Internal And External Support And Mental Health Of Minority College Students: The Mediating Role Of Cultural Adaptation Strategies

Minority college students, members of a special group in universities, are under the circumstances of both their native culture and mainstream culture. They received support from their own people and members of the Han nationality. At the same time, they have to handle the test of acculturation, which definitely exercises influence on their mental health.On the basis of theoretical and empirical researches about in and out-group as well as perceived social support, this study adapts and revises the questionnaire of In and Out-group Perceived Social Support. After the revision, the questionnaire is made up of three dimensions, including family support, in-group support and out-group support. Test results of validity and reliability show that this questionnaire has good validity and reliability and it meets the requirements of psychometrics, so it can be used as a measurement of in and out-group support among minority college students.With samples drawn from minority college students in Guangxi, Yunnan, Guizhou Provinces,804 valid questionnaires were backed in this study, using In and Out-group Perceived Social Support Questionnaire, College Students Acculturation Questionnaire, and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-20). Applying the questionnaire information, this study analyzes the characteristics of in and out-group support, acculturation strategies and mental health of minority college students. It also discusses deeply the effects of acculturation strategies between in and out-group support and mental health. As a result, it comes to these conclusions:1. Perceived social support of minority college students is on a good condition and its three dimensions have balanced scores. Family support comes first; out-group support is the second, and in-group support is the last. In and out-group perceived social support of minority college students is significantly different among the four variables:father's or mother's nation, gender, origin of student, mental health education course. Students with parents who are both minorities score higher than those who only have one minority parent on family support, in-group support and overall support. Boy students score higher than girl students on in-group support. Students form ethnic communities score higher than those who are not on family support, in-group support and overall support. If they have taken mental health education course in university, students score higher on all three dimensions and overall support.2. Minority college students mostly choose integrated acculturation strategy; then it come assimilated acculturation strategy; and separated acculturation strategy is the least. Minority college students are significantly different on choices of acculturation strategies among the four variables:father's or mother's nation, gender, origin of student, mental health education course. Students who only have one minority parent score higher than those who have both minority parents on assimilated acculturation strategy. And the case is exactly the opposite when it comes to integrated acculturation strategy. Boy students score higher than girl students on separated, assimilated, and integrated acculturation strategy. Students form ethnic communities score lower than those who are not on assimilated acculturation strategy, while higher on integrated acculturation strategy. If they have taken mental health education course in university, students score higher on integrated acculturation strategy.3. The mental health of minority college students is generally favorable. They have higher self-affirmation level and lower lever of depression and anxiety. Mental health of minority college students is significantly different among gender and mental health education course. Boy students score higher than girl students on self-affirmation and mental health. If they have taken mental health education course in university, students score higher on self-affirmation and mental health and lower on depression and anxiety.4. In and out-group support (in-group support, out-group support, and family support) is significantly and positively correlated with mental health and self-affirmation, while negatively correlated with depression and anxiety. Separated acculturation strategy is significantly and positively correlated with depression and anxiety, while integrated acculturation strategy is significantly and positively correlated with mental health and self-affirmation and meanwhile, it is negatively correlated with depression and anxiety. In and out-group support as well as integrated acculturation strategy have significant predictive effect on mental health.5. Integrated acculturation strategy is a partial mediator between in and out-group support and mental health.This thesis studies perceived social support from the view of in and out-group innovatively. And it explores and analyzes the relation among in and out-group support, acculturation strategy and mental health of minority college students. This thesis also proposes that traditional ethnic education should be combined with mental health education so as to enhance the inheritance of ethnic culture, promote their acculturation to Han culture and lead happy and healthy university lives.