First Psychiatric Department, Athens University Medical School, Greece.
Transcult Psychiatry. 2011 Sep;48(4):437-54. doi: 10.1177/1363461511408493. Epub 2011 Aug 26.
The process of acculturation observed in immigrants is part of an adjustment to the values and norms of a new society, and possibly the loss of norms of the society of origin. Acculturation has been linked to stress-related psychological disorders such as depression. The present study investigates the relationship between three acculturation domains (everyday life behaviors, wishful orientation/nostos, and ethnic identity) and symptoms of depression in a sample of foreign immigrants living in Athens, Greece. The sample consisted of 317 immigrants who visited two non-governmental organization polyclinics. All participants were interviewed using the Immigrant Acculturation Scale (IAS) and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). The results showed that 133 (42%) out of the 317 interviewees were in a depressive state (CES-D > 15). The main finding was that high CES-D scores were related to low scores in the IAS Everyday Life and Wishful Orientation factors, while no relationship was found between depressive symptomatology and the IAS Identity factor. Short duration of stay in Greece, lack of steady job, and lack of residence permit were also related to high CES-D scores. In conclusion, adaptation to mainstream culture daily behaviors as well as the wish to integrate with individuals from the mainstream culture and settle permanently in the new country could be seen as part of an adaptive mechanism that protects the individual from experiencing depressive symptomatology.
移民所经历的文化适应过程是对新社会的价值观和规范进行调整的一部分，并且可能会失去原籍社会的规范。文化适应与与压力相关的心理障碍（如抑郁症）有关。本研究调查了在希腊雅典生活的外国移民样本中，三个文化适应领域（日常生活行为、向往/回归和族裔认同）与抑郁症状之间的关系。该样本由 317 名访问两个非政府组织综合诊所的移民组成。所有参与者都使用移民文化适应量表（IAS）和流行病学研究中心抑郁量表（CES-D）进行了访谈。结果表明，在 317 名接受访谈者中，有 133 人（42%）处于抑郁状态（CES-D＞15）。主要发现是，高 CES-D 分数与 IAS 日常生活和向往倾向因素的低分数有关，而抑郁症状与 IAS 认同因素之间没有关系。在希腊的逗留时间短、缺乏稳定的工作和没有居住证也与高 CES-D 分数有关。总之，适应主流文化的日常行为以及与主流文化中的个体融合并永久定居在新国家的愿望，可以被视为一种保护个人免受抑郁症状影响的适应机制的一部分。
