Long-Term Depressive Symptoms and Acculturative Stress Issues Among Immigrants From the Former Soviet Union.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies regarding depressive symptoms and acculturative stress among immigrants have been limited to the initial period after immigration.

OBJECTIVE: The relationships between depressive symptoms, acculturation, and acculturative stress among immigrants from the former Soviet Union were examined in this descriptive study.

DESIGN: Eighty immigrants from the former Soviet Union who had immigrated within the past 20 years were recruited in various community locations.

RESULTS: Participants (N = 80), including recent and longer residing immigrants, reported elevated depressive symptoms and acculturative stress. Acculturative stress predicted depressive symptoms, controlling for dominant culture (American) immersion. However, length of time in the United States was not associated with depressive symptoms, ethnic culture immersion, or acculturative stress.

CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that elevated depressive symptoms are related to acculturative stress but are not confined to the initial adjustment period. Steps to decrease acculturative stress might help decrease depressive symptoms in immigrants regardless of the number of years lived in the United States.