Research in Nursing and Health
Volume 29, Issue 2, 2006, Pages 134-146

Acculturation, social alienation, and depressed mood in midlife women from the former Soviet Union (Article)

Miller A.M.* , Sorokin O. , Wang E. , Feetham S. , Choi M. , Wilbur J.
  • a Public Health, Mental Health and Administrative Nursing, College of Nursing, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States, Public Health, Mental Health and Administrative Nursing, University of Illinois at Chicago, M/C 802, 845 South Damen Avenue, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
  • b Chicago Health after Immigration (CHAI) Project, College of Nursing, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
  • c Office of Research Facilitation, College of Nursing, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
  • d College of Nursing, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
  • e Center for Community Research, DePaul University, Chicago, IL, United States
  • f Public Health, Mental Health and Administrative Nursing, College of Nursing, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States

Abstract

Level of acculturation has been linked to depressed mood in studies across culturally diverse immigrant groups. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of acculturation, social alienation, personal and family stress, and demographic characteristics on depressed mood in midlife immigrant women from the former Soviet Union. Structural equation modeling showed that higher acculturation scores, measured by English language and American behavior, were indirectly related to lower scores for depressed mood. Higher acculturation levels promoted mental health indirectly by reducing social alienation and, subsequently, lowering family and personal stress, both of which had direct relationships to symptoms of depression. These findings support the ecological framework that guided our research and point to the importance of focusing on contextual factors in developing interventions for new immigrants. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Author Keywords

Cultural research Social support Depression Women's health

Index Keywords

depression Models, Psychological psychological model social alienation psychological aspect nonparametric test Statistics, Nonparametric human social isolation middle aged Stress, Psychological mental stress Aged USSR social support ethnology Cross-Sectional Studies United States cross-sectional study family Humans Acculturation female Multivariate Analysis cultural factor Article adult
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-33645983676&doi=10.1002%2fnur.20125&partnerID=40&md5=14d7cab8f413d7b1c6b63f8f61683d64
DOI: 10.1002/nur.20125
ISSN: 01606891
Cited by: 47
Original Language: English