Acculturation, Gender, and Mental Health of Southeast Asian Immigrant Youth in Canada

Abstract

The relationships between mental health, protective factors and acculturation among Southeast Asian youth were examined in this study using a gender-based analysis. Population-based data from the 2008 British Columbia Adolescent Health Survey were used to examine differences in extreme stress and despair by acculturation. Associations between emotional distress and hypothesized protective factors were examined using logistic regression. Stratified analyses were performed to assess gender-related differences. Recent immigrant youth reported higher odds of emotional distress. Family connectedness and school connectedness were linked to lower odds of extreme stress and despair among girls. Family connectedness was associated with lower odds of extreme stress and despair among boys. Higher cultural connectedness was associated with lower odds of despair among boys but with higher odds of extreme stress among girls. Findings are discussed in relation to acculturation and gender-based patterns in protective factors for mental health among Southeast Asian immigrant youth.

The Role of School Connectedness and Social Support in the Acculturation in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Youth in Australia

“…Female participants demonstrated higher levels of acculturation than males. This outcome is consistent with past studies, which have highlighted that females adapt more readily to the socio‐cultural dimensions of the host community (Berry, 2009a; Hilario et al, ). Further, the participants from refugee background reported higher acculturation.…”

“…Demographic variables such as age, gender, language proficiency, and pre‐migration experiences play a role in the process of acculturation (Hilario, Vo, Johnson, & Saewyc, ; Nguyen & Benet‐Martinez, ). Intergroup variables, such as length of time and duration of contact and interaction with the host society, also predict acculturation (Lin, ).…”

Conversation Club: A Promising Practice in Youth Mentoring of Migrants and Refugees

“…Due to their specific struggles, immigrants and refugees can experience significant benefits from mentoring (DuBois, Holloway, Valentine, & Cooper, 2002;Rhodes, 1994). Specifically, group mentoring can provide a foundation for newcomer youth to relate to peers their age (Birman & Morland, 2014;BRYCS, 2010;Cawood & Wood, 2014;Crul & Schneider, 2014;Deutsch, Reitz-Krueger, Henneberger, Ehrlich, & Lawrence, 2016;Hilario et al, 2014;Schmidt, Morland, & Rose, 2009) and receive peer and adult support through their adjustment process (Birman & Morland, 2014). Mentees have a space to promote their bicultural identities (Morland, 2007) and find and foster positive relationships in their new environment (Birman & Morland, 2014;Cawood & Wood, 2014;Hilario et al, 2014;Oberoi, 2016;Schmidt et al, 2009).…”

“…These new pressures of acculturation and familial needs and expectations can cause significant stress and feelings of isolation among newcomer youth, resulting in increased difficulty relating to Canadian-born peers (Birman & Morland, 2014;MENTOR, 2009), an increased risk of emotional distress in comparison to their peers (Hilario, Vo, Johnson, & Saewyc, 2014), and specific stress related to exclusion, poverty, separation, and in some cases, trauma (MENTOR, 2009). Interventions focused on the unique needs of newcomer youth are critical in addressing the challenges and increased risks they face, and in supporting these youth in a healthy process of integration into their new communities.…”

Psychosocial aspects of type 1 diabetes in Latino- and Asian-American youth

“…In contrast to Latinos, less acculturated Asians had higher rates of stress and emotional distress (126), under-utilized mental health services (121) and were more likely to be uninsured compared to NHW (34,127). Among Asian adolescents, the degree of intergenerational discrepancy (which can cause family conflict) predicted depressive symptoms (128).…”