Culture and Mental Health: An Examination of the Effects of Acculturation on Asian-American Psychological Health

Abstract

Culture has been an integral part of our daily lives, and it has even been found to affect our psychological wellbeing. Research on the relationship between culture and mental health has suggested that expressive suppression and stigma are aspects of culture that can explain differences in mental health between cultures. Acculturation is critical in determining to what extent culture affects mental health. This study focused on the association between acculturation and mental health in Asian-Americans and examined the involvement of expressive suppression and stigma. It was hypothesized that greater acculturation would be correlated with lower levels of anxiety and depression. Results did not support the hypotheses. Implications, limitations and directions for future of the study are discussed in detail.