Acculturative Stress

The concept of acculturation refers to the cultural and psychological changes that groups and individuals undergo when they come into contact with another culture. Acculturative stress is stress that directly results from and has its source in the acculturative process, often resulting in a particular set of stress behaviors that include anxiety, depression, feelings of marginality and alienation, heightened psychosomatic symptoms, and identity confusion. Acculturative stress may underlie a reduction in the health status of individuals, including physical, psychological, and social health.

People have long been emigrating to better their lives for a variety of reasons, including seeking a safer environment, greater food sources, and personal freedom. In the last few decades, people have migrated more than ever before. Civil wars in Africa, the fall of the Soviet Union, natural disasters, and human-made disasters have instigated the relocation of several million people. While immigrant...