Strong cultural connectedness buffers urban American Indian children from the negative effects of stress on mental health

Abstract

We explored whether urban American Indian (AI) caregivers who maintained a strong sense of cultural connectedness buffered their children from the negative effects of stress on mental health. A community sample of 161 urban AI children (91 girls) ages 8–15 years (M = 11.20 years) and their primary caregivers participated between 2016 and 2017. Caregiver cultural connectedness moderated associations among child stressful life events and increased anger (R2 =.13) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms (R2 =.15). For caregivers with greater cultural connectedness, associations were attenuated and not significant. Higher hair cortisol was related to increased depressive (R2 =.11), anxiety (R2 =.10), and PTSD (R2 =.15) symptoms and was not moderated by cultural connectedness.