Associations between trauma exposure and symptoms of depression and anxiety among first, second, and later-generation immigrant college students
Wong, T., & Wong, A. (2026). Associations between trauma exposure and symptoms of depression and anxiety among first, second, and later-generation immigrant college students. Journal of American College Health, 1-10. DOI: 10.1080/07448481.2025.2608835
Depression and anxiety symptoms were similar across generational groups, but their predictors differed. For first-generation students, age, social support, and recent bereavement significantly predicted depression; while ACE scores and social support predicted anxiety. For second-generation students, social support was the strongest predictor of depression along with ACE scores, trauma exposure, and male sex. The same predictors applied for anxiety. For later-generation participants, ACE scores, social support, and Hispanic/Latinx ethnicity predicted depression, while ACE scores and Black race predicted anxiety. Across most groups, lower social support was a predictor of depression and anxiety.
Additional Resources on Intergenerational Trauma
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resourceUnpacking the Wounds of Cultural Displacement: Trauma, Healing, and Reconciliation in Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake
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resourceIntergenerational Trauma and the Immigrant Experience in Imbolo Mbue’s How Beautiful We Were
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resourceA Scoping Review of Family-Based Interventions for Immigrant/Refugee Children: Exploring Intergenerational Trauma
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resourceThe role of maternal postmigration living difficulties in intergenerational trauma transmission among asylum-seeker mother–child dyads
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resource“Where All the People are Fantastical and Magical”—and Hurting: Intergenerational Trauma and Social-Emotional Learning in Encanto
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resourceAssociations between trauma exposure and symptoms of depression and anxiety among first, second, and later-generation immigrant college students