Rooting mediates the effect of stress by acculturation on the psychological well-being of immigrants living in Chile

Abstract

Migration is a social phenomenon that has an impact both on the lives of the people who migrate, and on the societies who receive them; with psychological well-being being one of the most affected variables. The objective of this research is to analyze the possible mediating role of rooting in the host location on the negative effect that acculturation stress has on the level of well-being. Data for this study were collected using 699 Colombian and Peruvian immigrants who have been permanently residing in Chile for more than six months. Participants were assessed by using Riff’s Psychological Well-being Scale, rooting of Torrente et al., and Ruiz et al. scales of stress. The results demonstrated the mediating role of settling down within the host country in relation to stress and psychological well-being, except for the sub-dimension of autonomy. It is concluded that the need for rooting in the host country is a protective factor against the negative effects of stress on perceived well-being.

Ethnic Identity as a Mediator of the Relationship between Discrimination and Psychological Well-Being in South—South Migrant Populations

“…The Colombian population in Chile has reported multiple experiences of discrimination, either by the country of origin, linked to drug trafficking, drugs, and sex trade in the case of women, or based on the color of the skin (many migrants are African descendants) [ 69 , 70 , 71 ]. Previous studies in Chile reported how discrimination has negatively affected both the mental health and the well-being of this population [ 72 , 73 ], in addition to other factors that also affect well-being [ 74 , 75 , 76 , 77 ].…”

Validation of the brief scale for the evaluation of acculturation stress in migrant population (EBEA)

“…Indeed, previous studies have found important associations between acculturation stress and physical and mental health problems in adults (Sternberg & Lee, 2013 ; Urzúa, Basabe, Pizarro, & Ferrer, 2017 ; Urzúa, Heredia, & Caqueo-Urízar, 2016 ), adolescents (Belhadj and Koglin, 2015 ), and children (Urzúa, Caqueo-Urízar, & Flores, 2019 ). Moreover, it occurs in various sociocultural groups involved in acculturation processes such as refugees (Ugalde-Watson, Smith-Castro, Moreno-Salas, & Rodríguez-García, 2011 ), immigrants (Mera-Lemp, Martínez-Zelaya, Orellana, & Smith-Castro, 2020 ; Urzúa, Caqueo-Urízar, Carvajal, & Páez, 2017 ; Urzúa, Leiva-Gutiérrez, Caqueo-Urízar, & Vera-Villarroel, 2019 ), international students (Castro and Perugini, 2013 ), and ethnic minorities (Smith-Castro, 2003 ).…”

Affects as Mediators of the Negative Effects of Discrimination on Psychological Well-Being in the Migrant Population

“…Especially regarding well-being in the migrant population, evidence suggests that it can be affected by various variables at both individual and contextual levels, such as sex, educational level, age, length of residence, administrative situation, work situation, social support, acculturation strategies, language, positive social interaction, environment, and mental health (Liu et al, 2017;Urzúa et al, 2019aUrzúa et al, , 2020aRodríguez et al, 2020).…”

“…This migration has resulted in situations of discrimination, either by the country of origin, linked to drug trafficking, drugs, and sex trade in the case of women, or by the color of the skin (Pavez, 2016;Tijoux, 2016;Gissi et al, 2019). Studies conducted in Chile show how discrimination has negatively affected both the mental health and the wellbeing of this population (Urzúa et al, 2018(Urzúa et al, , 2019bMera-Lemp et al, 2020a), in addition to other factors that also affect wellbeing (Silva et al, 2016;Urzúa et al, 2019aUrzúa et al, , 2020bMera-Lemp et al, 2020b). A qualitative perspective about the effects of migration and racism on the Colombian population in Chile can be reviewed in Gii-Barbieri and Ghio-Suárez 2017and Gii et al (2019).…”