The Effects of Family Financial Stress and Primary Caregivers’ Levels of Acculturation on Children’s Emotional and Behavioral Problems among Humanitarian Refugees in Australia

Linlin Yu, Andre M.N. Renzaho, Lishuo Shi, Li Ling and Wen Chen
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Linlin Yu: Department of Medical Statistics, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhongshan Road 2, Guangzhou 510080, China
Andre M.N. Renzaho: School of Social Science, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia
Lishuo Shi: Department of Medical Statistics, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhongshan Road 2, Guangzhou 510080, China
Li Ling: Department of Medical Statistics, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhongshan Road 2, Guangzhou 510080, China
Wen Chen: Department of Medical Statistics, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhongshan Road 2, Guangzhou 510080, China

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 8, 1-19

Abstract: The present study evaluated the application of the basic and extended (incorporated primary caregivers’ levels of acculturation) Family Stress Model (FSM) to understand the effect of family financial stress and primary caregivers’ levels of acculturation on children’s emotional and behavioral problems among refugees in Australia. A total of 658 refugee children aged 5–17 and their primary caregivers ( n = 410) from the third wave of a nationwide longitudinal project were included in this study. We used multilevel structural equation models with bootstrapping to test the indirect effects of family financial stress and caregivers’ levels of acculturation (including English proficiency, self-sufficiency, social interaction, and self-identity) on children’s emotional and behavioral problems through caregivers’ psychological distress and parenting styles. The results showed that the extended FSM improved the model fit statistics, explaining 45.8% variation in children’s emotional and behavioral problems. Family financial stress, caregivers’ English proficiency, and self-identity had indirect effects on children’s emotional and behavioral problems through caregivers’ psychological distress and hostile parenting. The findings showed that interventions aimed at reducing caregivers’ psychological distress and negative parenting could be effective in alleviating the adverse effects of family financial stress and caregivers’ low levels of acculturation on refugee children’s mental health.

Keywords: family financial stress; acculturation; emotional and behavioral problems; psychological distress; parenting styles; refugee children (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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