The Association of Cultural Values, Generational Status, and Perceived Social Support with Self-Reported Depressive Symptoms of Japanese American Females

Abstract

Research has suggested that ethnic minorities' adherence to their culture of origin and their perceived social support are significantly correlated with positive mental health and that Asian American females are more likely than Asian American males to self-report depressive symptoms. The goals of this study were to examine the degree to which Japanese American females' self-reported depressive symptoms were associated with their: (1) degree of adherence to Japanese and American cultural values; (2) generational status; (3) generational status when moderated by their degree of adherence to Japanese and American cultural values; (4) adherence to Japanese and American cultural values when moderated by their levels of perceived social support; and (5) to examine the degree to which data from this sample were more consistent with a unilinear or bilinear model of acculturation and enculturation. Adult Japanese American female participants (N = 207) completed a demographic survey, two cultural values scales, two depressive symptoms self-report instruments, and two perceived social support scales. Multiple linear regression analyses showed that Japanese American females' self-reported depressive symptoms were not significantly associated with their adherence to Japanese and American cultural values and generational status but were significantly associated with their level of perceived social support. Although no main effects were found, moderating effects were investigated for purposes of this dissertation. This study suggests that Japanese American females in Hawai'i may have unique, protective factors against depressive symptoms compared to Asian American females in other parts of the United States. Results also showed that Japanese American females in Hawai'i are significantly either highly enculturated or highly acculturated, which supports the unilinear model of adherence to cultural values occurring on a single continuum.