Acculturation Attitudes and Acculturative Stress of Central American Refugees

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Abstract
Research on acculturation has revealed a variable relationship between acculturation and mental health, which is due to the presence of a number of moderating factors. Some of these factors, namely, modes of acculturation, acculturative experience with the host society, contact with the culture of origin, and individualistic values have been examined in order to understand better the relationship of these factors with acculturative stress. In the present research. Central American refugees (N = 101) who were resettled in Canada completed a questionnaire dealing with their attitudes, behaviours, values, and levels of acculturative stress. Results indicated that different factors are involved in the prediction of psychological and somatic aspects of acculturative stress, with contact with the culture of origin and modes of acculturation being the best predictors.