latinx acculturation was directly associated with quality of marriage (ß = .21, SE = .54, t = 2.64, p= .0091, bootstrap 95%CI = 0.35 – 2.48), such that Latinx acculturation was related to greater quality of marriage. The effect of Latinx acculturation on quality of marriage was partially mediated by intercultural competence and depression, such that greater Latinx acculturation was significantly associated with greater intercultural competence, which in turn was associated with lower depression, which was subsequently associated with greater quality of marriage (ß = .02, SE = .01, bootstrap 95%CI = .001 – 0.04).

These findings suggest greater behavioral acculturation to traditional Latinx culture is a protective factor for relationship functioning among Latinxs. The mediational relationship suggests intercultural competence may confer the protective influence of traditional Latinx acculturation on relationship quality, potentially through reduced depressive symptom severity. The direct effect of Latinx acculturation on marriage quality suggests that behaviors associated with traditional Latinx culture may be protective for positive relationship functioning among Latinxs. Results are further discussed regarding the clinical implications for working with Latinx couples, and theoretical implications for stress generation in relation to Latinxs.