Mental Health Impacts Of Acculturation On Families

Acculturation is typically understood as the adjustment of cultural and social ideas, beliefs, values, and behavioral patterns from one’s culture of origin to those of a different culture. Because the acculturation process often has such a considerable impact on mental health, the American Psychological Association has its own definition of psychological acculturation: “an individual’s attitudinal and behavioral adjustment to another culture, which typically varies concerning degree and type.”

Acculturation and outcomes

Acculturation is a complex process that can shape the experiences of individuals, families, and communities in many ways. Understanding how and where acculturation can occur helps clarify its broad effects on identity, well-being, and social integration.

Acculturation can occur at the individual, family, and community levels

Acculturation can happen on many levels, from the individual to the familial to the national. The family context may play a significant role as cultural values and identities are often initially shaped within the home. Contextual factors, such as socioeconomic status and geographic location, are key contextual variables that may influence how both individuals and families adapt, which may contribute to the wide variation in experiences.  In some cases, acculturation can result in an increased appreciation and understanding of different cultures. In others, it can lead to discrimination, prejudice, and intolerance.

Berry’s model of acculturation

In an attempt to categorize acculturation attitudes, behaviors, and outcomes associated with acculturation, psychologist John Berry developed an acculturation model comprising four adaptation strategies. While more recent research presents additional ways to think about the concept, Berry’s simplified model is often considered when addressing the topic.

Assimilation, integration, separation, marginalization

• Assimilation: The process through which an individual adopts the host culture and abandons the heritage culture
• Integration: When an individual or group adopts their host culture while retaining their heritage culture
• Separation: Rejection of the host culture and retention of the heritage culture
• Marginalization: Rejection of both the host and heritage cultures

The potential challenges of acculturation on families

In most cases, individual, family, and community factors all influence acculturation. Acculturative challenges faced by individuals are often mirrored in the family unit. 

Parent child acculturation gaps and acculturative family distancing

Evidence shows that parents and children acculturate at different rates, which may cause generational differences in family acculturation levels, straining the parent-child relationship. 

One study examining differences between how immigrant parents and their children adjust, particularly immigrant adolescents, found that “second-generation adolescents experience lower levels of family cohesion, less frequency of sharing weekly dinners with parents, less parental control of adolescents' activities, and more serious arguments about their behaviors with their parents than their first-generation counterparts.” In other words, acculturation gaps can significantly impact even the most significant relationships.

Communication barriers and native language shifts

Even in places that embrace cultural diversity, new immigrant families may have difficulties communicating with people in their host culture, even if they’ve learned their native language. Informal, conversational speech often involves slang terms and other nuanced differences from the formal structure of the same language. In some cases, such differences may be such that even people who are from the same culture may have a difficult time understanding regional dialects, making it extra challenging for non-native speakers.

Additionally, these differences in accents and grammar can create barriers to understanding between parties, impacting social relationships. Sometimes, differences in body language also emerge as challenges to communication between people of different cultures.

Conflicts between traditional values and new cultural norms

Acculturation can present challenges associated with differences in cultural practices, values, and attitudes. For example, drinking alcohol is shunned in some cultures, while in others, attitudes are different, and it tends to be a typical part of the culture. Religious differences can also lead to conflict in certain circumstances, such as when a religion prohibits or limits certain foods while others eat such foods regularly or for celebratory purposes. 

Exposure to such cultural differences can lead to acculturative stress. Sometimes, families change their attitudes about such topics or change their behaviors to better “fit in” and meet societal expectations.

Social isolation and discrimination

Social isolation can occur when immigrant families don’t have access to other families of the same culture within their host society. Similarly, communication barriers can make socializing difficult in their new environment.

Real or perceived Ddiscrimination can have severe impacts on immigrant families. For example, when some immigrant parents retain their culture of origin’s parenting styles, they may be harshly judged if their culture is not understood or respected by institutions dedicated to children’s welfare, such as educational institutions or healthcare providers. 

In some instances, discrimination against various ethnic groups can lead to hate crimes and violence against individuals attempting to make a life in a  host society that fears or doesn’t understand them.

Socioeconomic status and structural stressors

Socioeconomic status can also play a role in the acculturation experiences of immigrant populations. Contextual factors such as access to education, social support, and financial resources can either make the transition smoother or more challenging. While immigrant families with means may have more options, those with limited resources may face challenges like barriers to quality education or employment, further hindering their ability to integrate and thrive in their new country.

