Understanding Family Enmeshment and Somatization Dynamics Amongst Young Adult Second Generation Subcontinental South Asian Americans in the U.S. Implications for Clinical Practice

 

        Due to limited epidemiological studies, the exact prevalence of mental health disorders within second generation South Asian Americans (SGSAA), a rapidly growing ethnic racial minority group in the United States, is unknown. South Asians are particularly vulnerable to somatization, which is the physiological manifestation or expression of psychological distress. Additionally, research around somatization identifies the influence of culture on its manifestation. Given the collectivistic nature of South Asian culture and close bonds with family members, this study aimed to investigate a link between somatization and a disturbance in the separation-individuation process, particularly enmeshment.

   Method:203 SGSAA participants between the ages of 18-26 were recruited to take an online quantitative survey exploring relationships in the areas of somatization, enmeshment, stigma, acculturation, psychological wellbeing, and satisfaction with life.

       Results: Six hypotheses were explored via Pearson’s R correlational analysis. Two of those hypotheses were supported, as results demonstrated a statistically significant, albeit weak, positive correlation between enmeshment and somatization, as well as a statistically significant weak negative correlation between somatization and satisfaction of life within second generation SAA’s. Notably, there was a significant, weak positive correlation between enmeshment and satisfaction with life, which was not supported by the study’s hypothesis, and may be indicative of important protective factors against mental health disorders in collectivistic cultures, such as SGSAA’s.

     Conclusion: These findings may yield important clinical implications for the conceptualization and treatment of somatization and mental health issues specifically in second generation South Asian Americans in the U.S. and provide important points of further research in exploring the constructs of enmeshment and somatization within South Asian Americans.