Kim Mihyun, Choe Danbi
University of Georgia, Athens, USA.
Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, Audubon Hall, Rm #206, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 70803, USA.
J Racial Ethn Health Disparities. 2025 Aug 7. doi: 10.1007/s40615-025-02588-2.
Asian American emerging adults encounter unique psychological challenges, including pressures from the model minority stereotype, experiences of racial discrimination, heightened risk of social isolation, and family conflicts stemming from the cultural values differences across generations. Previous research suggests that ethnic-racial identity and self-esteem serve as foundational factors in addressing these challenges and promoting life satisfaction among Asian American emerging adults. This study examined the structural relationships among ethnic-racial identity exploration, identity commitment, self-esteem, and life satisfaction, with a particular focus on the mediating role of self-esteem. Multi-group structural equation modeling was conducted to examine these associations across gender and generational groups. The study included 544 Asian American emerging adults between the ages of 18 and 24. Results revealed that exploration had a direct positive effect on life satisfaction, whereas commitment significantly predicted self-esteem. Furthermore, exploration indirectly enhanced life satisfaction through its impact on commitment and self-esteem. Interestingly, these paths differed by generational status but not by gender. However, significant mean differences in ethnic-racial identity and self-esteem were observed across gender and generational subgroups. Our findings highlighted the complementary roles of ethnic-racial identity exploration and commitment in fostering psychological well-being. In the discussion, we proposed the implications for developing tailored interventions that consider gender and generational status to better support the mental health of Asian American emerging adults.
亚裔美国新兴成年人面临着独特的心理挑战，包括模范少数族裔刻板印象带来的压力、种族歧视经历、社会孤立风险增加以及因代际文化价值观差异而产生的家庭冲突。先前的研究表明，族裔-种族认同和自尊是应对这些挑战以及促进亚裔美国新兴成年人生活满意度的基础因素。本研究考察了族裔-种族认同探索、认同承诺、自尊和生活满意度之间的结构关系，特别关注自尊的中介作用。进行了多组结构方程模型分析，以检验这些关联在不同性别和代际群体中的情况。该研究纳入了544名年龄在18至24岁之间的亚裔美国新兴成年人。结果显示，探索对生活满意度有直接的积极影响，而承诺显著预测自尊。此外，探索通过其对承诺和自尊的影响间接提高了生活满意度。有趣的是，这些路径因代际状况而异，而非因性别而异。然而，在不同性别和代际亚组中，观察到族裔-种族认同和自尊存在显著的平均差异。我们的研究结果强调了族裔-种族认同探索和承诺在促进心理健康方面的互补作用。在讨论中，我们提出了针对制定考虑性别和代际状况的量身定制干预措施的意义，以更好地支持亚裔美国新兴成年人的心理健康。
