Developmental Stage at Immigration and Mental Health: Group-Specific Findings Among Asian and Latinx Young Adults.

INTRODUCTION

The immigrant paradox describes the phenomenon in which first-generation immigrants often report better mental health outcomes than their U.S.-born peers, despite facing greater social adversity. However, it remains unclear whether this phenomenon holds across specific mental health outcomes, racial/ethnic groups, and developmental stages at immigration. This study examined mental health among Asian and Latinx young adults who moved to the U.S. at different ages.

METHODS

Using data from the 2022-2023 Healthy Minds Study of Asian (N = 8,694) and Latinx (N = 6,128) college students, we applied logistic regression models to assess odds of probable depression, anxiety, non-suicidal self-injury, and suicidal ideation among students who moved to the U.S. during childhood (before age 12), adolescence (ages 12-17), and young adulthood (ages 18-30), compared to co-ethnic U.S.-born peers.

RESULTS

Compared to U.S.-born Asians, Asian students who moved to the U.S. between ages 18 and 30 had lower odds of probable depression (OR = 0.82, p < .01), probable anxiety (OR = 0.78, p < .001), and suicidal ideation (OR = 0.80, p < .05), after adjusting for demographics. Latinx students who moved to the U.S. at different ages did not differ significantly in mental health outcomes, compared to U.S.-born Latinx peers.

CONCLUSION

Among Asian students, a mental health advantage was observed only among students who arrived in adulthood. No such association was observed among Latinx students at any age of arrival. Findings point to distinct experiences of groups aggregated under broad racial and ethnic labels, depending on developmental timing of immigration.