Adjustment problems experienced by children during cross-cultural orientation: a pilot study.

A study was undertaken to investigate the adjustment problems of children aged 8-10 years when they relocated from their native countries to Vienna, Austria. There was a moderate correlation between anxiety and adjustment to changes in the physical and material environment and a significant correlation between anxiety and changes in social support systems. Adjustment to changes in parental behavior and changes in language demands both showed a low negative correlation with anxiety. Children who had spent the least time in Vienna showed greater evidence of anxiety and stress than did children who had lived in the city for at least 1 year.