Acculturative Stress

The present study applied the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to unfold the social cognitive antecedents of acculturation and investigated the effects of acculturation on psychological distress using a longitudinal design. A total of 180 mainland Chinese university students studying in Hong Kong completed three sets of questionnaires every 2 months for a period of 6 months. Findings from structural equation modeling (CFI = 0.97, NNFI = 0.96, RMSEA = 0.05) confirmed the explanatory power of TPB on acculturation. The effect of acculturation on psychological distress was mediated by sociocultural adapta-tion and acculturative stress. The results highlight the importance of socio-cultural adaptation in the course of acculturation and confirm acculturation as an identifier of risk rather than a direct predictor of psychological distress. Practical implications for university counseling centers in facilitating better cultural adjustment among students with a different cultural background are suggested