Acculturation and depressive symptoms in Muslim university students: personal-family acculturation match

Int J Psychol. 2008 Apr;43(2):114-24. doi: 10.1080/00207590601126668.

Abstract

The relationships of personal acculturation and of personal-family acculturation match to depressive symptoms were investigated in a sample of 68 Muslim university students. Two dimensions of personal and family acculturation were assessed: heritage and mainstream culture identification. Participants completed the Vancouver Index of Acculturation (Ryder, Alden, & Paulhus, 2000 ) and the depressive disorder subscale of the Psychiatric Diagnostic Screening Questionnaire (Zimmerman & Mattia, 1999 ). For personal acculturation, individuals with high personal heritage culture identification reported fewer lifetime (but not past-year) depressive symptoms. In contrast, individuals with high personal mainstream culture identification reported more past-year (but not lifetime) depressive symptoms. The hypothesis that a match between personal and family acculturation orientation would be associated with fewer depressive symptoms was supported for heritage culture identification only. For past-year depression, the two match conditions (low or high personal and family heritage culture identification) were associated with significantly fewer depressive symptoms than a low personal/high family mismatch but did not differ from a high personal/low family mismatch. For lifetime depression, a high personal/high family match was associated with significantly fewer depressive symptoms than all other conditions. Findings suggests that, for Muslims, a match of high personal and high family heritage culture identification may act as a protective factor for the experience of depressive symptoms both in the short term (past year) and in the long term (lifetime).

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Acculturation*
  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Canada
  • Conflict, Psychological*
  • Cultural Characteristics
  • Depressive Disorder / diagnosis
  • Depressive Disorder / ethnology*
  • Depressive Disorder / psychology
  • Emigrants and Immigrants / psychology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Islam / psychology*
  • Male
  • Mass Screening
  • Parenting*
  • Religion and Psychology*
  • Social Identification
  • Social Values
  • Students / psychology*
  • United States
  • Young Adult