Acculturation and Mental Health in Chinese Immigrant Youth

The dissertation investigated the relationship between acculturation, acculturative stress, locus of control, and perceived social support on the mental health of Chinese immigrant adolescents. Study participants included 81 first generation Chinese immigrant adolescents. Mental health was operationalized using the BASC emotional symptoms index and somatization score. As hypothesized, acculturative stress and perceived parental support were significant predictors of both emotional symptoms and somatization. Locus of control and perceived peer support were significant predictors of emotional symptoms only, while acculturation was not a significant predictor of either emotional symptoms or somatization. Furthermore, the results suggested that locus of control and social support had a direct impact on mental health outcomes, rather than an indirect, stress buffering role. Future research and study implications are discussed.