Measuring Acculturation and Symptoms of Depression of Foreign Immigrants in the Athens Area

M.G. Madianos, F. Gonidakis, D. Ploubidis, E. Papadopoulou and E. Rogakou
Additional contact information
M.G. Madianos: Department of Mental Health and Behavioural Sciences, School of Health Sciences, University of Athens, madianos@nurs.uoa.gr
F. Gonidakis: Transcultural Psychiatry Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Medical School, University of Athens
D. Ploubidis: Byron-Kaissariani, Community Mental Health Centre, Medical School, University of Athens
E. Papadopoulou: Transcultural Psychiatry Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Medical School, University of Athens
E. Rogakou: Eginition Hospital, University of Athens

International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 2008, vol. 54, issue 4, 338-349

Abstract: Background: Acculturation is the phenomenon that results when a group with one culture comes into continuous contact with a host culture and changes occur in the original culture of either one or both groups. Acculturation has also been linked with stress-related psychological disorder and depression. Aims: This article investigates the acculturation process and the depressive state of foreign immigrants living in the greater Athens area. Methods: All consecutive cases of 157 foreign immigrants who visited a non-governmental organization (NGO) providing consultative services to immigrants were interviewed using a structured questionnaire including the Immigrant Acculturation Scale (IAS) and the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies — Depression (CES-D) scale. Results: Factor analysis of IAS yielded a three-factor solution and 17 items with loadings ranging from 0.74 to 0.41. This scale was also tested and proven to be reliable. The main finding is that the higher the acculturation level of the immigrant individual, the lower the CES-D scale score; the fewer the depressive symptoms are self-reported. Length of stay, existence of family in Greece, legal status of residence and employment were also found to have an effect on depressive symptomatology. Conclusion: Acculturation could be seen as a beneficial mechanism protecting the individual to be exposed to stressful non-adaptive behaviour.

Keywords: acculturation; adaptation; depressive state; immigration (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2008
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0020764008090288 (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:socpsy:v:54:y:2008:i:4:p:338-349

DOI: 10.1177/0020764008090288

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in International Journal of Social Psychiatry
Bibliographic data for series maintained by SAGE Publications ().