Translational Issues in Psychological Science, Vol 11(2), Jun 2025, 137-147; doi:10.1037/tps0000424
Latinx immigrant youth are a growing demographic vulnerable to adversity and mental health disparity. Prior research reports staggering rates of trauma exposure and symptoms in this group and yet, Latinx immigrants report resilience. Identifying factors related to resilience is essential for intervention development and attachment security holds promise, given its buffering effects in the context of trauma. The current study aimed to examine the relationship between trauma exposure and resilience, testing the role of attachment to both mothers and fathers as mediators of this relation, in a sample of 108 Latinx immigrant high school students (Mage = 19 years in the United States = 2). Findings confirmed hypotheses regarding maternal, but not paternal attachment; the overall maternal attachment model was significant in predicting resilience, explaining 19% of the variance with main effects of attachment and trauma on resilience, R² = .19, F(2, 105) = 12.33, p SE = 0.32, confidence interval (CI) [−1.47, −0.16]. Findings suggest that greater trauma exposure leads to less resilience, but this negative impact is buffered by greater attachment security to the mother. Intervention and policy efforts should prioritize preserving family connections and capitalize on this source of strength. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)