Acculturation, acculturative stress, and depression among Haitians in the United States

Abstract

Acculturation is the extent to which a person identifies with his or her group of origin and its culture or with the mainstream dominant culture. 3-Studies have shown a relationship between mental health problems and low levels of acculturation, that is, retaining the culture of origin amidst the demands of a new culture. 6-Highly acculturated individuals may also experience stress, such as the challenges of adjusting to the cultural values of the dominant society. 1 Acculturative Stress refers to the stress that an individual experiences as they move away from their country of origin to another. 7-High levels of acculturative stress may place individuals at risk for developing depression, anxiety, psychosomatic symptoms, suicidal ideation, and identity confusion. 2, 6, 8 Haitians: There are nearly half a million foreign-born Haitians and more than half a million more second-generation Haitians living in the U.S. 9 , yet there are no known studies examining acculturation, acculturative stress, and mental health for Haitians in the U.S.