Conflict Management and Resolution Program, Department of Multidisciplinary Studies, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 8410501, Israel.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Jul 15;17(14):5106. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17145106.
In Israeli colleges and universities, many Arab students experience acculturative stress. Such stress arises from the need to learn new cultural rules, manage the overarching conflict inherent in maintaining elements of their culture of origin (i.e., Arab culture) while incorporating elements of the host culture (i.e., Jewish academic culture), and deal with experiences of prejudice and discrimination present in the host culture.
This study investigated the association between acculturative stress and depressive symptoms among 170 Arab undergraduates from northern and central Israel. It also explored the roles of sense of coherence and coping strategies in the relationship between acculturative stress and depressive symptoms. Participants completed questionnaires on acculturative stress, depressive symptoms, sense of coherence, coping strategies, and demographics.
The findings reveal gender differences in the use of different coping strategies and in levels of depressive symptoms. However, academic-year differences were found only in levels of sense of coherence and depressive symptoms. Specifically, female students expressed higher levels of both active and avoidant coping. Moreover, female students and those in their first and second years of university studies reported higher levels of depressive symptoms. Among the male students, acculturative stress was related to depressive symptoms indirectly via sense of coherence and active coping. In contrast, among the female students, acculturative stress was related to depressive symptoms both directly and indirectly via sense of coherence and avoidant coping. Among first- and second-year students, acculturative stress was related to depressive symptoms indirectly via sense of coherence and avoidant coping. However, among third- and fourth-year students, acculturative stress was related to depressive symptoms both directly and indirectly via sense of coherence.
This article underscores the significance of gender and academic-year differences in pathways involving acculturative stress.
在以色列的学院和大学里，许多阿拉伯学生经历着文化适应压力。这种压力源于学习新文化规则的需要，管理维持原籍文化（即阿拉伯文化）元素与融入宿主文化（即犹太学术文化）元素之间的固有冲突，以及应对宿主文化中存在的偏见和歧视经历。
本研究调查了 170 名来自以色列北部和中部的阿拉伯本科生的文化适应压力与抑郁症状之间的关系。它还探讨了应对策略在文化适应压力与抑郁症状之间的关系中的作用。参与者完成了关于文化适应压力、抑郁症状、应对策略和人口统计学的问卷。
研究结果揭示了在使用不同应对策略和抑郁症状水平方面存在性别差异。然而，仅在应对策略和抑郁症状的水平上发现了学术年度差异。具体而言，女学生表现出更高水平的主动和回避应对。此外，女学生和大学一年级和二年级的学生报告了更高水平的抑郁症状。在男学生中，文化适应压力通过应对策略和积极应对间接与抑郁症状相关。相比之下，在女学生中，文化适应压力通过应对策略和回避应对直接和间接与抑郁症状相关。在一年级和二年级学生中，文化适应压力通过应对策略和回避应对间接与抑郁症状相关。然而，在三年级和四年级学生中，文化适应压力通过应对策略和回避应对直接和间接与抑郁症状相关。
本文强调了性别和学术年度差异在涉及文化适应压力的途径中的重要性。
