NCJ Number
216446
Journal
Journal of Youth and Adolescence Volume: 35 Issue: 5 Dated: October 2006 Pages: 799-813
Date Published
October 2006
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This study examined whether levels of adjustment problems, as well as developmental processes, namely the associations among family processes and measures of internalizing or externalizing behaviors, were similar or different in Swiss immigrant groups compared to members of a host culture.
Abstract
Consistent with some previous studies on the effects of migration and with expectations, both immigrant populations reported significantly higher levels of internalizing problems in comparison to youth from the host country. Specifically, both second and first generation immigrant youth reported more anxiety and depression symptoms as compared to native Swiss youth. The study provides evidence of important differences between native versus immigrant youth in measures of mental health which begs the answer of what specifically precipitates these internalizing problems and how to address them. Immigration is a process by which individuals who come from a foreign country with different cultural, socio-historical, and demographic backgrounds enter into and adapt to a new host culture. Switzerland provides a unique national context to study the process of migration and on how immigration affects family processes and adolescent adjustment/development. This study examined similarities or differences in levels of family processes (closeness, communication, monitoring, support, conflict, and peer approval) and measures of internalizing (anxiety symptoms, depression symptoms, and low self-esteem) and externalizing behaviors (alcohol use, drug use, and deviance) among 3,540 native Swiss youth, second generation immigrant youth, and first generation immigrant youth. Tables, appendix, and references