JOURNAL OF MULTICULTURAL COUNSELING AND DEVELOPMENT • April 2019 • Vol. 47 131
© 2019 American Counseling Association. All rights reserved.
Received 10/03/17
Revised 01/11/18
Accepted 02/15/18
DOI: 10.1002/jmcd.12127
Stress in Relation to
Anxiety and Depression Among
Racial/Ethnic Minority Women:
The Differential Impact of
Cultural Mismatch on Somatic
and Cognitive Symptoms
David C. Talavera, Mary Odafe, Soumia Cheref,
Judy H. Hong, Regina Leslie, and Rheeda L. Walker
The study examined the interactive effects of stress and cultural mismatch, as
evidenced by low independent self-construal, in relation to cognitive/somatic
symptoms of anxiety and depression among racial/ethnic minority women.
Results showed that stress and independent self-construal work synergistically
to differentially affect cognitive, rather than somatic, symptoms of anxiety and
depression. Findings highlight the importance of investigating the interplay
between stress and contextual factors to improve current treatment models
for marginalized groups.
Keywords: somatic/cognitive symptoms, anxiety, depression, stress, racial/
ethnic minority
El estudio examinó los efectos interactivos del estrés y la discordancia cultural,
probados por un bajo autoconcepto independiente, en relación con los síntomas
cognitivos/somáticos de la ansiedad y la depresión entre mujeres de minorías
raciales/étnicas. Los resultados mostraron que el estrés y el autoconcepto indepen-
diente trabajan en sinergia para afectar diferencialmente a los síntomas cognitivos,
no así a los somáticos, de la ansiedad y la depresión. Los hallazgos subrayan la
importancia de investigar la interacción entre el estrés y los factores contextuales
para mejorar los modelos de tratamiento actuales para grupos marginalizados.
Palabras clave: síntomas somáticos/cognitivos, ansiedad, depresión, estrés,
minoría racial/étnica
M
ultiple lines of evidence indicate that racial/ethnic minority women
experience disproportionate rates of internalizing symptoms such as
anxiety and depression compared with White/European American
women (McLean, Asnaani, Litz, & Hofmann, 2011; Young, Fang, & Zisook,
2010). Consedine, Magai, Krivoshekova, Ryzewicz, and Neugut (2004) found
David C. Talavera, Mary Odafe, Soumia Cheref, Judy H. Hong, and Rheeda L. Walker, Department of
Psychology, University of Houston; Regina Leslie, Department of Psychology, Rice University. Correspondence
concerning this article should be addressed to Rheeda L. Walker, Department of Psychology, University of
Houston, 3695 Cullen Boulevard, Room 126, Houston, TX 77204-5022 (email: rlwo@uh.edu).