A Cross-Ethnic Examination of a Stress Resistance Model

This study utilized stress resistance theory to investigate a cross-cultural comparison of the stress process, specifically investigating the impact of ego-resilience, ethnic identity and religious coping on multiple sources of stress and life quality testing a mediated moderator model. While previous research suggested that ego-resilience, ethnic identity, and religious coping served as stress-buffering variables, this study examined religious coping and ethnic identity as potential moderators. Participants completed the Ego-resilience Scale (ER89), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Index of Race-Related Stress- Brief Version (IRRS-B), Derogatis Stress Profile (DSS), World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale-Brief Version (WHOQOL-Bref), Multi-Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM), and the Brief Religious Coping Measure (Brief RCOPE). Evidence for simple mediation was found. Ego-resilience predicted life quality as mediated through perceived stress across all three groups. Neither ethnic identity nor religious coping moderated the relationship between ego-resilience and life quality, although these variables had a direct impact on life quality across all three groups. Additionally, race/ethnicity differentiated the impact of specific stressors (i.e., race-related stress, emotional reaction to stress, environmental events) on life quality.