Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Psychometric Evaluation of the Abbreviated Multidimensional Acculturation Scale (AMAS) in a Treatment-Seeking Sample of First-Generation Immigrant Caregivers

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Child Psychiatry & Human Development Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The unique needs of first-generation immigrants and their families have not been prioritized in mental healthcare. Cultural tailoring of child services requires valid, reliable, and efficient assessments of family cultural identity. The Abbreviated Multidimension Acculturation Scale (AMAS) is a self-report of acculturation and enculturation that has been evaluated in community, but not clinical, samples. We offer the first AMAS psychometric evaluation in a treatment-seeking sample of first-generation immigrant caregivers presenting for children’s mental healthcare (N = 219). Analyses examined the internal consistency, concurrent validity, and factor structures of the long-form AMAS (42 items, six subscales), AMAS-10 (10 items, four subscales), and AMAS-14 (14 items, six subscales). Findings provide support for the AMAS-10 and AMAS-14, but not the full-length AMAS, in the present sample. Given urgent needs for culturally responsive care for first-generation populations, the AMAS-10 and AMAS-14 can be used in clinical settings to support cultural assessment, case conceptualization, and treatment planning.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Data Availability

Data and materials are available upon reasonable request from the corresponding author.

References

  1. Budiman A, Tami C, Mora L, Noe-Bustamante L (2020) Facts on U.S. Immigrants, 2018. Available from: https://www.pewresearch.org/hispanic/2020/08/20/facts-on-u-s-immigrants/

  2. United States Census Bureau (2019) Available from: https://www.census.gov/topics/population/foreign-born/about.html

  3. Bessaha ML, Cornelius L, Unick GJ (2020) Barriers to behavioral health service utilization among first-generation immigrant emerging adults. Soc Work Ment Health 18(1):55–74

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Crocker RM (2021) The impact of binational barriers to medical care on the care-seeking practices of mexican immigrants. Qual Health Res 31(6):1043–1055

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Barajas-Gonzalez RG, Torres HL, Urcuyo A, Salamanca E, Kourousias L (2022) Racialization, discrimination, and depression: a mixed-method study of the impact of an anti-immigrant climate on Latina immigrant mothers and their children. SSM-MH:100084

  6. Cervantes RC, Padilla AM, Napper LE, Goldbach JT (2013) Acculturation-related stress and mental health outcomes among three generations of hispanic adolescents. His J Behav Sci 35(4):451–468

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Cobb CL, Meca A, Branscombe NR, Schwartz SJ, Xie D, Zea MC et al (2019) Perceived discrimination and well-being among unauthorized hispanic immigrants: the moderating role of ethnic/racial group identity centrality. Cultur Divers Ethnic Minor Psychol 25(2):280–287

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Ayón C, Philbin SP (2017) Tú No Eres de Aquí”: latino children’s experiences of institutional and interpersonal discrimination and microaggressions. Soc Work Res 41(1):19–30

    Google Scholar 

  9. Chavez-Dueñas NY, Adames HY, Perez-Chavez JG, Salas SP (2019) Healing ethno-racial trauma in latinx immigrant communities: cultivating hope, resistance, and action. Am Psychol 74(1):49

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Ayón C, García SJ (2019) Latino immigrant parents’ experiences with discrimination: implications for parenting in a hostile immigration policy context. J Fam Issues 40(6):805–831

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Fuentes-Balderrama J, Vanderziel A, Parra‐Cardona JR (2022) Building a nest in a storm: the impact of immigration‐related stress on latino mothers’ parenting. Fam Process e12797

  12. Zhang X, Middlemiss W, Zhang T, Kelly L (2021) Mothers’ parenting stress in chinese immigrant families: the role of fathers’ involvement and social support.J Fam Stud1–19

  13. Calzada EJ, Brotman LM, Huang KY, Bat-Chava Y, Kingston S (2009) Parent cultural adaptation and child functioning in culturally diverse, urban families of preschoolers. J Appl Dev Psychol 30(4):515–524

