Self-attention as a mediator of cultural influences on depression.
BACKGROUND
Despite the widespread recognition of cultural differences in depressive symptoms, it is unclear through what processes culture affects depressive symptoms.


OBJECTIVE
This research aims at examining whether self-attention mediates the influence of acculturation on changes in depressive symptoms in an immigrant group.


METHODS
Adults of Asian cultural backgrounds were surveyed. Depressive symptoms were assessed and divided into three categories: affective, somatic and interpersonal items of depression. Acculturation experiences were measured. Self-attention to three aspects (i.e. affective, somatic and interpersonal) of the self was also assessed.


RESULTS
As acculturation proceeds, Asian immigrants tend to pay increasingly more attention to the affective aspect of the self and less to the somatic aspect of the self. The changes in the focus of self-attention seem to explain the changes in the experience of depression that include more affective and less somatic symptoms of depression as the degree of acculturation increases.


CONCLUSIONS
Self-attention to certain aspects of the self seems to play an important role mediating the influence of acculturation on changes in subcategories of depressive symptoms.
Chen
Hongtu
H
Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA. htchen@rics.bwh.harvard.edu
Guarnaccia
Peter J
PJ
Chung
Henry
H
D000069:Acculturation; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001213:Asian / Q000523:psychology*; D001288:Attention; D002681:China / Q000208:ethnology; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007564:Japan / Q000208:ethnology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009515:New Jersey; D012649:Self Concept; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology