Mental Health Outcomes for Immigrants in the U.S.: A Study of Culture Shock and Acculturative Stress
Location
Room 232, Schewel Hall
Access Type
Campus Access Only
Presentation Type
Oral presentation
Entry Number
85
Start Date
4-16-2026 10:15 AM
End Date
4-16-2026 10:30 AM
School
School of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Department
Psychology
Keywords
Immigrants, Mental Health, Acculturation, Culture Shock, Anxiety, Depression, Stress
Abstract
Immigrants in the United States face unique mental health challenges connected to acculturation and culture shock. This study examines how acculturation and culture shock could affect immigrants' mental health among 23 participants. Using validated psychological measures, it explores the relationship between acculturation, culture shock, and mental health, specifically stress, anxiety, and depression. This study hypothesises were that immigrants who score higher on the culture shock questionnaire will experience higher levels of anxiety, depression and stress, and immigrants who score higher on the Acculturation‚ Habits and Interests Multicultural Scale for Adolescents Scale and the Vancouver Index of Acculturation will experience lower levels of depression. Moreover, the longer people have been here the more acculturated they are and less culture shock they will experience, and the more welcome immigrants feel the less stress, anxiety and depression they will experience. Findings revealed no significant correlations or relationships between culture shock, acculturation and mental health. However, the findings leaned towards the same direction of the hypotheses. These results suggest that culture shock and acculturation do have a negative affect on immigrants. This study emphasizes the importance of culturally sensitive mental health services, and awareness to providers, and policy makers, to take into account how acculturation and culture shock can affect immigrants.
Primary Faculty Mentor(s)
Dr. Ei Hlaing
Primary Faculty Mentor(s) Department
Dr. Ei Hlaing
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Mental Health Outcomes for Immigrants in the U.S.: A Study of Culture Shock and Acculturative Stress
Room 232, Schewel Hall
Immigrants in the United States face unique mental health challenges connected to acculturation and culture shock. This study examines how acculturation and culture shock could affect immigrants' mental health among 23 participants. Using validated psychological measures, it explores the relationship between acculturation, culture shock, and mental health, specifically stress, anxiety, and depression. This study hypothesises were that immigrants who score higher on the culture shock questionnaire will experience higher levels of anxiety, depression and stress, and immigrants who score higher on the Acculturation‚ Habits and Interests Multicultural Scale for Adolescents Scale and the Vancouver Index of Acculturation will experience lower levels of depression. Moreover, the longer people have been here the more acculturated they are and less culture shock they will experience, and the more welcome immigrants feel the less stress, anxiety and depression they will experience. Findings revealed no significant correlations or relationships between culture shock, acculturation and mental health. However, the findings leaned towards the same direction of the hypotheses. These results suggest that culture shock and acculturation do have a negative affect on immigrants. This study emphasizes the importance of culturally sensitive mental health services, and awareness to providers, and policy makers, to take into account how acculturation and culture shock can affect immigrants.