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  14. Conroy K, Frech N, Sanchez AL, Hagan MB, Bagner DM, Comer JS (2021) Caregiver stress and cultural identity in families of preschoolers with developmental delay. Infant Ment Health J 4:573–585

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Ren H, Cheah CSL, Tahseen M, Zhou N (2021) A person-centered examination of acculturation and psychological functioning among chinese and korean immigrant mothers in the United States. Cultur Divers Ethnic Minor Psychol 27(1):95–106

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Yoon E, Choi Y, Suh J-E, Galvin S (2021) Examination of korean immigrant mothers’ parenting practices: by using the framework of bilinear acculturation. Asian Am J Psychol 12(1):52–64

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  17. Birman D, Simon CD (2014) Acculturation research: Challenges, complexities, and possibilities

  18. Berry JW, Bouvy A, Van de Vijver RR, Boski P, Schmitz P (1994) Acculturation and psychological adaptation: An overview. In: Bouvy AM, van de Vijver FJR, Boski P, Schmitz P. Journeys into cross-cultural psychology Subtitle: Selected papers from the Eleventh International Conference of the International Association p. 222–249

  19. Yoon E, Chang C-T, Kim S, Clawson A, Cleary SE, Hansen M et al (2013) A meta-analysis of acculturation/enculturation and mental health. J Couns Psychol 60(1):15–30

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Szapocznik J, Scopetta MA, Kurtines W, Aranalde MD (1978) Theory and measurement of acculturation. Interam J Psychol 12(2):113–130

    Google Scholar 

  21. Barrera M Jr, Castro FG, Strycker LA, Toobert DJ (2013) Cultural adaptations of behavioral health interventions: a progress report. J Consult Clin Psychol 81(2):196

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Lau AS (2006) Making the case for selective and directed cultural adaptations of evidence-based treatments: examples from parent training. Clin psychol: Sci Pract 13(4):295

    Google Scholar 

  23. Miranda J, Bernal G, Lau A, Kohn L, Hwang WC, LaFromboise T (2005) State of the science on psychosocial interventions for ethnic minorities. Annu Rev Clin Psychol 1:113

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  24. Sanchez AL, Jent J, Aggarwal NK, Chavira D, Coxe S, Garcia D et al (2022) Person-centered cultural assessment can improve child mental health service engagement and outcomes.J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol, pp1–22

  25. Sanchez AL, Comer J, LaRoche M (2021) Enhancing the responsiveness of family-based CBT through culturally informed case conceptualization and treatment planning. Cog Behav Pract

  26. Zigarelli JC, Jones JM, Palomino CI, Kawamura R (2016) Culturally responsive cognitive behavioral therapy: making the case for integrating cultural factors in evidence-based treatment. Clin Case Stud 15(6):427–442

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Díaz E, Añez LM, Silva M, Paris M, Davidson L (2017) Using the cultural formulation interview to build culturally sensitive services. Psychiatr Serv 68(2):112–114

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Añez LM, Paris M Jr, Bedregal LE, Davidson L, Grilo CM (2005) Application of cultural constructs in the care of first generation latino clients in a community mental health setting. J of Psychiatr Pract 11(4):221–230

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Beidas RS, Stewart RE, Walsh L, Lucas S, Downey MM, Jackson K et al (2015) Free, brief, and validated: standardized instruments for low-resource mental health settings. Cogn Behav Pract 22(1):5–19

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  30. Jensen-Doss A, Hawley KM (2010) Understanding barriers to evidence-based assessment: clinician attitudes toward standardized assessment tools. J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol 39(6):885–896

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  31. American Psychiatric Association (2013) Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, 5th edn. American Psychiatric Publishing, Arlington, VA

    Book  Google Scholar 

  32. Lewis-Fernández R, Aggarwal NK, Kirmayer LJ (2020) The cultural formulation interview: progress to date and future directions. Transcult Psychiatry 57(4):487–496

