Mental health outcomes of ethnic identity and acculturation among British‐born children of immigrants from Turkey

Longitudinal Profiles of Cultural Identity Processes and Associations with Psychosocial Outcomes Among Adolescents Participating in the Identity Project in Italy

Cultural identity formation is a complex developmental task that influences adolescents' adjustment. However, less is known about individual variations in trajectories of cultural identity processes and how they relate to youth psychosocial outcomes. Using a person-centered approach, this study investigated patterns of change over a year in cultural identity exploration and resolution, respectively, among ethnically diverse adolescents in Italy. The sample included 173 high school students (Mage = 15 yrs, SD = 0.62, range = 14-17; 58.4% female; 26% immigrant background) who had participated in the Identity Project, a school-based intervention targeting ethnic-racial identity development. Longitudinal latent profile analysis revealed only one profile of change for exploration, whereas four unique profiles for resolution emerged ("stable low," "stable average," "increase low-to-average," "increase high-to-higher"). Overall, youth in the resolution-increase profiles reported the best outcomes. The findings highlight the heterogeneity of adolescents' resolution trajectories and the benefits of an increased sense of clarity concerning one's cultural identity for positive psychosocial functioning.

Cultural Marginalization and Mental Health

Cultural marginalization refers to the process of being on the fringe of two distinct cultures. Culture represents the values, beliefs, knowledge, and norms that are common to a group of people. Globalization contributes to an increasingly diverse population and leads to frequent interaction, collaboration, and sharing of space between various cultures. Cultural minority groups experience varied stages of acculturation with the dominant culture which may have an impact on physical and mental health. Understanding the marginalizing experiences of cultural minority groups creates a more accommodating social environment and helps provide culturally safe healthcare experiences for these people.

Relationship between social support and postpartum depression in migrant and non-migrant first-time mothers

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

This study examines the relationship between social status and postpartum depression by migrant generation and determines whether social support moderates the relationship between migrant generations and postpartum depression.

BACKGROUND

Postpartum depression (PPD) afflicts more than 1 in 10 childbearing women worldwide; and this mental health problem may be higher among vulnerable populations of women such as migrants, an increasingly prevalent group in many countries. Social support and migrant generation (1^st generation-mother and her parents born outside the host country; 2^nd generation-mother born in the host country but not her parents; 2.5 generation-mother and one parent born in the host country) may contribute to the conflicting findings on migrant mothers and postpartum depression.

DESIGN

This study used a cross-sectional design.

METHODS

Sample recruitment of migrant and non-migrant first-time mothers (n=515) was implemented through an online platform. A STROBE checklist guided the reporting of this study.

RESULTS

PPD was lower among mothers with social support. While social support was negatively associated with PPD for all mothers, PPD was not associated with migrant generation nor was a moderation effect found.

CONCLUSIONS

Social support is negatively associated with PPD for all mothers, but levels of PPD for migrant mothers may be linked to country-specific healthcare resources and immigration policies. Immigrant policies influence migrant mothers' healthcare access; thus, immigration policies may influence PPD among first-time migrant mothers and the manner in which nurses can provide formal support. This study finds that social support, including the formal social support provided by nurses, decreases the likelihood of PPD. Demands on nurses' technical and assessment skills are high, but nurses also need to remember that their skills of providing social support are equally important, and for first-time mothers, may contribute to decreasing PPD.

Acculturation strategies and blood cortisol in colombian Migrants in Chile

BACKGROUND

migration is a worldwide phenomenon that is growing at an accelerated pace. When people who migrate come into contact with a new culture, they are immersed in a process called acculturation. In this process, people oscillate between maintaining their own culture or acquiring the culture and customs of the host country, resulting in the so-called acculturation strategies. According to Berry's proposal, there are four main acculturation strategies: assimilation, integration, marginalization and separation. The few existing studies of Latinos in an Anglo-Saxon country relate the use of the integration strategy (biculturalism) with lower cortisol levels. No studies have been found on the subject in Latino migrants in a Latino country.

METHOD

a cross-sectional design was used to analyze the relationship between acculturation strategies and blood cortisol levels, based on the hypothesis that an integration strategy or biculturalism would be linked to lower cortisol levels. The study involved 314 Colombian migrants in Chile, who were evaluated with a scale of acculturation strategies according to the model proposed by Berry, in addition to providing blood samples to analyze cortisol levels.

RESULTS

migrants who show a preference for leave behind the culture of the country of origin have higher levels of cortisol ng/ml in blood. According to multiple comparisons the mean cortisol value was significantly different between integrated and assimilated subjects, with the mean cortisol of the integrated being significantly lower than that of the subjects typed as marginalized.

CONCLUSION

The patterns of the relationship between biculturalism and cortisol found in Latino migrants in Anglo-Saxon countries are repeated in Latino migrants in a Latino country. It is necessary to explore the influence of other variables in this relationship, since it seems that the best adaptive strategy, and therefore the cortisol response, will vary according to the socio-cultural context of the host country.

The Health of Immigrant Youth in Denmark: Examining Immigrant Generations and Origin

First-generation migrants tend to have better health than those of native ancestry, while second-generation migrants often are affected by negative health assimilation. Less is known about immigrants arriving before their teens, the 1.5 generation, or those with one native and one immigrant parent, the 2.5 generation. We apply logistic regression models to study physical and mental health outcomes for immigrant youth across generations using Danish register data. We take heterogeneities into account studying gender and origin differences. Our analysis shows that first- and 1.5-generation immigrants have better physical health than natives, while the physical health of the second and 2.5 generations is the same or worse than natives. For mental health, the 2.5 generation is the only group with worse outcomes than natives, which we relate to identification struggles translating into poorer mental health. When studying potential heterogeneities, we find that males belonging to the second generation with an African background have a higher likelihood of hospitalization for a mental health issue.

Migrant youths: Typical aspects of development during the adolescent years, specific challenges of growing up somewhere else, and some things we need to understand better

The research presented in this Issue impressively documents the great variety of conditions of live that impact child and adolescent migrants' development. The studies conducted in various receiving countries include young refugees as well as the first- and second-generation offspring of migrant families who left their homes in different areas of the globe. Despite this diversity, theories and empirical findings on processes of normative development could be successfully applied, yielding insights into more general aspects of development At the same time, drawing on conceptualizations that were introduced to specifically address experiences and challenges linked to the situation of migrant and minority populations, such as ethnic identity or acculturation, the articles notably contributed to a more comprehensive understanding of migrant adolescents' lives. While the discussion of the studies in this Issue highlights what we have learned, it also points out what we do not know yet, and where future research is needed.