R. Jay Turner, PhD¹, John Taylor, PhD¹, and Donald A. Lloyd, PhD². (1) Center for Demography and Population Health, Florida State University, Bellamy Building, Room 617, Tallahassee, FL 32306-2240, 850 644 3108, jturner@fsu.edu, (2) Center for Demography & Population Health, Florida State University, 616 Bellamy Fl. State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-2240

This paper is addressed to the anomalous circumstance, reported by several major studies, of higher rates of substance and mental health problems among native born Hispanics than among their foreign born counterparts. Since immigrants tend to be of lower SES on average, to confront adaptation problems associated with an alien context and, presumably to experience higher levels of acculturation stress, all we know suggests that the opposite should be so. A representative cohort of persons who had been studied in grades 6/7 through 8/9 were followed up in young adulthood. These data replicate the finding of higher rates of drug dependence among the native among “other Hispanics” (n = 453) but not among those of Cuban heritage. We assess the extent to which differences in stress exposure (which are the opposite of what has generally been assumed) and in family support account for the finding among “other Hispanics”. Preliminary analyses shows immigrants to experience significantly lower stress exposure than their native born counterparts. This difference accounts for a large portion (40%) of the immigrant advantage with respect to drug dependence and for a lesser but substantial portion of the difference in psychological distress. These results are of importance because they constitute new information and because they demonstrate that it is possible to socially or programmatically reduce stress exposure.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify gaps in the field and to explore the role of nativity as a protective factor in drug abuse research among the Hispanic population
• Increase the participants’ awareness of the contextual environment of drug abuse environment and its consequences

Keywords: Adolescent Health, Health Disparities

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.