Self-reported stress and coping strategies among Latino immigrant men and their perceived effects on their parenting

This qualitative study explored how Latino immigrant men self-identify stress and coping strategies, and it looked at its subsequent effects on their parenting. Thirteen interviews were conducted of participants receiving childcare or parenting services at a Southern California agency. All subjects had at least one child under the age of 5. Interviews used both open- and closed-ended questions, including probing questions that explored their perception of how their stress affects their children. The majority of the interviewed fathers did not perceive that their coping strategies nor their stress affect their children; however, they described that their children are aware of or react to their stress and/or coping strategies. The study also found that participants placed strong emphasis on providing their children with an opportunity for a higher level of education than they had. Most participants expressed that they did not want their children to have the limited resources that they had, and continue to have, as adults.