Contextualizing the experience of young Latino adults: acculturation, social support and depression.

Using a sample of 850 South Florida Latinos from the Miami-Dade county area, this study analyzes the effects of acculturation on the mental health of Latinos by testing whether family support mediates or moderates this relationship. For Latinos social support, particularly family support, is of special interest since it serves an important buffering function in mental health because of the importance of family values in this group. All of these research inquiries are investigated in a context where Latinos represented the majority of the population. Findings suggest a significant relationship between acculturation and depression that was mediated by family social support. Moderating effects were not discovered. The study discusses the importance of social context in analyzing the acculturation-mental health relationship and finds a strong association between gender, education and mental health.