Current Psychology
Volume 38, Issue 2, 2019, Pages 421-431

What Does Migration Mean to Us? USA and Russia: Relationship Between Migration, Resilience, Social Support, Happiness, Life Satisfaction, Depression, Anxiety and Stress (Article)

Brailovskaia J.* , Schönfeld P. , Kochetkov Y. , Margraf J.
  • a Mental Health Research and Treatment Center, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Massenbergstr 9-13, Bochum, 44787, Germany
  • b Mental Health Research and Treatment Center, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Massenbergstr 9-13, Bochum, 44787, Germany
  • c Center for Cognitive Therapy, Building 5/4, Moscow, 101000, Russian Federation
  • d Mental Health Research and Treatment Center, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Massenbergstr 9-13, Bochum, 44787, Germany

Abstract

In the present study, migrants and non-migrants in the USA and Russia were compared regrading positive and negative variables of mental health. Data of resilience (RS-11), social support (F-SozU), happiness (SHS), life satisfaction (SWLS), depression, anxiety and stress symptoms (DASS-21) were collected in representative samples in Russia (non-migrants: N = 2129; migrants: N = 188) and in the USA (non-migrants: N = 2191; migrants: N = 116). In Russia, no significant differences between migrants and non-migrants were found. In the USA, social support and (marginally) resilience were significantly lower in the migrant sample. Cross-culturally, multiple regression analyses showed that for non-migrants all positive variables were associated with depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms. In both migrant samples, the associations were more specifically. While in the US migrant sample, happiness and life satisfaction were of particular importance, in the migrant sample in Russia, happiness and social support played a significant role. Practical applications for enhance of subjective well-being and limitations of gained results are discussed. © 2017, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

Author Keywords

Mental health Migration Russia USA

Index Keywords

[No Keywords available]
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85020460946&doi=10.1007%2fs12144-017-9627-3&partnerID=40&md5=5808cb2b81534717035bc507114449eb
DOI: 10.1007/s12144-017-9627-3
ISSN: 10461310
Cited by: 6
Original Language: English