Acculturation and adjustment of migrants reporting trauma: The contextual effects of perceived ethnic density

Abstract

Little is known about the relation between acculturation and socioecological contexts of migrants with a personal trauma history living in the community. This study represents an extension of our previous work and aimed to unpack the perceived neighborhood ethnic density (ED) effect and examine the moderating role of ED on the acculturation-adjustment relation in a community sample of migrants with trauma (N = 99) from developing countries residing in Montreal, Canada. ED was protective against general psychological distress but did not predict posttraumatic symptoms. The ED effect was mediated via degree of acculturation to the French-Canadian mainstream cultural context, rather than heritage acculturation, social support, or discrimination. Moreover, protective effects of French-Canadian mainstream acculturation for depressive symptoms and life satisfaction were found under high but not low ED conditions. Similarities and differences with our previous research as well as theoretical and prevention implications are discussed from a person-environment interaction perspective.

Keywords: acculturation; adjustment; ethnic density; migrants; trauma.