Acculturation, adaptation, and mental health among Ladakhi college students: A mixed methods study of an indigenous population

TY - JOUR

T1 - Acculturation, adaptation, and mental health among Ladakhi college students

T2 - A mixed methods study of an indigenous population

AU - Ozer, Simon

PY - 2015/4

Y1 - 2015/4

N2 - The Indian region of Ladakh has recently undergone comprehensive sociocultural changes through the process of acculturation. The present study employs an acculturation psychological framework to assess how two groups of Ladakhi college students navigate through different degrees of exposure to acculturation and how this affects their mental health. Using mixed methods, 292 (age: M = 20.89, SD = 1.66; 64.4% females) respondents were included in the quantitative assessment and 12 participated in semistructured interviews. Analysis revealed that students with less acculturation exposure were more oriented toward ethnic culture and to a greater extent experienced impaired mental health when compared with the sample with more acculturation. Most prevalent among the students (34.2%) was a bicultural orientation, integrating both ethnic and mainstream culture. In general, acculturation orientation was not associated with quantitative measures of depression or anxiety. The qualitative analysis revealed agency and cultural identity to be pivotal factors in the process of reproducing culture and negotiating cultural change.

AB - The Indian region of Ladakh has recently undergone comprehensive sociocultural changes through the process of acculturation. The present study employs an acculturation psychological framework to assess how two groups of Ladakhi college students navigate through different degrees of exposure to acculturation and how this affects their mental health. Using mixed methods, 292 (age: M = 20.89, SD = 1.66; 64.4% females) respondents were included in the quantitative assessment and 12 participated in semistructured interviews. Analysis revealed that students with less acculturation exposure were more oriented toward ethnic culture and to a greater extent experienced impaired mental health when compared with the sample with more acculturation. Most prevalent among the students (34.2%) was a bicultural orientation, integrating both ethnic and mainstream culture. In general, acculturation orientation was not associated with quantitative measures of depression or anxiety. The qualitative analysis revealed agency and cultural identity to be pivotal factors in the process of reproducing culture and negotiating cultural change.

KW - acculturation

KW - Globalization

KW - Mental Health

KW - Ladakh

KW - indigeneous people

U2 - 10.1177/0022022114567195

DO - 10.1177/0022022114567195

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0022-0221

VL - 46

SP - 435

EP - 453

JO - Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology

JF - Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology

IS - 3

ER -