title: Prediction of adaptation difficulties by country of origin, cumulate psychosocial stressors and attitude toward integrating: a Swedish study of first-generation immigrants from Somalia, Vietnam and China.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Different types of accumulated stress have been found to have negative consequences for immigrants' capacity to adapt to the new environment. It remains unclear which factors have the greatest influence.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The study investigated whether immigrants' experience of great difficulty in adapting to a new country could best be explained by (1) country of origin, (2) exposure to accumulated stressors before arrival or (3) after arrival in the new country and/or (4) reserved attitude toward integrating into the new society.
  
  
  METHODS
  The 119 first-generation immigrants from Somalia, Vietnam and China, living in Malmö, Sweden, were interviewed in a standardized manner.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Experiencing great difficulty in adapting to Sweden was independent of length of residence, but significantly related to all four influences, studied one at a time. Country of origin was also related to stressors and attitude. When the effects of the other influences were mutually controlled for, only exposure to accumulated stressors in Sweden (and especially experiencing discrimination/xenophobia/racism) accounted for great adaptation difficulty. Stressors in Sweden had a greater effect if the immigrant had been exposed to stressors earlier.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Immigrants' long-term experiences of great difficulty in adapting to a new country were explained primarily by exposure to accumulated stressors while moving to and living in the new country, rather than by their backgrounds or attitudes toward integrating. This suggests promoting strategies to avoid discrimination and other stressors in the host country.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatric Epidemiology, Lund University, Skånes University Hospital in Lund, Lund, Sweden ewa.johnsson@med.lu.se.
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Johnsson
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Skånes University Hospital in Malmö, Malmö, Sweden.
authors.forename: Krystyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zolkowska
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatric Epidemiology, Lund University, Skånes University Hospital in Lund, Lund, Sweden School of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.
authors.forename: Thomas F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: McNeil
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001290:Attitude / Q000208:ethnology*; D002681:China / Q000208:ethnology; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012931:Social Environment; D012998:Somalia / Q000208:ethnology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000208:ethnology*; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D014744:Vietnam / Q000208:ethnology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Immigrant; adaptation; attitude toward integrating; migration; stress factor