UC Irvine

Acculturative processes are a common experience among ethnic minority groups and are proposed as important contributors to health disparities (Berry, 2007). Acculturation is a process of cultural adaptation that occurs with exposure to cultural context that differs from one’s own, involving measurable changes in values, beliefs, and behaviors. Acculturative stress is the stress associated with the acculturation process and is experienced when coping challenges exceed coping resources (Berry, 2007; Smart & Smart, 1995). The present meta-analysis integrates and reconciles findings and moderators across the growing literature about the correlation between acculturative stress and mental health in the U.S. Greater acculturative stress was statistically significantly related to greater adverse mental health outcomes. A greater percentage of first-generation participants within a sample and a lower state diversity index were associated with an increased magnitude of the correlation between acculturative stress and adverse mental health outcomes. These findings expose vulnerabilities among affected groups, and future studies should focus on why that is the case and what can be done to help through culturally sensitive interventions.