A New Theoretical Model of Collectivistic Coping

Abstract

According to the 2000 United States Census Bureau (U.S. Census Bureau, 2000) there are over 63 million racial and ethnic minorities, comprising almost 22 percent of the total population. In approximately two decades, racial and ethnic minority groups are expected to account for almost 40 percent of adults and 48 percent of children in the United States (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2001). These rapid demographic changes underscore the need to recognize how cultural background and cultural orientation influence mental health. Many racial and cultural groups’ ways of dealing with stress and mental health concerns may be different from current models of coping. In particular, we are interested in presenting a new theoretical perspective of coping from a collectivistic orientation.