{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,2]],"date-time":"2026-09-02T09:14:43Z","timestamp":1788340483342,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":36,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,2]],"date-time":"2026-09-02T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1788307200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"The George Washington University Center of Excellence in Maternal and Child Health","award":["T76MC35370"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["T76MC35370"]}]},{"award":["T76MC35370"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["T76MC35370"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/00y4zzh67","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Psychiatry Int.","Psychiatry International"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Acculturative family distancing (AFD), characterized by communication gaps and cultural value differences between immigrant parents and their children, has been identified as a potential contributor to mental health disparities among Asian American populations. However, limited research has examined its role among South Asian Americans. This study aimed to assess the association between AFD and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and self-harm in this population. A cross-sectional, anonymous survey was administered to 673 South Asian female college students across the United States. Validated measures included the PHQ-9 for depression, GAD-7 for anxiety, and an adapted AFD scale focusing on communication. Multivariable regression models with a single outcome variable and logistic regression models were used to examine associations between AFD and mental health outcomes, adjusting for demographic factors. Higher AFD scores were significantly associated with increased depressive scores (\u03b2 = 0.122, p &lt; 0.001), anxiety symptoms (\u03b2 = 0.102, p &lt; 0.001), and greater odds of self-harm (OR = 1.064, p &lt; 0.001). These findings suggest that AFD represents a meaningful form of psychological disconnection that is associated with increased vulnerability to mental health challenges. Interventions addressing emotional connection within families may be critical for improving mental health outcomes among South Asian American women.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/psychiatryint7050195","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,2]],"date-time":"2026-09-02T07:53:11Z","timestamp":1788335591000},"page":"195","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Bridging the Gap: Examining Acculturative Family Distancing and Its Association with Mental Well-Being in South Asian American Women in College"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"7","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4435-9325","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Kanika","family":"Seth","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Prevention and Community Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University, 950 New Hampshire Ave NW, Washington, DC 20052, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"formal-analysis","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-original-draft","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"software","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"visualization","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"data-curation","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"given":"Amita","family":"Vyas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Prevention and Community Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University, 950 New Hampshire Ave NW, Washington, DC 20052, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"conceptualization","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"project-administration","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"methodology","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"investigation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"funding-acquisition","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"supervision","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6417-6692","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nitasha","family":"Nagaraj","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Prevention and Community Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University, 950 New Hampshire Ave NW, Washington, DC 20052, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"conceptualization","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-original-draft","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"formal-analysis","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"project-administration","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"methodology","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"investigation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"funding-acquisition","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"resources","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"visualization","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"data-curation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"supervision","vocabulary":"credit"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,2]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"114","DOI":"10.1037\/a0017871","article-title":"A preliminary report on a new measure: Internalization of the Model Minority Myth Measure (IM-4) and its psychological correlates among Asian American college students","volume":"57","author":"Yoo","year":"2010","journal-title":"J. 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