The relationship between racial identity, ethnic identity, and mental health

Racial and ethnic identity may be tied to mental health outcomes, particularly for those who are navigating acculturation. How individuals relate to their cultural background may contribute to well-being and resilience during this process.

Why ethnic identity can be protective during acculturation

Research has demonstrated that maintaining a strong ethnic identity can serve as a protective factor during the acculturation process and may help moderate the stress of racial and ethnic discrimination. A deep connection to one's culture and cultural heritage can foster a sense of inner pride and a stable sense of self. Individuals who hold their ethnic culture close while navigating a new society may experience better overall well-being.

Identity formation in adolescents and early adolescence

Identity formation can be particularly challenging during adolescence and early adolescence. For immigrant and migrant adolescents, this developmental stage, which spans middle childhood through early adolescence, occurs along with the challenges of acculturation. 

Research in adolescent psychiatry and child development highlights that navigating dual cultural identities during this period can be challenging, but that identifying with one’s native culture “was beneficial for school attachment, self-esteem, and life satisfaction, serving as a resource that may protect against experiences such as discrimination, microaggression, and acculturation stress. However, it was a potential risk factor for academic performance.” How migrant or immigrant adolescents navigate their identities can ultimately shape long-term psychological outcomes.

When identity stress overlaps with mental illness risk

When identity stress is not addressed, it can worsen existing vulnerabilities, which may increase the risk of mental illness and substance use among those experiencing high levels of acculturative stress.

Maintaining racial and ethnic identity

Staying connected to racial and ethnic identity can help throughout the acculturation process. For many, cultural identity is unlikely to fade when arriving in a new country and may remain preserved and integrated into daily life.

Daily cultural practices that support family cohesion

Cultural practices can play an important role in maintaining family relationships and supporting a shared sense of belonging. In a family context, everyday rituals, like preparing traditional meals, speaking a native language at home, and observing cultural or religious traditions, can help family members feel connected to their roots. These practices can also strengthen social support networks within the family, providing stability and comfort to individual family members who are all dealing with challenges of adapting to their new cultural context.

Respecting culture of origin while adapting to host culture

Balancing one's culture of origin with a new culture can be a nuanced process. Many immigrant parents retain the values, customs, and traditions of their home country while simultaneously encouraging their children to adapt to the host culture and host society while embracing their native culture. Rather than viewing these as conflicting, many families find ways to honor both.

Different ethnic groups may navigate this balance in distinct ways depending on their culture of origin. For example, among many Puerto Rican families, strong familial bonds and communal values remain central even after migration. Similarly, the concept of filial piety (emphasizing the duties and respect that children owe to their parents and ancestors that is common across many Asian cultures) shows how cultural values from one's home country can be honored when living in a new cultural environment.

Acculturation and familial mental health

The challenges listed above often have a severe impact on the mental health of immigrant families. Below are a few common examples of the ties between acculturation and mental health symptoms sometimes experienced by immigrant populations.

Increased stress, anxiety, and mental illness

For migrants or immigrants, sociological and psychological adaptation to a new society or culture often comes with many challenges, from practical needs like determining where to live and work to other difficulties like navigating interpersonal relationships with other community members. Adding language barriers, perceived discrimination, and cultural differences to the equation often makes it even harder.

With time, these stressors can take a toll on one’s mental health, contributing to conditions like anxiety. Symptoms of anxiety can include:

• Irritability
• Restlessness
• Chronic tension and fatigue
• Diminished concentration
• Challenges with decision-making or problem-solving
• Disruptions in sleep or appetite
• Persistent sense of impending danger or panic
• Heart palpitations, trembling, excessive sweating
• Headache, nausea, gastrointestinal problems

Depression and a sense of isolation

In some cases, individuals adjusting to life in a different culture may experience isolation, helplessness, and homesickness. Depression can be a common result when such experiences go unaddressed, and immigrants may not receive the support they deserve to adapt as comfortably as possible. 

