Acculturation and Mental Health Among Immigrant Women: The Roles of Marital Status and Marriage Adjustment

• Main Authors: Mei-Huei Lien, 連美慧
• Other Authors: 楊浩然
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2013
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/34526441898842401398

碩士 === 中山醫學大學 === 公共衛生學系碩士班 === 101 === Objectives: This study examined the roles of marriage status and marital adjustment between acculturation and mental health among immigrant women in Taiwan. Methods: This is a questionnaire survey using cross-sectional study design. Participants were immigrant women living in Taichung City, Changhua County, and Nantou County. A snowball sampling method was used and a total of 127 immigrant women was recruited in this study. All participants filled out a questionnaire consists of demographic characteristics, marital adjustment, and depression symptoms. The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, chi-square test, t test, Pearson’s correlation, multiple regression models and Sobel test by using SAS 9.2 software. Results: Findings of this study showed that acculturation (measured by literacy and years living in Taiwan) is associated with mental health, but the effect of acculturation diminished after controlling for the confounding factors. However, marital adjustment served as a mediator between acculturation and mental health among immigrant women. Moreover, divorced or widowed women were more likely to have more depressive symptoms as compared to those with normal marriage status. Conclusion：As marriage adjustment plays a mediator role between years living in Taiwan and mental health among immigrant women, improving levels of marriage adjustment is needed to decrease their depressive symptoms. Findings from this study suggest that: (1) The government should make efforts in educating the husbands and their families of immigrant women to more accept and understand the differences of cultures between Taiwan and Asian countries. (2) Social workers, researchers, and clinical practices should pay more attention on divorced and widowed immigrant women and care about their needs in mental health.