Using Self-Determination Theory to Understand Mental Health Risks Among Latina Americans

Depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms among Latina American women have risen significantly in recent years despite strong familial-oriented systems theorized to protect members. The myriad of negative, positive, and null effects on mental health outcomes within this literature emphasizes the need for grounded motivational theories that can clarify cultural risk and protective effects on mental health. This study proposed that discrepancies between self-endorsed and perceived familial-endorsed marianismo beliefs would be associated with depression, anxiety, and stress symptomology, in part because these discrepancies undermine basic psychological needs (BPN) for autonomy and relatedness. I utilized the self-determination theory framework to enhance our understanding of marianismo endorsement, clarifying that frustration of autonomy and relatedness are key mediators between cultural value discrepancies and depression, anxiety, and stress within the Latina American population. This internal conflict can be understood by incorporating BPN frustration, which I hypothesized to mediate the association between marianismo belief discrepancy and emotional disorder symptoms. Three operationalizations of self and familial endorsed marianismo discrepancy tested whether these discrepancies would be associated with frustration of autonomy and relatedness, which in turn would be associated with depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms in Latina-American women. Support emerged for two of these operationalizations of belief discrepancies across two samples (Pilotn = 264; Primaryn = 343) spanning community and undergraduate college samples. For example, family-endorsement of marianismo beliefs, controlling for self-endorsement, was significantly associated with need frustration and, in turn, psychological symptoms. This pattern was not significantly altered when college attendance, generation status, and country of origin were included as potential main effects and moderators. These results emphasize the utility of examining familial cultural beliefs along with BPN to better understand associations with mental health among this population.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Social, Personality, and Health Psychology

Grantor

University of Houston

Year dc:date.issued

2025

Author dc:creator

• Martinez, Anjelica Mercedes 1996-

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Knee, C. Raymond

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Neighbors, Clayton
• Porter, Bennett
• Venta, Amanda

• Psychology

Language dc:language.iso

English

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10657/19907

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:uh-ir.tdl.org:10657/19907