Depression among Mexican immigrant mothers: the mediating role of self-efficacy

This study examines how immigration status and neighborhood collective efficacy shapes mothers' self-efficacy and, in turn, depression. Path analysis was conducted drawing data from 578 Mexican-American and Mexican immigrant mothers who participated in the first wave of the Los Angeles Family and Neighborhood Survey. The results of this study revealed that both neighborhood collective efficacy beliefs and undocumented status are mediated by personal self-efficacy beliefs. This dynamic suggests the importance of addressing undocumented mothers' sense of self-efficacy to reduce the risk of major depression.