The Role of Familismo and Acculturation as Moderators of the Association Between Family Conflict and Substance Abuse on Latino Adult Males.
As the Latino population increases, the need to identify factors that contribute to better SAT outcomes increases as well. The limited literature in SAT utilization suggests that Latinos are less satisfied with treatment12 and report high rates of unmet needs (98.60% for alcohol and 90.61% for drug abuse). Existing SAT programs may overlook unique needs that are important for Latinos in recovery from substance use. Despite calls for the incorporation of cultural aspects at all different stages of substance use prevention and treatment, research on cultural constructs in relation to substance use behavior remains neglected.
Empirical studies consistently suggest that family promotes a safe environment where individuals learn self-regulation and socioemotional skills. Research also suggests the link between families characterized by hostility and poor nurturing and substance abuse. Individuals with a history of family conflict are more likely to engage in alcohol and substance abuse, and have higher alcohol and drug relapse. The limited literature on Latino families suggest that family conflict is associated with an increased risk of anxiety and distress31 that may lead Latinos to engage in substance use behavior as a coping mechanism.
The most significant contribution of the present study are the findings illustrating the interaction between higher-order constructs (i.e., Familismo) and cultural orientation in decreasing substance use behavior on Latino males who completed SAT. In sum, our findings suggest that incorporating cultural aspects into treatment and in follow-up assessment may help in the prevention and treatment of substance use behavior on Latino males. Specifically, the conditional effect of history of family conflict on years of substance abuse was stronger in magnitude.
Public Health Open J. 2016; 1(2): 48-56. doi: 10.17140/PHOJ-1-110