Parental influences and mental health among some Australian youth: Crosscultural analysis

Abstract

This study was designed to examine the extent to which a range of family variables are associated with self-esteem and depression among samples of Asian-Australian and Anglo-Australian youth. Samples were drawn from three Sydney high schools known to have higher than average numbers of migrant children from south-east Asia. Crosscultural and sex differences were found, with Asian Australians and females reporting higher levels of depression and lower self-esteem than Anglo-Australians and males. As predicted, perceptions of parental bonding and parental discipline styles were found to be associated with self-esteem and depression among the Anglo respondents. However, there were no main effects of parental bonding on mental health scores among the Asian students, while the effect of a punitive discipline style on depression was tempered by the sex of respondent. Possible explanations for these cultural differences are raised, and some suggestions for future research are made.