Experiences like these can be multifaceted. For example, a recent systematic review published in the Journal of European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry surveyed the experiences of migrant adolescents. Their findings indicated that not only could a sense of isolation result from a loss of connection to family relations, friends, and community, but the teens also reported experiencing a sense of loss associated with their identities. Possible symptoms of depression may include:

• A sense of helplessness or hopelessness
• Chronic sadness or low mood
• Low self-esteem
• A sense of guilt without a culpable source
• Demotivation
• Lack of interest in activities once enjoyed
• Difficulty focusing and making decisions

Substance use risk and coping pathways

For some people, navigating the pressures of acculturation may lead to unhealthy coping mechanisms, including substance use. Adapting to a new culture can be stressful, particularly when combined with discrimination, social isolation, and loss of cultural identity. That said, differences in substance use patterns may exist across immigrant populations. Other factors, such as cultural background, family relationships, and the amount of social support can either increase or reduce this risk. Understanding these differences can help improve culturally informed approaches to substance use prevention and treatment.

Intergenerational factors

Some people who immigrate to another country do so because they are fleeing from violence or danger in their home country. Exposure to atrocities can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), severe anxiety, and other mental health concerns. 

Not only can PTSD profoundly impact the individuals experiencing it directly, but it can also have profound impacts on their families and loved ones. Intergenerational or transgenerational trauma can occur when trauma is transmitted between generations. 

If you are experiencing trauma, support is available. Please see our Get Help Now page for more resources.

Helping families cope and thrive

Despite the challenges that can occur, families can use various acculturation strategies to boost psychological adaptation to their new homes while maintaining a sense of cultural identity and pride. 

Support resources for ethnic groups

There are several types of social services and social support resources immigrant families can seek out to help them integrate into their new communities.

• Support groups with others from shared cultures and similar situations can give families a sense of belonging and community. Additionally, support groups can provide individuals with an opportunity to support others in the community by sharing their experiences and challenges.
• Immigrant families can seek support from cultural organizations, faith-based institutions, and social services to access services that meet their specific needs. 
• Language support, such as language classes or interpretation services, can help families communicate more effectively and access resources and support in their new country.
• Access to education and employment opportunities can be critical for immigrant families to integrate into their new community, achieve financial stability, and adapt to the education system.  

Practical family toolkit for acculturation stress

Developing healthy acculturation strategies can help family members navigate the pressures of cultural transition together. Here are some things that families can do to cope:

• Establish regular family check-ins to discuss each other's experiences, challenges, and feelings
• Set shared expectations around cultural adaptation
• Balance values of the culture of origin with the realities of the host culture
• Maintain cultural traditions, such as preparing traditional meals, celebrating cultural holidays, and speaking the native language at home
• Build a community by seeking out others from the same cultural or ethnic background for social support
• Normalize conversations about mental health within the family to help reduce stigma and encourage family members to ask for help when they are struggling
• Create predictable routines at home to provide stability and a sense of safety while navigating the uncertainties of cultural transition

When to seek support for mental health symptoms

When acculturation stress begins to affect daily functioning, it may be time to seek professional support. Both parents and children can experience symptoms of mental illness during this process, and adolescents and young adults may be particularly vulnerable. Early intervention can make a difference.

Culturally sensitive mental health services

Access to mental health professionals experienced in helping individuals and families navigate the challenges of acculturation can be vital to immigrant families looking for help with mental health challenges. 

However, in some cases, immigrant families may experience barriers to finding such support. For example, they may have trouble finding a professional with experience helping people from their culture. Busy schedules may lead to challenges with scheduling regular therapy sessions. Some families may also assume therapy is too expensive, particularly without insurance. Additionally, some cultures may have heightened stigmas associated with mental health and thus may not be comfortable attending sessions in an office environment. 

Prevent mental illness with online therapy

Virtual therapy can be an excellent alternative to traditional care in such cases. Online therapy platforms typically offer access to various mental health professionals from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Families can attend sessions from their homes when it fits their schedules, and online therapy is often more affordable than conventional therapy without insurance coverage. 

BetterHelp’s flexible subscription model allows users to access quality care from our extensive therapist network, with subscriptions priced around $70-$100/week. In addition, in many states, certain therapists on BetterHelp may be in-network with select insurance carriers and plans. When sessions are covered, members typically pay an average copay of about $23 per session. Check your in-network status on the BetterHelp site. Coverage varies by state, plan, and provider availability.

Research supports the notion that online therapy is equally effective as in-person therapy. Both options can serve as valid forms of treatment for a variety of mental health disorders and challenges, including those associated with acculturation.