Acculturation and severity of depression among first-generation Vietnamese outpatients in Germany

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. Tom t?t Hoan c?nh: Nh?ng th? thach cua qua trinh di cu, d?c biet la nh?ng th? thach lien quan d?n qua trinh ti?p bi?n vn hoa co kh? nng tng nguy co m?c cac r?i lo?n tam ly. Ngu?i Viet Nam la nhom ngu?i nhap cu Dong Nam a dong nh?t ? Duc. Tuy vay cho d?n bay gi? v?n chua co m?t nghien cuu nao v? ?nh hu?ng cua s? ti?p bi?n vn hoa d?i v?i suc kh?e tam ly cua hO. M?c dich: Vi vay v?i d? tai nghien cuu nay, chung toi mu?n nghien cuu v? m?i quan he cua hai khia c?nh cua ti?p bi?n vn hoa (Hu?ng vao xA h?i s? dong/xA h?i moi tru?ng dang cu tru va Hu?ng v? xA h?i que huong), b?n ki?u ti?p bi?n vn hoa (h?i nhap, d?ng hoa, tach ly, co lap) v?i muc d? cua benh tr?m c?m. Phuong phap: D?i tu?ng nghien cuu bao g?m 113 benh nhan t?i Trung tam tu v?n va chm soc suc kh?e tam ly c?ng d?ng ngu?i Viet t?i CHLB Duc, Tru?ng D?i hOc Y Charite. HO la ngu?i Viet thu?c th? he nhap cu thu nh?t. Chung toi s? d?ng b? cau h?i v? nh?ng trieu chung tr?m c?m (BDI-II) va b? cau h?i v? s? giao ha gi?a cac n?n vn hoa theo Stephenson (SMAS) d? tr? l?i v?n d? d?t ra trong nghien cuu cua chung toi. K?t qu?: PhU h?p gi? thi?t cua chung toi dua ra, muc d? cua benh tr?m c?m it tr?m trOng hon n?u benh nhan hu?ng t?i nh?ng gia tr? vn hoa cua c? xA h?i Duc va Viet. Hon n?a, k?t qu? cho th?y r?ng nh?ng benh nhan theo ki?u ti?p bi?n vn hoa h?i nhap co muc d? tr?m c?m nh? hon so v?i nh?ng benh nhan theo ki?u ti?p bi?n vn hoa co lap. Nh?ng benh nhan co lap co muc d? benh tr?m c?m n?ng nh?t. K?t luan: K?t qu? cho th?y r?ng s? hu?ng t?i nh?ng gia tr? vn hoa cua xA h?i s? dong/xA h?i moi tru?ng dang cu tru va xA h?i que huong co th? la m?t ti?m nng giup nng cao suc kho? tam ly d?i v?i nh?ng d?i tu?ng nghien cuu ngu?i Viet thu?c th? he nhap cu thu nh?t m?c benh tr?m c?m. S? xa lanh c? hai n?n vn hoa co lien quan t?i viec tng nguy co benh tr?m c?m.