A mediation model of the relationship of cultural variables to internalizing and externalizing problem behavior among Cambodian American youth

This study examined a mediation model of the relationship of acculturation (Anglo/White cultural orientation) and enculturation (Cambodian cultural orientation) to internalizing and externalizing problem behavior among 191 Cambodian American high school students from an urban school district in the Northeast region of the United States. The hypothesized mediators were parent-child acculturation gap and school attachment. The results partially supported the hypothesized mediation model, indicating that parent-child acculturation gap and school attachment were significant mediators in the relationships of acculturation and enculturation to internalizing problem behavior (depression), but not to externalizing problem behavior (substance use and gang involvement). This study has important implications for family and school-based prevention and intervention programs in addressing the cultural challenges and mental health needs in the lives of Cambodian American youth.