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Cuéllar I, Arnold B, Maldonado R (1995) Acculturation Rating Scale for Mexican Americans-II: a revision of the original ARSMA scale. Hisp J Behav Sci 17(3):275–304

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Gordon MM (1964) Assimilation in american life: the role of race, religion, and national origins. Oxford University Press on Demand

  35. Zea MC, Asner-Self KK, Birman D, Buki LP (2003) The abbreviated Multidimentional Acculturation Scale: empirical validation with two Latino/Latina samples. Cultur Divers Ethnic Minor Psychol 9(2):107–126

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Mendez JL, Westerberg D (2012) Implementation of a culturally adapted treatment to reduce barriers for latino parents. Cultur Divers Ethnic Minor Psychol 18(4):363–372

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Kazanas SA, McLean JS, Altarriba J (2019) Emotion and emotion concepts: processing and use in monolingual and bilingual speakers. In: The handbook of the neuroscience of multilingualism p.313–334

  38. Saechao F, Sharrock S, Reicherter D, Livingston JD, Aylward A, Whisnant J et al (2012) Stressors and barriers to using mental health services among diverse groups of first-generation immigrants to the United States. Community Ment Health J 48(1):98–106

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Comer JS, Hong N, Poznanski B, Silva K, Wilson M (2019) Evidence base update on the treatment of early childhood anxiety and related problems. J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol 48(1):1–15

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. United States Department of Health and Human Services (2018) Available from: https://aspe.hhs.gov/2017-povertyguidelines#threshholds

  41. Muthén LK, Muthén BO (2015) Mplus users guide, 7th edition

  42. Hu LT, Bentler PM (1999) Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Struct Equ Model: A Multidisciplinary J 6(1):1–55

    Article  Google Scholar 

  43. Yu CY (2002) Evaluating cutoff criteria of model fit indices for latent variable models with binary and continuous outcomes. University of California, Los Angeles

    Google Scholar 

  44. Akaike H (1974) A new look at the statistical model identification. IEEE Trans Automat Contr 19(6):716–723

    Article  Google Scholar 

  45. Schwarz G (1978) Estimating the dimension of a model. The annals of statistic, pp 461–464

  46. Bentler PM, Bonett DG (1980) Significance tests and goodness of fit in the analysis of covariance structures. Psychol Bull 88(3):588–606

    Article  Google Scholar 

  47. Kim RE, Lau AS, Chorpita BF (2016) The impact of latino caregiver acculturation on treatment engagement in children’s community mental health services. J Child Fam Stud 25(3):891–901

    Article  Google Scholar 

  48. American Psychological Association (2017) Multicultural Guidelines: An Ecological Approach to Context, Identity, and Intersectionality. Available from: http://www.apa.org/about/policy/multicultural-guidelines.pdf

  49. American Psychological Association (2019) APA guidelines on race and ethnicity in psychology: Promoting responsiveness and equity. Available from: http://www.apa.org/about/policy/race-and-ethnicity-in-psychology.pdf

  50. Suárez-Orozco C, Yoshikawa H, Teranishi RT, Suárez-Orozco MM (2011) Growing up in the shadows: the developmental implications of unauthorized status. Har Educa Rev 81(3):438–472

    Article  Google Scholar 

  51. Barajas-Gonzalez RG, Huang K, Hoque S, Karim F, Shakir A, Cheng S (2021) Stressors, legal vulnerability and bangladeshi parent and child well-being in New York City. J Health Care Poor and Underserved 32(2):799–818

    Article  Google Scholar 

  52. Meyer ML, McKenny MC, Liddell-Quintyn E, Nicolas G, St. Louis G (2021) Racial stress and racialized violence among Black immigrants in the United States. In: Tummala-Narra P. Trauma and Racial Minority Immigrants: Turmoil, Uncertainty, and Resistance p. 147–163 American Psychological Association

