Exposure to violence and mental health among Chinese American urban adolescents.

Purpose: This cross-sectional study examined exposure to violence as a predictor of mental health and perpetration of violence in a sample of 71 Chinese American young adolescents from nine urban middle schools.

Methods: Separate hierarchical multiple regressions were used to predict self-reported symptoms of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), perpetration of violence, and teacher-reported symptoms of anxiety, depression, and adaptive functioning.

Results: After controlling for daily hassles, exposure to violence uniquely predicted higher self-reported PTSD and depressive symptoms.