Parental stress is a significant determinant of child development, particularly in immigrant families navigating dual cultural contexts. This systematic review examines how parental stress in Chinese American immigrant families is associated with attachment development among second-generation youth in the United States. Following PRISMA guidelines, a comprehensive search was conducted across PsycINFO, PubMed, and Web of Science using the terms “parental stress”, “attachment”, “Chinese American”, and “immigrant families”. Inclusion criteria required peer-reviewed empirical studies published in English that focused on Chinese American families and assessed both parental stress and children’s attachment-related or relational development. A qualitative synthesis of 11 studies indicated that parental stress was associated with youth emotional and relational adjustment. These associations appeared to operate through family relational processes, including parent-child conflict and parenting practices, rather than through direct effects on attachment security. Cultural orientation and intergenerational congruence were found to shape how stress and parenting behaviors were associated with child-focused outcomes. Overall, the findings suggest that parental stress associated with migration and cultural adaptation may shape children’s emotional development as well as broader family relational dynamics. This review underscores the importance of culturally responsive mental health interventions to support the development and well-being of second-generation Chinese American youth.

Authors:
Cecilia C. Zhai, Yeshiva University, United States
Benjamin Avshalomov, Yeshiva University, United States
Katie S. Davis, Yeshiva University, United States

About the Presenter(s)
Cecilia C. Zhai is a doctoral candidate in Clinical Psychology at Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University. She has advanced training in Clinical Psychology, with a professional orientation grounded in psychodynamic theory, attachment science, and culturally responsive, evidence-informed practice. Her research spans neuropsychological science, spiritual and religious psychology, mental health intervention, parenting and intergenerational dynamics, attachment trauma and development, and immigrant mental health across diverse sociocultural contexts. Clinically, Cecilia has trained in university counseling centers, outpatient clinics, and community mental health settings, providing psychotherapy to children, adolescents, and adults across a range of diagnostic presentations. She integrates contemporary psychodynamic psychotherapy with cognitive-behavioral and culturally attuned approaches, emphasizing relational formulation, affect regulation, identity development, and trauma-informed care. She is additionally trained in Gestalt therapy, existential psychotherapy, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and incorporates elements of Creative Arts Therapy and other integrative modalities to deliver developmentally sensitive, culturally grounded, and individualized treatment.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cecilia-c-zhai-a85494197/

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