Acculturation and psychological adaptation of South African immigrants in England: a self-regulation perspective

Abstract

This study was motivated by the increasing number of South African immigrants to countries like the United Kingdom, Australia, United States of America, and Canada having to deal with the daily challenges of this complicated and often traumatic process. Despite this trend, a paucity exists in the literature on the immigration experiences of South African immigrants, in terms of how they cope with immigration, as well as on interventions specifically aimed at supporting South African immigrants during their migration journey. The general aim of this study was to explore and evaluate the psychological adaptation and acculturation processes of South African immigrants in England, and to develop intervention guidelines for health professionals in this regard. A multiple, yet integrated, theoretical and methodological approach was followed, based on the argument that immigration is a dynamic process unfolding over time. The study was, therefore, approached from a self-regulation perspective (as a dynamic process of coping and adjusting to challenges) applied within a broader, multi-phase Interactive Qualitative Analysis (IQA) (Northcutt & McCoy, 2004) design. The study consists of three sub-studies reported in a three-manuscript format. Chapter 1 contextualises the study in terms of background, terminology, and problem statement, while the three phases of the study are then reported in three manuscripts (Chapters 2, 3, and 4). Finally, an integrated conclusion, and recommendations are provided in Chapter 5.Chapter 2 aims to firstly, explore the available scientific evidence on the experiences and challenges of South African immigrants regarding their acculturation experiences and vii) psychological adaptation; and to secondly, explore the content, nature, effects, and limitations of current intervention models aimed at improving the well-being of South African immigrants. A rapid review was conducted and 25 articles that met the inclusion criteria were thematically analysed and synthesised. The review shows that pre-migration factors, such asreasons for leaving South Africa, are important in understanding the experience of immigration. In addition, many South African immigrants found the administrative and practical aspects of moving and leaving family and friends challenging. Once in their new countries, new challenges regarding employment, language, social interaction, and acculturation are experienced on both intra and interpersonal levels, which often result in negative feelings and a decrease in general well-being. Many immigrants, however, appear to adjust to their changing situation by using positive coping strategies and drawing on personal strengths. However, it was confirmed that there is a paucity in research regarding intervention models aimed at improving South African immigrants` quality of life and well-being. Chapter 3 aims to explore the self-regulation and coping strategies that a sample of South African immigrants in England apply in order to adapt psychologically to the acculturation-process. Interactive Qualitative Analysis was applied as a method to develop a conceptual, hypothetical model based on the cause-effect relations between the different components of immigration experiences and subsequent psychological adaptation. The model suggests that the process of immigration is motivated by security and safety concerns in South Africa, as well as positive pull factors in England. Cultural and job challenges, however, result in homesickness, guilt, and uncertainty. The experience of uncertainty seems to be a critical point from which different self-regulation efforts emerge, each feeding back into the experience of immigration. Essentially, the results of this study imply that the migration experience for South African immigrants is a dynamic, ongoing process of viii) regulating their behaviour amidst the uncertainties, challenges, and positive immigration experiences. Chapter 4 aims to develop, based on the findings of the first two studies, scientifically based intervention guidelines for health professionals to support the psychological adaptation of South African immigrants in England. A guideline development approach was followed according to the steps identified by Wight et al. (2016), while, at the same time, incorporating certain principles of the logic model framework (Gervais et al., 2015; Savaya & Waysman, 2005). Four change mechanisms were identified during the guideline development phase and the final guidelines were categorised into three key clusters, namely preparations before applying the guidelines, pro-active strategies, and finally, reactive strategies. The guidelines were explained from a combined person-centred and strengths approach and refined through a two-round Delphi-approach with registered health professionals in England and South Africa. All 14 guidelines were considered relevant for inclusion and the health professionals agreed that it could be beneficial to include specialised training modules about support to immigrants. The final guidelines are meant to be flexibly integrated into the health professional`s existing professional procedures and therapeutic or counselling practices. The study encountered a number of limitations that are comprehensively reported in Chapter 5. Taking into consideration these limitations, it is concluded that immigration is a multi-faceted, dynamic, and personal experience. From a self-regulatory perspective, it seems as if many South African immigrants experience a discrepancy between important life goals and their current situation in their destination country, specifically related to the challenges of the migration journey. Although some immigrants are successful in applying effective self regulatory mechanisms, there is a great need to provide health professionals with guidelines on how to elicit a sense of agency within the individual immigrant by promoting coping styles and self-regulation strategies. ix) Although the study makes a valuable contribution to our understanding of immigration from a self-regulation perspective, recommendations are made to further improve this knowledge. These include the evaluation of the hypothetical IQA-model developed during this study, specifically regarding its generalisability to and verification within other immigrant contexts