Effects of acculturative stress on PTSD, depressive, and anxiety symptoms among refugees resettled in Australia and Austria

Figures & data

Table 1 Socio-demographic characteristics of participants

	Australian Bosnians N=56	Austrian Bosnians N=82
	M/n (SD/%)	M/n (SD/%)	Group differences
Age	44.61 (14.60)	37.20 (14.44)	t(136)=2.95, p=.004
Sex			χ ^2=2.85, p=.065
Male	26 (46.4%)	50 (61%)
Marital status			χ ^2=1.18, p=.186
Married/in a relationship	43 (76.8%)	56 (68.2%)
Single	13 (23.2%)	26 (31.7%)
Education level			χ ^2=3.36, p=.645
Postgraduate	6 (10.7%)	12 (14.6%)
Tertiary	18 (31.1%)	21 (25.6%)
Advanced Diploma	9 (16.1%)	19 (23.2%)
High school	16 (28.6%)	24 (29.3%)
Secondary or less	6 (10.7%)	4 (4.9%)
Other	1 (1.8%)	2 (2.4%)
Length of residence (in years)	16.05 (3.46)	18.76 (5.69)	t(136)=−3.17, p=.002

Table 2 Traumatic events reported by Bosnian refugees living in Australia and Austria

	Australian Bosnians N=56	Austrian Bosnians N=82
Traumatic experience	n (%)	n (%)	Group differences
Separation from family	41 (73%)	35 (43%)	χ ^2=12.30, p=.001
Direct bombardment or sniper fire	34 (60%)	35 (43%)	χ ^2=3.60, p=.064
Other stressful event happened to family	30 (54%)	26 (32%)	χ ^2=5.30, p=.030
Family member injured, killed, or tortured	30 (54%)	25 (30%)	χ ^2=7.25, p=.009
Other stressful or upsetting event	25 (45%)	27 (33%)	χ ^2=1.45, p=.279
Life-threatening accidents	20 (36%)	21 (26%)	χ ^2=1.23, p=.340
Serious physical attack or assault	16 (29%)	18 (22%)	χ ^2=.54, p=.546
Witnessed family injury, killing, or torture	10 (18%)	5 (6%)	χ ^2=4.30, p=.050
Fire, flood, or natural disaster	9 (16%)	5 (6%)	χ ^2=3.25, p=.088
Combat	8 (14%)	2 (3%)	χ ^2=6.77, p=.016
Torture	7 (13%)	4 (5%)	χ ^2=1.52, p=.232
Concentration camp	5 (9%)	4 (5%)	χ ^2=.72, p=.489
War-related serious injury	4 (7%)	0 (0%)	χ ^2=7.13, p=.029

Note: χ ²=Fisher's exact test.

Table 3 Means, standard deviations and univariate analyses for mental health symptoms and acculturative stress reported by refugee group

	Australian Bosnians N=56	Austrian Bosnians N=82
	M (SD)	M (SD)	Group differences
PDS	13.29 (14.28)	5.37 (7.93)	t(71.06)=3.60, p=.001
DASS-depression	5.42 (5.80)	2.69 (4.36)	t(83.99)=2.85, p=.006
DASS-anxiety	4.94 (5.38)	2.42 (3.58)	t(76.77)=2.92, p=.005
Demands of Immigration Subscales
Loss	10.12 (3.52)	9.41 (3.35)	t(130)=1.15, p=.251
Language	7.53 (3.56)	5.50 (3.23)	t(129)=3.37, p=.001
Not at home	8.10 (3.40)	7.85 (3.30)	t(130)=.385, p=.701
Novelty	10.46 (4.31)	8.78 (4.32)
Occupation	11.84 (5.94)	11.61 (5.98)	t(129)=.216, p=.830
Discrimination	9.41 (4.44)	10.48 (3.94)	t(128)=−1.43, p=.153
Total DI	52.13 (18.75)	48.80 (18.17)	t(129)=1.01, p=.315

Note: PDS=Posttraumatic Diagnostic scale; DASS-Depression=Depression, Anxiety, and Stress scale; DI=Demands of Immigration scale.

Table 4 Hierarchical regression analyses for PTSD symptoms scores reported by refugee group

	Total sample (N=119)			Australian Bosnians (N=46)			Austrian Bosnians (N=73)
	Model 1	Model 2	Model 3	Model 1	Model 2	Model 3	Model 1	Model 2	Model 3
Adjusted R^2	.211***	.528***	.570*	.169**	.468***	.488	.145**	.533***	.581*
Age	.444***	.276***	.151^∧	.473**	.336**	.216	.333**	.220**	.143
Female sex	.169*	.133*	.125*	.196	.124	.198	.207^∧	.219**	.163*
Traumatic events		.588***	.558***		.562***	.424**		.630***	.604***
DI-Loss			.155*			.107			.230*
DI-Language			.059			−.013			.010
DI-Not at home			.283*			.285			.225^∧
DI-Novelty			−.089			.124			−.235
DI-Occupation			−.029			−.072			.184
DI-Discrimination			−.130			−.018			−.229^∧

Note: DI=Demands of Immigration scale; *p<.05, *p<.01, ***p<.001; ^∧ p<.10.

Table 5 Hierarchical regression analyses for depressive symptoms scores reported by refugee group

	Total sample (N=119)			Australian Bosnians (N=46)			Austrian Bosnians (N=73)
	Model 1	Model 2	Model 3	Model 1	Model 2	Model 3	Model 1	Model 2	Model 3
Adjusted R^2	.071**	.373***	.375	.067	.372***	.365	.010	290***	.331
Age	.283**	.123	.048	.351*	.191	.206	.114	.023	−.054
Female sex	.091	.045	.049	.066	−.019	.071	.141	.142	.138
Traumatic events		.574***	.583***		.570***	.444**		.538***	.597***
DI-Loss			.122			.090			.155
DI-Language			.075			−.188			.331^∧
DI-Not at home			.019			.031			−.058
DI-Novelty			−.074			.307			−.454*
DI-Occupation			−.086			−.147			.008
DI-Discrimination			.122			.226			.156

Note: DI=Demands of Immigration scale; *p<.05, **p<.01, ***p<.001; ^∧ p<.10.

Table 6 Hierarchical regression analyses for anxiety symptoms scores reported by refugee group

	Total sample (N=119)			Australian Bosnians (N=46)			Austrian Bosnians (N=73)
	Model 1	Model 2	Model 3	Model 1	Model 2	Model 3	Model 1	Model 2	Model 3
Adjusted R^2	.094**	.446***	.466	.087^∧	.382***	.411	.022	.434***	.493*
Age	.322***	.149*	.001	.382*	.231	.201^∧	.160	.051	−.123
Female sex	.086	.037	.062	.081	−.003	.135	.132	.133	.158^∧
Traumatic events		.618***	.571		.562***	.356*		.649***	.678***
DI-Loss			.087			.083			.093
DI-Language			.175			−.107			.489**
DI-Not at home			.116			.208			−.022
DI-Novelty			−.043			.312			−.357*
DI-Occupation			−.024			−.091			.059
DI-Discrimination			−.004			.060			.000

Note: DI=Demands of Immigration scale; *p<.05, **p<.01, ***p<.001; ^∧ p<.10.