Depression is a prevalent condition worldwide and it affects women more than men (Ferrari et al., 2013). This trend is consistent in the United States (US) where women have almost twice (2.5 vs. 1.6) the rate of depression than men (Regier et al., 1993). Latina women follow this pattern; their rate of depression is almost twice that of males (Vega et al., 2004). Given that Latinas/os are the largest minority group in the U.S. (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010) and the critical role that mothers play in Latinos’ family well-being, it is imperative to address this issue. Using an integrated family resilience framework, the Relational and Resilience Theory of Ethnic Family Systems and the Familias Fuertes (Strong Families), the current project seeks to understand the risk (e.g., poverty, discrimination) and protective factors (e.g., family cohesion, belief system) that contribute to the depression experiences of Latina women. These frameworks have not been empirically tested with Latinas in the context of mental health.Using a mixed methods approach, this dissertation project examined the moderation effect of family resilience on the relationship between risk factors and depression. It also explored the role of family resilience in Latinas’ depression. The dissertation used two data sources: a quantitative data from the National Latino Asian American Study (N=1421) and a qualitative sample (N=15) of semi-structured interviews. The quantitative analysis revealed that two of the three risk factors studied predicted depression: perceived discrimination and family cultural conflict both predicted depression in women but financial strain was not a significant predictor of depression. The two moderator variables, religion and family well-being did not buffer the effect of discrimination and family cultural conflict on depression. The qualitative findings revealed five main risk factors: children’s health, family conflict and stress, financial strain, gender oppression, and racism. Two protective or family resilience themes were identified in the qualitative data: family schema (i.e., children and motherhood and religion) and patterns of functioning (social support). Based on the results, research, theory and practice implications are discussed.
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