Depressive Symptoms In Chinese Immigrant Mothers: Relations With Perceptions Of Social Status And Interpersonal Support

Objectives: The present study examined how English proficiency, aspects of social status (education, income, and shifts in subjective social status), and interpersonal support were directly and indirectly associated with variations in depressive symptoms among Chinese immigrant mothers. Method: Individual semistructured interviews and questionnaires were administered to 257 first-generation Chinese immigrant mothers in the United States (M-age = 37.87 years). Participants reported on their English proficiency, perceived shifts in subjective social status, income, education, and levels of interpersonal support. Depressive symptoms were assessed through semistructured individual interviews using a measure previously developed and validated with Chinese American immigrant adults. Results: Path analyses indicated that participants' perceived upward shifts in subjective social status, higher levels of interpersonal support, and higher annual household income were associated with fewer depressive symptoms. Associations between English proficiency and participants' depressive symptoms were mediated by shifts in subjective social status, income, and interpersonal support. Conclusion: Chinese immigrant mothers' perceptions of postmigration changes in subjective social status and the availability of interpersonal support play important roles in their mental health, even accounting for objective indicators of socioeconomic status.