Changes in psychological symptoms during the adjustment of recent immigrants

Abstract

In the present study, we sought to compare the number, severity, and frequency of psychological symptoms and the intensity of perceived stressors among immigrants with previously identified positive, negative, or normal patterns of distress. We evaluated 199 recent immigrants from the former Soviet Union to Israel using the Talbieh Brief Distress Inventory (TBDI) and the Perceived Immigration-Related Stressors Scale (PIRSS) with a 1-year follow-up period. As predicted, the number, severity, and frequency of psychological symptoms and the intensity of perceived stress factors vary among immigrants showing different distress patterns. A negative pattern was associated with an increase in the total number, severity, and frequency of distress-related symptoms and persisting cultural-related stress over time. A positive pattern was associated with a reduction in the overall number and severity of symptoms, as well as a decline in the frequency of distress-free symptoms and the intensity of all but informational-related stressors. A normal pattern was characterized by the reduction of distress symptoms within a normal range along with material- and health-related stresses. Our findings confirm the validity of the suggested classification for different patterns of distress and its usefulness in establishing the prognosis for the adjustment of immigrants.