Data are presented from a study of acculturation and psychiatric disorder in 291 Greek Cypriot immigrants from the general population of Camberwell, south London. We hypothesized that ‘pre-acculturation’ would protect against mental disorder, that difficulties in the period immediately after migration would increase the risk of disorder, and that disorder would be least common among those in the middle range of the acculturation spectrum. Of pre-acculturation factors, only previous knowledge of English was associated with reduced prevalence. Difficulties in the settling-in period were clearly related to current disorder. No relationship was apparent between present acculturation and disorder, but this disguised an interesting but unpredicted gender effect: in males, disorder was most prevalent in the highly acculturated; in females, in the least acculturated. © 1990, Cambridge University Press. All rights reserved.

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human priority journal gender identity Cyprus Mental Disorders achievement Cross-Sectional Studies Personality Tests male England Acculturation female Psychophysiologic Disorders Risk Factors Incidence Article major clinical study adult Social Environment Emigration and Immigration