Causes and consequences of stressors for Latino adolescents

Abstract

This article addresses Latino adolescent stress: 1) the normative stressors that most adolescents encounter, 2) Latino-specific non-normative stressors, 3) conse­quences of the stressors for Latino adolescents, 4) Protective and coping factors that could be helpful for adolescents, 5) future studies and directions for research. The psychological state of stress depends on cognitive factors such as values, beliefs, goals and commitments along with self-esteem, sense of control, mastery, and envi­ronmental variables such as demands, resources and constraints. This review also found a need for researcn on the consequences of non-normative stressors in Latino adolescent in the following areas: a) intergenerational differences on acculturation lev­els and its consequences in the family (i.e. stress and conflicts between parents and adolescents), 2) further research that focuses on the difference between acculturated and bicultural Latino adolescents and their relationship to mental and physical health, 3) this review points out that Latina adolescents are in higher jeopardy for mental health and suicide attempts. Nevertheless, there is a gap in the current research that ad­dresses gender differences in Latino adolescents related to stressors, coping skills, resiliency and consequences in physical and mental health.