  53. Ebesutani C, Bernstein A, Chorpita BF, Weisz JR (2012) A transportable assessment protocol for prescribing youth psychosocial treatments in real-world settings: reducing assessment burden via self-report scales. Psychol Assess 24(1):141–155

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  54. Sue DW, Capodilupo CM, Torino GC, Bucceri JM, Holder AMB, Nadal KL et al (2007) Racial microaggressions in everyday life: implications for clinical practice. Am Psycholog 62(4):271–286

    Article  Google Scholar 

  55. Sibrava NJ, Bjornsson AS, Pérez Benítez ACI, Moitra E, Weisberg RB, Keller MB (2019) Posttraumatic stress disorder in african american and latinx adults: clinical course and the role of racial and ethnic discrimination. Am Psychol 74(1):101–116

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  56. Landrine H, Klonoff EA, Corral I, Fernandez S, Roesch S (2006) Conceptualizing and measuring ethnic discrimination in health research. J Behav Med 29(1):79–94

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  57. Williams DR, Yu Y, Jackson JS, Anderson NB (1997) Racial differences in physical and mental health: Socio-economic status, stress and discrimination. J Health Psychol 2(3):335–351

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  58. Ayón C (2017) Perceived immigration policy effects scale: development and validation of a scale on the impact of state-level immigration policies on latino immigrant families. Hisp J Behav Sci 39(1):19–33

    Article  Google Scholar 

  59. Khullar D, Chokshi DA (2019) Challenges for immigrant health in the USA—the road to crisis. Lancet 393(10186):2168–2174

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  60. Torres SA, Santiago CD, Walts KK, Richards MH (2018) Immigration policy, practices, and procedures: the impact on the mental health of mexican and central american youth and families. Am Psychol 73(7):843–854

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  61. Romero AJ, Piña-Watson B, Toomey RB (2018) When is bicultural stress associated with loss of hope and depressive symptoms? Variation by ethnic identity status among mexican descent youth. J Latinx Psychol 6(1):49–63

    Article  Google Scholar 

  62. Saasa S, Ward KP, Escamilla SW (2021) Immigrant generation, race, and socioeconomic outcomes of mothers in Urban Cities: who fares better? J Immigr Minor Health 23(4):793–805

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  63. Omenka OI, Watson DP, Hendrie HC (2020) Understanding the healthcare experiences and needs of african immigrants in the United States: a scoping review. BMC Public Health 20(1):1–13

    Article  Google Scholar 

  64. Buchanan NT, Wiklund LO (2020) Why clinical science must change or die: integrating intersectionality and social justice. Women Ther 43(3–4):309–329

    Article  Google Scholar 

  65. Kim SY, Schwartz SJ, Perreira KM, Juang LP (2018) Culture’s influence on stressors, parental socialization, and developmental processes in the mental health of children of immigrants. Annu Rev Clin Psychol 14:343–370

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  66. Le TP, Raposa EB (2019) The role of enculturation and acculturation in asian and european american college students’ daily social stress and support. Asian Am J Psychol 10(1):11–21

    Article  Google Scholar 

  67. Neblett EW Jr (2019) Racism and health: Challenges and future directions in behavioral and psychological research. Cultur Divers Ethnic Minor Psycholy 25(1):12–20

    Article  Google Scholar 

  68. Cano M, Castillo LG (2010) The role of enculturation and acculturation on Latina college student distress. J Hispanic High Educ 9(3):221–231

    Article  Google Scholar 

  69. Calzada EJ, Fernandez Y, Cortes DE (2010) Incorporating the cultural value of respeto into a framework of latino parenting. Cultur Divers Ethnic Minor Psychol 16(1):77–86

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  70. Obasi EM, Leong FT (2009) Psychological distress, acculturation, and mental health-seeking attitudes among people of Africa descent in the United States: a preliminary investigation. J Couns Psychol 56:227–238

