Acculturation, resilience, and the mental health of migrant youth: a cross-country comparative study

Q Wu; T Ge; A Emond; K Foster; J M Gatt; K Hadfield; A J Mason-Jones; S Reid; L Theron; M Ungar; T A Wouldes

doi:10.1016/j.puhe.2018.05.006

Acculturation, resilience, and the mental health of migrant youth: a cross-country comparative study

Public Health. 2018 Sep:162:63-70. doi: 10.1016/j.puhe.2018.05.006. Epub 2018 Jul 17.

Authors

Q Wu¹, T Ge², A Emond³, K Foster⁴, J M Gatt⁵, K Hadfield⁶, A J Mason-Jones⁷, S Reid⁸, L Theron⁹, M Ungar¹⁰, T A Wouldes¹¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong. Electronic address: qiaobing.wu@gmail.com.
² Department of Social Work, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
³ Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, UK.
⁴ School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine, Australian Catholic University, Australia.
⁵ Neuroscience Research Australia, Australia; School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Australia.
⁶ Department of Biological and Experimental Psychology, Queen Mary University of London, UK.
⁷ Department of Health Sciences, University of York, UK.
⁸ Primary Health Care Directorate, University of Cape Town, South Africa.
⁹ Department of Educational Psychology, University of Pretoria, South Africa.
¹⁰ Resilience Research Centre, Dalhousie University, Canada.
¹¹ Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Auckland, New Zealand.

PMID: 29975862
DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2018.05.006

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.

Study design: 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.

Keywords: Acculturation; Mental health; Migration; Resilience; Youth.

Publication types

Comparative Study

MeSH terms

Acculturation*
Adolescent
Australia
Canada
Child
China
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
Humans
Male
Mental Health / statistics & numerical data*
New Zealand
Pilot Projects
Resilience, Psychological*
South Africa
Surveys and Questionnaires
Transients and Migrants / psychology*
Transients and Migrants / statistics & numerical data
United Kingdom