Klein Eva M, Müller Kai W, Wölfling Klaus, Dreier Michael, Ernst Mareike, Beutel Manfred E
Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Langenbeckstraße 1, 55131 Mainz, Germany.
Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health. 2020 Jul 17;14:29. doi: 10.1186/s13034-020-00334-6. eCollection 2020.
Although gender plays a pivotal role in the psychological adaptation of immigrant youth, its association with acculturation strategy and mental health among 1st generation immigrant adolescents are still scarce and inconsistent. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to investigate gender-related differences in acculturation patterns and their association with mental health (internalizing and externalizing problems).
Self-reported data of immigrant adolescents (= 440) aged between 12 and 19 years (= 16.2; = 1.6) was collected in a representative German school survey. Fifty-one percent of the sample were female (= 224). Almost half of the sample was born in the Former Soviet Union, followed by Poland (9.3%). Sociodemographic variables, acculturation strategies, and internalizing as well as externalizing problems were assessed by questionnaires.
Confirmatory factor analysis supported the four- dimensional model of acculturation styles (assimilation, integration, separation and marginalization). Whereas girls more often showed an integration pattern, boys scored higher on the separation and marginalization scale. After adjusting for age and educational level, regression analyses revealed for both gender that marginalization was associated with more internalizing problems. Separation was related to more externalizing problems.
1st generation adolescents experiencing a lack of belongingness to German society, socio-economic and educational disadvantages might be particularly vulnerable to mental distress. Findings are discussed in terms of gender-related differential socialization processes in context of immigration.
尽管性别在移民青少年的心理适应中起着关键作用，但在第一代移民青少年中，其与文化适应策略和心理健康之间的关联仍然较少且不一致。因此，本研究的目的是调查文化适应模式中的性别差异及其与心理健康（内化和外化问题）的关联。
在一项具有代表性的德国学校调查中，收集了12至19岁（平均年龄=16.2岁；标准差=1.6）的移民青少年（n=440）的自我报告数据。样本中51%为女性（n=224）。几乎一半的样本出生在前苏联，其次是波兰（9.3%）。通过问卷调查评估社会人口统计学变量、文化适应策略以及内化和外化问题。
验证性因素分析支持了文化适应风格的四维模型（同化、融合、分离和边缘化）。女孩更常表现出融合模式，而男孩在分离和边缘化量表上得分更高。在调整年龄和教育水平后，回归分析显示，对于两种性别而言，边缘化都与更多的内化问题相关。分离与更多的外化问题相关。
第一代青少年若感到在德国社会缺乏归属感、面临社会经济和教育方面的劣势，可能特别容易出现心理困扰。研究结果将在移民背景下与性别相关的差异化社会化过程方面进行讨论。
