Date of Award

2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Psychology (Ph.D.)

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Imad Zaheer

Second Advisor

Mark Terjesen

Third Advisor

Samuel Ortiz

Abstract

The South Asian community is one of the fastest-growing immigrant populations in the United States (SAALT, 2019), and yet, there is a paucity of research that examines their experiences with acculturation, particularly in relation to stress. Likewise, acculturative stress or the strain associated with cross-cultural exposure is especially salient during adolescence when ethnic identity formation tends to materialize (Goforth et al., 2014) Researchers have indicated that acculturative stress is associated with negative mental health trajectories (Miller De Rutté & Rubenstein, 2021); nevertheless, virtually few studies have examined the variables associated with acculturative stress, especially among South Asian youth. The aim of the present study was to (1) examine the effects of acculturative stress on psychological well-being (i.e., autonomy, competence, and relatedness) and life satisfaction among South Asian adolescents, (2) explore the association between acculturative stress and generational status, (3) investigate whether gender plays a moderating role. Utilizing a quantitative descriptive design, participants (n=55) from South Asian backgrounds between the ages of 18-22 years old were asked to complete an online questionnaire. Results from this study indicate that as levels of acculturative stress increased among the sample population, overall psychological well-being (i.e., autonomy satisfaction, competence satisfaction, relatedness satisfaction, and life satisfaction) decreased while need frustration increased. Likewise, generational status was not found to be a significant predictor of acculturative stress among the sample population. Further, results revealed that gender did not play a moderating role in how acculturative stress impacts psychological well-being. These findings have important implications for research and practice, underscoring the significance of culturally responsive interventions in mental health and educational settings.

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