Predicting reasons for experiencing depression in Pakistani and Palestinian Muslims: The roles of acculturation and religiousness

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to examine the influence of acculturation and religiousness on Muslim individuals' attributions of reasons for having experienced depression. A community sample of Pakistani and Palestinian Muslims (n = 76) completed self-report measures of heritage-culture acculturation, acculturation to U.S. culture, religiousness, and individually and interpersonally oriented reasons for having experienced depression. Religiousness, but not acculturation, predicted lower individually oriented reasons for depression. Religiousness also predicted greater interpersonally oriented reasons for having experienced depression, and heritage-culture acculturation predicted lower interpersonally oriented reasons for depression. No moderated effects were found, suggesting that religiousness and heritage-culture acculturation are independently associated with interpersonally oriented reasons for depression. The results provide evidence that, among Muslims, acculturation and religiousness are differentially associated with types of attributions made for having experienced depression.