Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-8bhkd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-13T00:51:40.405Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Acculturation and mental distress among Russian and Iranian migrants in Germany

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 April 2020

C. Haasen ,
C. Demiralay  and
J. Reimer
C. Haasen*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Eppendorf
C. Demiralay
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Eppendorf
J. Reimer
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Eppendorf
*
*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] (C. Haasen).
Get access

Abstract

Several studies have stressed a correlation between difficulties in acculturation and mental distress or even mental disorders. The stress related to the process of acculturation can lead to depressive symptoms by way of changes in the activity of the HPA axis. However, it remains difficult to measure acculturation stress, as difficulties in acculturation strongly depend on subjective interpretations of every day experiences. The association between acculturation stress and mental distress was examined in two different migrant groups in Germany, 202 migrants of Russian and 100 of Iranian origin. In both migrant groups a significant correlation between acculturation stress and mental distress was found, yet no significant association between acculturation stress and length of residency in Germany. These findings will have to be replicated with representative samples and also with other migrant groups, both in and out of treatment. Considering the fact that the Russian sample was younger and nonetheless had relatively high acculturation stress scores, prevention of future mental health problems among migrants will have to focus on easing the process of integration into the host society.

Keywords

AcculturationMental distressRussian and Iranian migrantsPrevention
Type
Research Article
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 23 , Issue S1: Transcultural psychiatry in Europe , January 2008 , pp. s10 - s13
Copyright
Copyright © European Psychiatric Association 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Beiser, M.N., Hou, F.Ethnic identity, resettlement stress and depressive affect among Southeast Asian refugees in Canada. Soc Sci 2006; 63: 137–150Google ScholarPubMed
Berry, J.W.Acculturation as varieties of adaptation. Padilla, A.Acculturation: Theory, models and some new findings Boulder: Westview Press, 1980; 9–25Google Scholar
Bhugra, D.Migration and depression. Acta Psychiatr Scand 2003; 108: 67–72CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carroll, B.J., Feinberg, M., Greden, J.F., Tarika, J., Albala, A.A., Haskett, R.F., et al.A specific laboratory test for the diagnosis of melancholia. Standardization, validation, and clinical utility. Arch Gen Psychiatry 1981; 38 (1): 15–22CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Derogatis, L.R.SCL-90-R. Self-Report Symptom Inventory. Collegium Internationale Psychiatriae Scalarum. Internationale Skalen für Psychiatrie Weinheim: Beltz, 1986Google Scholar
Deuschle, M., Schweiger, U., Weber, B., Gotthardt, U., Korner, A., Schmider, J., Standhardt, H., Lammers, C.H., Heuser, I.Diurnal activity and pulsatility of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal system in male depressed patients and healthy controls. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1997; 82: 234–238CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Finch, B.K., Catalano, R.C., Novaco, R.W., Vega, W.A.Employment frustration and alcohol abuse/dependence among labor migrants in California. J Immigr Health 2003; 5: 181–186CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gruesser, S.M., Wolfling, K., Morsen, C.P., Albrecht, U., Heinz, A.Immigration-associated variables and substance dependence. J Stud Alcohol 2005; 66: 98–104CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Haasen, C., Toprak, M.A., Yagdiran, O.Negative outcome factors for addicted migrants – a case report. Eur Addict Res 2001; 7: 202–204CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Haasen C, Sinaa M, Reimer J. Alcohol use by Afghan migrants in Germany. Substance Abuse. In press.Google Scholar
Hamilton, M.A rating scale for depression. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiat 1960; 23: 56–62CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Holsboer, F.The corticosteroid receptor hypothesis of depression. Neuropsychopharm 2000; 23: 477–501CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Holsboer, F., von Bardeleben, U., Wiedemann, K., Müller, O.A., Stalla, G.K.Serial assessment of corticotropin-releasing hormone response after dexamethasone in depression. Implications for pathophysiology of DST nonsuppression. Biol Psychiatry 1987; 22: 228–234CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hovey, J.D., King, C.A.Acculturative stress, depression, and suicidal ideation among immigrant and second-generation Latino adolescents. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 1996; 35: 1183–1192CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hwang, W.-C., Myers, H.F.Major depression in Chinese Americans: The role of stress, vulnerability and acculturation. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 2007; 42: 189–197CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Khuwaja, S.A., Selwyn, B.J., Kapadia, A., McCurdy, S., Khuwaja, A.Pakistani Ismaili Muslim adolescent females living in the United States of America: stresses associated with the process of adaptation to U.S. culture. J Immigr Minor Health 2007; 9: 35–42CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Knipscheer, J.W., Kleber, R.J.The relative contribution of posttraumatic and acculturative stress to subjective mental health among Bosnian refugees. J Clin Psychol 2006; 62: 339–353CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Machleidt, W., Calliess, I.T.Transkulturelle Psychiatrie und Migration – Psychische Erkrankungen aus ethnischer Sicht. Die Psychiatrie 2005; 2: S77–S84Google Scholar
Miller, A.M., Sorotkin, O., Wang, E., Feetham, S., Choi, M., Wilbur, J.Acculturation, social alienation, and depressed mood in midlife women from the former Soviet Union. Res Nurs Health 2006; 29: 134–146CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nicassio, P.M., Solomon, G.S., Guest, S.S., McCullough, J.E.Emigration stress and language proficiency as correlates of depression in a sample of Southeast Asian refugees. Int J Soc Psychiatry 1986; 32: 22–28CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Paukert, A.L., Pettit, J.W., Perez, M., Walker, R.L.Affective and attributional features of acculturative stress among ethnic minority college students. J Psychol 2006; 140: 405–419CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ruiz, R.J., Dolbier, C.L., Fleschler, R.The relationship among acculturation, biobehavioral risk, stress, corticotrophin-releasing-hormone, and poor birth outcomes in Hispanic women. Ethn Dis 2006; 16: 926–932Google Scholar
Steffen, P.R., Smith, T.B., Larson, M., Butler, L.Acculturation to Western society as a risk factor for high blood pressure: a meta-analytic review. Psychosom Med 2006; 68: 386–397CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Takeuchi, D., Zane, N., Hong, S., Chae, D., Gong, F., Gee, G., et al.Immigration-related factors and mental disorders among Asian Americans. Am J Public Health 2007; 97: 84–90CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Torres Stone, R.A., Meyler, D.Identifying potential risk and protective factors among Non-Metropolitan Latino youth: Cultural implications for substance use research. J Immigr Minor Health 2007; 9: 95–107CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zobel, A., Nickel, T., Sonntag, A., Uhr, M., Holsboer, F., Ising, M.Cortisol response in the combined dexamethasone/CRH test as predictor of relapse in patients with remitted depression: A prospective study. J Psychiatr Res 2001; 35: 83–94CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Submit a response

Comments

No Comments have been published for this article.