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Transgenerational Transmission of Trauma in Second Generation Latino Children and Adolescents University of Mississippi eGrove Electronic Theses and Dissertations Graduate School 2014 Transgenerational Transmission Of Trauma In Second Generation Latino Children And Adolescents Ricardo Phipps University of Mississippi Follow this and additional works at: https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd Part of the Psychiatric and Mental Health Commons Recommended Citation Phipps, Ricardo, "Transgenerational Transmission Of Trauma In Second Generation Latino Children And Adolescents" (2014). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 469. https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd/469 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at eGrove. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of eGrove. For more information, please contact [email protected]. TRANSGENERATIONAL TRANSMISSION OF TRAUMA IN SECOND GENERATION LATINO CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS A Dissertation presented in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Educational Leadership and Counselor Education The University of Mississippi by RICARDO M. PHIPPS April 2014 Copyright Ricardo M. Phipps 2014 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ABSTRACT This study explored the impact that immigration-related trauma has upon families, particularly second-generation immigrant children in the Latino-American community in the United States, and the possibility that second-generation immigrant Latinos are vulnerable to transgenerational trauma. Transgenerational trauma involves the exhibition of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in subsequent generations in families with histories of trauma exposure. Multiple linear regression was conducted to explore the existence of a correlation between PTSD and depression in second-generation Latino immigrant children and adolescents with a myriad of potentially predicting factors. Enhanced understanding of how trauma can affect the children of traumatized immigrants will add another dimension to treatment options at the disposal of mental health professional working with this population in the United States. Keywords: immigration-related trauma, transgenerational trauma, posttraumatic stress ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my dissertation committee in the Counselor Education program at the University of Mississippi for tremendous support shown during this very rigorous and challenging process. I especially thank Dr. Tabitha Young-Gast for the time, assistance, and words of wisdom she has given in serving as the Chair of my dissertation committee. I am particularly grateful for the patience she has shown with me. I extend gratitude to all the members of the committee, Dr. Marc Showalter, Dr. Kevin Stoltz, Dr. Amanda Winburn, and Dr. Lori Wolff. When opportunity took Dr. Stoltz in a new direction, Dr. Winburn graciously agreed to join the committee to fill that void. I would be remiss without thanking Dr. Suzanne Degges- White, who initially served as my committee Chair and began this journey with me. I stand on the shoulders of all of you. Secondly, I wish to acknowledge the members of my cohort and special friends, who were behind me, beside me, and in front of me throughout this process. I have had the most encouraging cohort throughout the Counselor Education program, and I look forward to a strong collegial relationship and friendship with them for many years to come. A few special friends have been a sounding board for me throughout the writing and research process, reminding me that the challenges of the journey made the end result that much more special. They also kept me grounded, constantly reiterating that the highest purpose of knowledge and education is service of others. I am very appreciative of those who helped me through the data collection process of this dissertation journey by allowing me the opportunity to recruit participants from among the iii people they serve. I am even more grateful for all participants in the study who sacrificed time to complete psychological instruments even though they had other family responsibilities to fulfill at that time. Finally, I end these acknowledgements with the people who gave me my start and an incredible foundation of passion about education, faith, and commitment to helping others. My parents, Michael and Roberta Phipps, have always been in my corner, along with my sister Jacelyn, grandparents, nieces, aunts and uncles, cousins, godmother, a special elementary school teacher who believes in me when I am tempted not to believe in myself. 1 Timothy 1:12 says the rest. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................... ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................... iii LIST OF TABLES ......................................................................................................................... vi INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................................................................1 LITERATURE REVIEW ..............................................................................................................12 METHODOLOGY ........................................................................................................................63 RESULTS ......................................................................................................................................76 CONCLUSIONS............................................................................................................................88 LIST OF REFERENCES ...............................................................................................................98 LIST OF APPENDICES ..............................................................................................................129 VITA ............................................................................................................................................190 v LIST OF TABLES 1. Demographic Data for Sample (Categorical Variables) ............................................................77 2. Sample Demographics (Continuous Variables) .........................................................................78 3. Descriptive Statistics for Instrument Scores ..............................................................................78 4. Pearson Correlation Coefficients Between Variables ................................................................83 5. Summary of Multiple Linear Regression for Predicting CPSS .................................................84 6. Summary of Multiple Linear Regression for Predicting BDI-Y Score .....................................84 7. Summary of Regression for Predicting BDI-Y Score of Female Child Participants .................85 8. Summary of Regression for Predicting CPSS Score of Child Participants Age 11 and Above 86 9. Summary of Regression for Predicting BDI-Y Score of Child Participants Age 11 and Above86 vi CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION Historical archives have long documented the exodus of civilizations from one geographic location to another. For example, historians postulate that a mass movement of people occurred 10,000-20,000 years ago from current-day Asian to North America across the Bering Strait (McGhee, 1989). Also, the Judeo-Christian tradition reverences the story of the patriarch Abraham, who migrated from lower Mesopotamia to a land then known as Canaan, to take possession of the region that would become the ancestral heritage of Jews for centuries to come (Levitt, 2003). In later years, abject poverty in Southern Europe, mainly Italy, and Eastern Europe (in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century) resulted in large-scale emigration from countries in those regions to the United States (Moe, 2010). These are just a few of the many occurrences of societal relocation. Historically, mass migration has not always occurred with individual’s consent. The forced migration of millions of people from the continent of Africa over the course of four centuries was a consequence of the peculiar institution of slavery in the Americas (Stampp, 1956). Additionally, in 1838 Cherokees were evicted from tribal lands in the Southeastern United States and coerced into taking a journey across several states and territories on a “trail of tears” to resettle in Oklahoma (Stambaugh, Guyette, & Marschall, 2013). Such phenomena contribute to the perception in popular culture that the United States is a nation of immigrants. Often hidden in the stories of individuals and families who have relocated in such drastic ways are pain, loss, suffering, and lasting effects, all of which can constitute the building blocks 1 of psychological traumatization. The effects of this separation from support networks and cultural familiarity associated with immigration, as well as challenges related to adjustment to new surroundings, constitute a critical piece of the ecological study of immigration. Immigration can be studied through a plethora of different lenses to include cultural and linguistic, economic, social adaptation, and anthropological. In addition to studying immigration through cultural, linguistic, economic, sociological, and anthropological lenses, the impact of immigration on mental health is a critical area that should not be ignored in the conversation regarding how immigrants adjust to their host
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