ORIGINAL ARTICLE Acculturative Stress and Depression in an Elderly Arabic Sample Nancy Howells Wrobel & Mohamed F. Farrag & Robert W. Hymes Published online: 5 March 2009 # Springer Science + Business Media, LLC 2009 Abstract Acculturative stress and relevant demographic variables, including immigration status, English skills, level of education, age, gender, country of origin, and years since immigration to the U. S. are examined along with their relationship to depressive symptoms. The 200 Arab-American and recent Arab immigrant participants ranged from age 60–92 and represented eight countries of origin. Most had limited fluency in English. Arabic versions of the Multi-dimensional Acculturative Stress Inventory (MASI) and Geriatric Depression Scale were administered. MASI and GDS results indicated greater degrees of acculturative stress and depression for those with a refugee or temporary resident status. More recent entry into the U.S. also predicted greater stress, while greater levels of education and English skills predicted lower levels of stress and depression. Composite stress levels and the nature of stress varied by country of origin. Although demographic variables were predictive of depression when examined separately, multiple regression analyses revealed that perceived acculturative stress, particularly pressure to learn English, provided a notable increment in prediction of depression over the demographic variables. Keywords Acculturative stress . Arabic . Depression . Geriatric . Immigrant Acculturation was first said to involve the psychological adaptation that takes place when two or more cultural groups come into contact (Redfield, Linton & Herskovitz 1936, cited in Trimble 2003). In such circumstances, varying degrees of assimilation may occur, with assimilation referring to an individual “relinquishing (their) cultural identity and moving into the dominant society” (Berry 1990, p. 93). The degrees of assimilation may range from total assimilation of one cultural group by a dominant host culture, or a multi-cultural circumstance, in which separate cultures continue to exist (Rudmin 2003). The relationship between factors such as the degree of assimilation and ongoing psychological adaptation or J Cross Cult Gerontol (2009) 24:273–290 DOI 10.1007/s10823-009-9096-8 N. H. Wrobel (*) : R. W. Hymes University of Michigan-Dearborn, 4901 Evergreen, Dearborn, MI 48128, USA e-mail: nwrobel@umich.edu M. F. Farrag Behavioral Care Solutions, Madison Heights, MI, USA