Chapter 6: Culture, Coping & Social Support

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards reviewing cultural influences on coping strategies, models of acculturation, immigrant mental health disparities, and foundational empirical research on social support.

Collectivistic Cultures

Cultural orientations common in many East Asian societies that emphasize interdependence on others across many roles and functions, often utilizing avoidance-based coping strategies.

Individualistic Cultures

Cultural orientations typical of the United States and European countries that emphasize independence and reliance on the self, typically employing approach-based coping strategies.

Approach-Based Coping

A style of coping strategy primarily associated with individualistic cultures that involves directly confronting or addressing a stressor.

Avoidance-Based Coping

A style of coping strategy primarily associated with collectivistic cultures that involves managing stress by avoiding direct confrontation to maintain group balance and cohesion.

Yeh and Colleagues (2006) Study

A study finding that Asian American families who lost a family member during the 9/11 terrorist attacks relied predominantly on collectivistic coping methods.

Ahmadi et al. (2018) Study

Research demonstrating that Malay culture, deeply ingrained in Islamic beliefs, strongly influences cancer patients' coping methods and perceptions of their illness.

Forbearance Coping

A coping style examined by Wei et al. (2012) in international Chinese students; it was associated with lower psychological distress overall, but correlated with increased distress under high stress for less-traditional students, while showing no significant association with distress for students with strong cultural heritage identification.

Ethnic Identity

A major mediator of the stress-mental health relationship that serves as a protective buffer against discrimination, as demonstrated in African American students and during COVID-19-related discrimination among Chinese immigrants and Chinese Americans (Litam & Oh, 2022).

Immigrant Paradox in Mental Health

The phenomenon where recent immigrants to the United States often report fewer stressful life events, fewer adverse health behaviors, and significantly lower rates of mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders compared to U.S.-born individuals of the same ethnic background (Vega et al., 2004).

Tovar (2017) Finding

Research indicating that the rate of psychiatric disorders among immigrants tends to increase with the duration of time lived in the United States.

Undocumented Hispanics

The demographic of immigrants identified as being at the highest psychological risk, frequently using coping mechanisms such as prayer and meditation, seeking comfort, and viewing negative situations positively.

Problem-Focused Coping (Undocumented Hispanics)

A coping approach represented by prayer and meditation among undocumented Hispanic populations, which was found to be positively associated with depression.

Active-Emotional Coping (Undocumented Hispanics)

A coping style involving seeking comfort from others and viewing bad things positively, which paradoxically was positively associated with depression in undocumented Hispanic samples.

Williams et al. (2007) Study

Research on Black Caribbean immigrants and African Americans showing that ethnicity, gender, and generational status moderated 12-month psychiatric disorder risks; Caribbean Black women had lower rates than African American women, whereas Caribbean Black men had higher rates than African American men.

Generational Psychiatric Risk Differences

Generational variations in mental health where first-generation immigrants display the highest rates of psychiatric disorders in the past 12 months, whereas third-generation immigrants show the highest overall lifetime prevalence rates.

Roland (1991) Model of Acculturation

A theoretical conceptualization viewing acculturation primarily as a process entailing the adoption of one culture at the expense of another.

Integration (Biculturalism)

One of Berry and colleagues' (1986) four acculturation models characterized by a strong identification with both the original ethnic group and the dominant culture.

Assimilation

An acculturation model defined by Berry et al. (1986) where an individual strongly identifies with only the dominant culture while relinquishing ties to their ethnic heritage.

Separation

An acculturation model described by Berry et al. (1986) characterized by exclusive identification with one's ethnic group and rejection or avoidance of the dominant culture.

Marginalization

An acculturation model defined by Berry et al. (1986) reflecting a state where an individual identifies with neither their ethnic group nor the dominant culture.

Acculturation Health Discrepancies

The mixed health patterns associated with cultural adaptation; while acculturation improves oral health and utilization, it is also linked to higher risks of diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, risky sexual behaviors, and increased substance use (such as alcohol in Arab Americans and Latina women).

Somali Enculturation vs. Acculturation

Differential psychological protective mechanisms found in Somali adolescents: higher American acculturation protected boys against mental health distress, while higher Somali enculturation protected girls from PTSD symptom severity.

Durkheim (1951) Empirical Study

Foundational sociological work that provided the first empirical evidence for the vital role of social relationships, demonstrating that a lack of social bonds increases the risk of suicide.

Cassel (1976) and Cobb (1976)

Classic scientific papers demonstrating that the presence and social interaction of other members of the same species is a critical ingredient for physical health and well-being.

Berkman & Syme (1979) Alameda County Study

A 9-year epidemiological study demonstrating that socially integrated men and women lived longer, with isolated individuals facing an age-adjusted relative mortality risk nearly twice as high as those with strong social connections.

Received Support

The actual objective social, informational, or tangible assistance that an individual reports was directly provided to them by others.

Perceived Support

The cognitive appraisal or subjective belief that adequate social support is readily available if needed in times of stress.

Forms of Social Support

The three structural classifications of social support: instrumental (tangible help/actions), informational (advice/guidance), and emotional (comfort/empathy).

Pregnancy Social Support Discrepancy

The differentiated effect of support sources during pregnancy: paternal support significantly predicts lower maternal anxiety (but not depressed mood), whereas family and friend support predicts reduced maternal depressed mood (but not anxiety).

Gender Differences in Social Support

Empirical patterns documented by Whiting & Whiting (1975) and Zhou et al. (2017) showing that females give and receive more emotional support throughout life, college females report more available helpers, and males are less likely to seek support or provide emotion-focused assistance.