Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology
Volume 53, Issue 9, 2018, Pages 931-941

Traumatic exposure, acculturative stress and cultural orientation: the influence on PTSD, depressive and anxiety symptoms among refugees (Article)

Kartal D.* , Alkemade N. , Eisenbruch M. , Kissane D.
  • a School of Clinical Sciences, Department of Psychiatry, Monash University, Clayton, Australia, Phoenix Australia - Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Carlton, Australia
  • b Phoenix Australia - Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Carlton, Australia
  • c School of Clinical Sciences, Department of Psychiatry, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
  • d School of Clinical Sciences, Department of Psychiatry, Monash University, Clayton, Australia

Abstract

Objective: Acculturation studies conducted with refugees have predominantly concentrated on investigating the impact of acculturative stress on mental health, and have neglected to investigate the impact of cultural orientations towards the host and ethnic cultures. Furthermore, exposure to traumas is highly prevalent in refugees and strongly associated with mental health outcomes, however, rarely included in investigations of acculturative process of refugees. Method: Using structural equation modelling, this study tested an integrated model of the relationship between traumatic exposure, acculturative stress, host and ethnic cultural orientations and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and anxiety symptoms among 138 Bosnian refugees resettled in Australia and Austria. Results: The model showed an overall good fit and noteworthy amount of variance indicating that traumatic exposure is the strongest direct and indirect predictor of PTSD, depression and anxiety symptoms. Furthermore, acculturative stress was identified as a significant risk factor influencing host cultural orientation, mediating the effect of traumatic exposure on all mental health outcomes. Conclusion: Acculturative stress and cultural and social stressors that are related to acculturation need to be addressed alongside provision of effective psychotherapy, especially since they are significant impediments to host cultural orientation and constructive engagement with mental health services in refugees. © 2018, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.

Author Keywords

Mental health Refugees Acculturation PTSD trauma

Index Keywords

anxiety depression refugee mental health service Australia mental health human Refugees middle aged Stress, Psychological mental stress Bosnia and Herzegovina Aged Austria Mental Health Services ethnology Young Adult Humans Adolescent male Acculturation Aged, 80 and over female very elderly cultural factor prevalence Outcome Assessment (Health Care) Symptom Assessment adult posttraumatic stress disorder Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic outcome assessment
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85048740593&doi=10.1007%2fs00127-018-1532-z&partnerID=40&md5=aa3a6016822737cf7556b3d4bfd85735
DOI: 10.1007/s00127-018-1532-z
ISSN: 09337954
Cited by: 3
Original Language: English