Acculturative Stress

Abstract

The concept of acculturation refers to the cultural and psychological changes that groups and individuals undergo when they come into contact with another culture. Acculturative stress is stress that directly results from and has its source in the acculturative process, often resulting in a particular set of stress behaviors that include anxiety, depression, feelings of marginality and alienation, heightened psychosomatic symptoms, and identity confusion. Acculturative stress may underlie a reduction in the health status of individuals, including physical, psychological, and social health.