    Article  Google Scholar 

  71. Thelamour B (2017) Applying the relative acculturation extended model to examine Black Americans’ perspectives on african immigrant acculturation. J Cross Cult Psychol 48(9):1457–1471

    Article  Google Scholar 

  72. Kyriazos TA (2018) Applied psychometrics: sample size and sample power considerations in factor analysis (EFA, CFA) and SEM in general. Psychology 9(08):2207

    Article  Google Scholar 

  73. Saasa SK, Rai A, Malazarte N, Yirenya-Tawiah AE (2021) Mental health service utilization among african immigrants in the United States. J Community Psychol 49(6):2144–2161

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

This study was supported in part by National Institutes of Health (RO1 HD084497), by the Andrew Kukes Foundation and by fellowship from the American Psychological Foundation.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Children and Families, Department of Psychology, Florida International University, 11200 S.W. 8th Street, Miami, FL, 33199, USA

    Anya E. Urcuyo, Kristina Conroy, Jami M. Furr, Daniel M. Bagner & Jonathan S. Comer

  2. George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA

    Amanda L. Sanchez

  3. Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA

    Karina Silva

Authors
  1. Anya E. Urcuyo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Kristina Conroy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Amanda L. Sanchez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Karina Silva
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Jami M. Furr
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Daniel M. Bagner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Jonathan S. Comer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

AEU and JSC were responsible for the original conceptualization of this work and the overarching research goals and aims. AEU and KC led the data analysis. ALS and KS led data acquisition and management. JSC and DMB acquired the financial support the study. AEU and JSC completed initial drafts of the work. All authors provided feedback on the draft and approved the final draft before submission.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jonathan S. Comer.

Ethics declarations

Competing Interest

Dr. Comer receives textbook royalties from Macmillan Learning, and an editorial stipend from the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, for work unrelated to the present study. No other authors have disclosures to report.

Ethical Approval

This data was collected through secondary data analysis of research approved and overseen by the Florida International University Institutional Review Board.

Informed Consent

This data was collected through secondary data analysis of research approved and overseen by the Florida International University Institutional Review Board.

Author Note

The authors’ work with children and families from various cultural and linguistic backgrounds, and the authors’ shared commitment to improving the quality and responsiveness of clinical services for first-generation immigrants and their families, have brought them together to conduct and report on this analysis. The first author of this paper identifies as a White Latina, bilingual (Spanish, English) speaker, second-generation immigrant who is from Nicaraguan and Western European ancestry. The second author is a white, non-Hispanic third-generation immigrant of mixed Western European ancestry. She does not have lived experience immigrating to this country, nor does she have lived experience with oppression associated with her racial, ethnic, or linguistic background. The third author identifies as a White Latina from Cuban and Western European ancestry, bilingual (Spanish, English) speaker, and second-generation immigrant. The fourth author identifies as a White Latina, multilingual (Portuguese, Spanish, English) speaker, first-generation immigrant who is from Brazil. The fifth author identifies as a cisgender White female and third-generation American of Eastern European ancestry. She does not have lived experience immigrating to the U.S., nor does she have lived experience with oppression associated with her racial or linguistic background. The sixth author identifies as a cisgender White, non-Hispanic male and third-generation Jewish American of Eastern European ancestry. He does not have lived experience immigrating to the U.S., nor does he have lived experience with oppression associated with his racial or linguistic background. The final author identifies as a cisgender White, non-Hispanic male and third-generation Jewish American of Eastern European ancestry. He does not have lived experience immigrating to the U.S., nor does he have lived experience with oppression associated with his racial or linguistic background. All authors are affiliated with large academic institutions.

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Urcuyo, A.E., Conroy, K., Sanchez, A.L. et al. Psychometric Evaluation of the Abbreviated Multidimensional Acculturation Scale (AMAS) in a Treatment-Seeking Sample of First-Generation Immigrant Caregivers. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-023-01525-w

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-023-01525-w

Keywords

Search

Navigation