In a recent study, Dr Venera Bekteshi from the Department of Social & Policy Sciences, explored the contextual influence on mental health among 639 Latina immigrants, from Puerto Rico, Mexico and Cuba, in the United States (US). This seminar will discuss the findings of the study and their implications for policy and practice.
Outline of the research findings
The seminar will lay out in more detail the findings of the research. The initial review of the literature revealed:
The nature of the relationship between acculturation and acculturative stress
The determinants of acculturative stress among Latina immigrants in the US
A conceptual framework that can be used to specify the interactive effect of various factors on acculturative stress
Analysis conducted as part of the research using Structural Equation Model (SEM) highlighted some of the contexts likely to contribute most to acculturative stress among Latina immigrants, particularly perceived discrimination and difficulty visiting family abroad.
The results also confirmed that length of time in the US, happiness with the conditions in the US, and various cultural contexts were significant in diminishing acculturative stress among this group of immigrants.
Speaker profiles
Dr Venera Bekteshi is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Social & Policy Sciences with primary research interests in immigrant health, mental health and immigration policy.