About 15% of Asian and Latino teenagers from immigrant families in New York reported moderate or severe depression symptoms, while 11% reported moderate or severe anxiety, according to research published in Frontiers in Developmental Psychology. The study of 101 teenagers found those who reported higher parental support also reported fewer mental health symptoms.
The association held after researchers accounted for age, gender, parents’ education level and household income. But the type of support that mattered differed between Asian and Latino teenagers in ways that suggest cultural context shapes how parental involvement translates to wellbeing.
What the researchers measured
Ellice Lim and colleagues at the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene surveyed teenagers aged 13 to 18 in Westchester County and New York City between 2023 and 2025. All participants were children of immigrants, split roughly evenly between Asian and Latino families.
The team measured two distinct forms of parental support. Emotional support captured things like parents listening when the teenager needed to talk or showing they cared about the teenager’s feelings. Informational support meant parents helping with practical problems, giving advice or explaining things the teenager needed to understand.
Depression symptoms were assessed using a modified version of the PHQ-9 questionnaire adapted for teenagers. Anxiety was measured with the GAD-7 scale, also in its teenage version. Both are screening tools, not diagnostic instruments.
The researchers used linear regression to test whether teenagers reporting more support also reported fewer symptoms, while statistically controlling for demographic factors that might confound the relationship.
The numbers showed a link, not a cause
Both emotional and informational support were negatively associated with depression and anxiety scores across the full sample. The p-values were below 0.01, meaning the pattern was unlikely to have appeared by chance if no real association existed.
But when the researchers looked separately at Asian and Latino teenagers, informational support was not significantly associated with mental health among the Asian participants. Emotional support remained linked to lower symptoms in both groups.
The study design was cross-sectional, meaning all measurements happened at one point in time. That structure cannot establish whether parental support reduces symptoms, whether teenagers with fewer symptoms perceive their parents as more supportive, or whether some third factor drives both. The authors tested their hypothesis that support is associated with better mental health. They did not test whether support causes it.
Why informational support might work differently
The researchers did not directly measure why informational support appeared to matter for Latino teenagers but not Asian ones. Cultural differences in how families communicate, what counts as helpful advice and when teenagers seek practical guidance from parents could all shape the relationship.
In some immigrant households, particularly those navigating systems in a new language or country, teenagers act as cultural brokers or translators. That role might shift the usual direction of informational support, with teenagers sometimes providing it to parents rather than receiving it.
Emotional support, by contrast, showed a consistent link to fewer symptoms regardless of ethnicity. Feeling heard and cared for appeared to go together with lower depression and anxiety scores in both Asian and Latino teenagers.
What this means for parents
The finding does not mean parents should change what they are doing based on one correlational study of 101 teenagers in two New York counties. It does suggest emotional connection between parent and teenager is worth protecting, even when cultural expectations or practical pressures compete for attention.
The study measured perceived support, not what parents actually did. Two teenagers with identical parents might report different levels of support depending on their own expectations, communication style or mental state that day. Self-reported support and objective parental behaviour are related but not the same thing.
For families balancing expectations from two cultures, the research hints that the form support takes might matter as much as the amount. But without experimental data showing that increasing a particular type of support improves outcomes, this remains an association to understand rather than a prescription to follow.
What the study cannot tell you
The sample was a convenience sample recruited from community organizations, not a random selection of immigrant families. Families who participate in community surveys may differ from those who do not in ways that affect both parental support and teenage mental health.
With 101 participants, the study had limited ability to detect small differences or test complex patterns. The ethnic categories collapsed diverse populations into broad groups. Asian teenagers included those from families originating in countries spanning East Asia, Southeast Asia and South Asia, each with distinct cultural norms around family, mental health and parenting.
The researchers controlled for parents’ education and household income, but many other factors shape both family dynamics and teenage mental health. Discrimination, acculturation stress, peer relationships, school environment and access to mental health services all play roles the study did not measure.
Critically, the design tells you nothing about whether improving parental support would reduce symptoms. It shows the two go together in this sample at this moment. Causation requires different evidence.
What comes next
The authors note their findings point toward culturally tailored approaches when developing interventions for immigrant families, rather than assuming one model of parental support works the same way across groups. Longitudinal research tracking the same teenagers over time would help clarify whether changes in perceived support precede changes in symptoms, and experimental work testing support-focused interventions would establish whether the relationship is causal.
For now, the study adds to evidence that family relationships and teenage mental health are linked in immigrant households, and that the link may function differently depending on cultural context and the specific form support takes.
If you need support
If you are in immediate danger, contact your local emergency number.
- United States — 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988
- United Kingdom — Samaritans: 116 123 (free, 24/7)
- International — findahelpline.com
Sources
- Lim, E., Dardis, T., Rojas, N. M., Lim, S., & Kerker, B. D. (2026). Association between parental support from immigrant parents and anxiety/depression of second-generation teenagers. Frontiers in Developmental Psychology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fdpys.2026.1861151
Published for general education. This article is not medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you are struggling, speak to a qualified professional.
