Main Huong Nguyen1, Eric Hahn1,2, Katja Wingenfeld1, Iris T Graef-Calliess3,4, Anita von Poser5, Malte Stopsack6, Hannah Burian2, Annegret Dreher2, Simon Wolf1, Michael Dettling1, Ronald Burian2, Albert Diefenbacher2, Thi Minh Tam Ta1. 1. 1 Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany. 2. 2 Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Evangelical Hospital Königin Elisabeth Herzberge, Berlin, Germany. 3. 3 Center for Transcultural Psychiatry & Psychotherapy, Wahrendorff Clinic, Sehnde-Hannover, Germany. 4. 4 Research Group for Social and Transcultural Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany. 5. 5 Department of Political and Social Sciences, Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany. 6. 6 Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Challenges of migration, particularly concerning the process of acculturation are associated with an increased risk of mental illness. Vietnamese migrants constitute the largest Southeast Asian migrant group in Germany, yet there is no data on the relationship between the mental health status and acculturation among this population. AIMS: Therefore, the present study examines the relationship between two well-established dimensions of acculturation, that is, dominant society immersion (DSI) and ethnic society immersion (ESI), the four resulting acculturation strategies (integration, assimilation, separation and marginalization), and severity of depression. METHODS: A sample of N = 113 first-generation Vietnamese outpatients from a psychiatric outpatient clinic for Vietnamese migrants in Germany was studied regarding their self-reported depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II)) and acculturation (Stephenson Multigroup Acculturation Scale (SMAS)). RESULTS: Consistent with the hypotheses, patients reported less severe depressive symptoms, when they reported higher orientation toward the German and the Vietnamese society. Moreover, the results showed that integrated patients reported a lower severity of depression compared to marginalized patients, who reported the highest severity of depression. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate that among a sample of first-generation Vietnamese patients with depression, an orientation to both, the mainstream society and one's heritage society might serve as a potential resource. The rejection of any orientation to any society is associated with an increased risk for depression.
BACKGROUND: Challenges of migration, particularly concerning the process of acculturation are associated with an increased risk of mental illness. Vietnamese migrants constitute the largest Southeast Asian migrant group in Germany, yet there is no data on the relationship between the mental health status and acculturation among this population. AIMS: Therefore, the present study examines the relationship between two well-established dimensions of acculturation, that is, dominant society immersion (DSI) and ethnic society immersion (ESI), the four resulting acculturation strategies (integration, assimilation, separation and marginalization), and severity of depression. METHODS: A sample of N = 113 first-generation Vietnamese outpatients from a psychiatricoutpatient clinic for Vietnamese migrants in Germany was studied regarding their self-reported depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II)) and acculturation (Stephenson Multigroup Acculturation Scale (SMAS)). RESULTS: Consistent with the hypotheses, patients reported less severe depressive symptoms, when they reported higher orientation toward the German and the Vietnamese society. Moreover, the results showed that integrated patients reported a lower severity of depression compared to marginalized patients, who reported the highest severity of depression. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate that among a sample of first-generation Vietnamese patients with depression, an orientation to both, the mainstream society and one's heritage society might serve as a potential resource. The rejection of any orientation to any society is associated with an increased risk for depression.
Entities:
Keywords:
Acculturation; Bệnh nhân người Việt; Bệnh trầm cảm; Hội nhập; Tiếp biến văn hóa; Tách ly, Người nhập cư; Vietnamese patients; depression; integration; marginalization; migrants