Acculturation and Acculturative Stress as Predictors of Psychological Distress and Quality-of-Life Functioning in Hispanic Psychiatric Patients

Abstract

This study examined acculturation level and type, acculturative stress, and several demographic variables as predictors of psychological distress and health-related quality of life in a sample of 101 Hispanic patients at a community psychiatric clinic. Acculturative stress was predictive of psychological distress beyond the effects of the demographic variables. It was also predictive of quality of life with regard to mental health, but not with effects of demographic variables controlled. Acculturation level was not predictive of any of the dependent variables. Low-bicultural acculturation type predicted high psychological distress and poor quality of life-mental health. Assimilated acculturation type was predictive of good quality of life-mental health and traditional acculturation type was predictive of good quality of life-physical functioning. Results demonstrated the importance of evaluating acculturative stress in the psychological assessment of Hispanic psychiatric patients.