The costs of high self-control in Black and Latino youth with asthma: Divergence of mental health and inflammatory profiles.

ABSTRACT: Emerging evidence in psychology suggests a paradox whereby high levels of self-control when striving for academic success among minority youth can have physical health costs. This study tested the skin-deep resilience hypothesis in asthma- whether minority youth who are striving hard to succeed academically experience good psychological outcomes but poor asthma outcomes. Youth physician-diagnosed with asthma (N?=?276, M age?=?12.99; 155?=?White, 121?=?Black/Latino) completed interviews about school stress and a self-control questionnaire. Outcomes included mental health (anxiety/depression) and ex-vivo immunologic processes relevant to asthma (lymphocyte Th-1 and Th-2 cytokine production, and sensitivity to glucocorticoid inhibition). Physician contacts were tracked over a one-year follow-up. For minority youth experiencing high levels of school stress, greater self-control was associated with fewer mental health symptoms (beta?=?-0.20, p?

SUBMITTER: Chen E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6660352 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature