Acculturation, resilience, and the mental health of migrant youth: a cross-country comparative study.
Public Health
; 162: 63-70, 2018 Sep.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-29975862
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES:
Using data from an international collaborative research project on youth resilience in the context of migration, this study aims to investigate how different acculturation patterns (i.e. integration, assimilation, separation and marginalization) influence the mental health of migrant youth, and whether resilience might function as a mediator in the association between acculturation and mental health. STUDYDESIGN:
A cross-sectional pilot study conducted in six countries employing a common survey questionnaire.METHODS:
The study sample was 194 youths aged 10-17 years (median = 13.6) from six countries (Australia, Canada, China, New Zealand, South Africa, and United Kingdom) and included cross-border and internal migrants. Mental health and well-being was measured by the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (WEMWBS). Resilience was measured by the Child and Youth Resilience Measure-28 (CYRM-28). Acculturation was assessed using the Acculturation, Habits, and Interests Multicultural Scale for Adolescents (AHIMSA). Multivariate regression and path analysis were performed to examine the hypothesized mediation model.RESULTS:
Resilience scores correlated strongly with mental health and well-being. Acculturation exerted no significant direct effects on the mental health of migrant youths. Nevertheless, compared to youths who were integration-oriented, assimilation-oriented youths tended to exhibit lower levels of resilience, resulting in poorer mental health. Compared to youths from other countries, migrant youths from China also reported lower levels of resilience, which led to poorer mental health outcome.CONCLUSION:
Acculturation plays a significant role in the mental health of migrant youth, with different acculturative orientations exhibiting different influences through the mediation effect of resilience. Fostering resilience and facilitating integration-oriented acculturation are recommended public health strategies for migrant youth.Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Migrantes
/
Saúde Mental
/
Resiliência Psicológica
/
Aculturação
Tipo de estudo:
Observational_studies
/
Prevalence_studies
/
Prognostic_studies
/
Qualitative_research
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limite:
Adolescent
/
Child
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
País/Região como assunto:
Africa
/
America do norte
/
Asia
/
Europa
/
Oceania
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Public Health
Ano de publicação:
2018
Tipo de documento:
Article