Age differences in stress process of recent immigrants

Abstract

In the present study we sought to examine whether age affects the relationship between stress/social support and psychological distress in community residents in Israel who recently emigrated from the former Soviet Union (FSU). A cross-sectional and partly longitudinal design was used to compare emotional distress, stressor, and social support measures in three age groups (18 to 29, 30 to 59, and 60 to 86 years) of adult immigrants (N = 563). Age-related differences in the parameters of interest and their changes over time were examined with analysis of variance (ANOVA), t tests, and multiple regression analyses. We found that older immigrants reported higher levels of health-related stressors, but did not differ on total social support from younger immigrants. Specific predictors of elevated distress differed by age. For the youngest cohort, these included climate changes and anxiety for the future. For the middle-aged immigrants, these included female gender, lower education, unemployment, and longer time in Israel. For the oldest immigrants, predictors of distress included being divorced, separated, or widowed, and perceiving long-time residents of Israel as hostile. Only the middle-aged cohort showed a significant decline in levels of perceived stressors and distress during a 1-year follow-up. Thus, age differences in the stress process of recent immigrants are associated with age-specific perceived adjustment difficulties and demographic characteristics.