Changes can occur when different cultures come into contact; this process of change is called acculturation. Acculturation has been categorized into different degrees: marginalization, separation, integration, and assimilation. The degrees of acculturation appear to be protective in terms of mental health. However, there are discrepancies within the literature with regard to whether integration or assimilation would result in fewer symptoms of acculturative stress, depression, or anxiety. This study tested two models of acculturation to determine the strategy that resulted in better well-being.

Self-administered questionnaires were given to 100 Asian college students. Results suggest that acculturation was negatively correlated to acculturative stress. No other variables were significantly related to acculturation. However, a significant linear relationship was found between acculturative stress, depression, and anxiety. Implications of these results are discussed.