2025/04/17 by Chuan-Chuan Cheng · 1 voice · 1 citation
Social Sciences · #Family Support in Illness #Intergenerational Family Dynamics and Caregiving #Racial and Ethnic Identity Research
paper · doi:10.1080/13229400.2025.2491563
openalex publication_date 2025/04/17 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/14
Although there is numerous empirical support for the concept of acculturative family distancing (AFD) or acculturation gaps, research has mainly focused on immigrant families in intraethnic marriages, this study attempted to explore the impact of AFD on the mental health of immigrant families in interethnic marriages in Taiwan. To scrutiny the relationship between factors affected by AFD, this study proposed and examined a serial mediation model that depicts AFD influences mental health through mother–child conflict and life adaptation. Data were provided by 418 mother–child pairs (N = 836) from families of female marriage immigrants in Taiwan. The serial mediation model was tested by applying Hayes PROCESS Model 6. The results provided evidence to support four hypothesized indirect effects: mother–child conflict and life adaptation could individually or serially mediate the relationship between AFD and mental health. Overall, the findings support the Acculturation Family Distancing Theory in the context of female marriage immigrant families. Implications and limitations of this study were also discussed.