Finding Home: Cultural Identity Conflict and Mental Health among Bicultural Young Adults

Abstract

Young adults with a migration background often grow up with norms and values from multiple cultures. This can be enriching, but it can also lead to tension when cultural frameworks collide. Who are you when the values at home do not align with those of the society in which you live? This dissertation focuses on the tension young adults may experience while navigating between multiple cultures. A central concept in this is cultural identity conflict: the feeling that cultural expectations are incompatible, which can lead to confusion about one’s identity and feelings of alienation. In several studies it is examined how this conflict relates to mental health, focusing on young adults who grew up in the Netherlands with parents from a different cultural background, as well as on recently migrated Syrian young adults with refugee backgrounds. In both groups, a stronger cultural identity conflict is associated with higher levels of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress. This conflict also increases vulnerability to mental health problems when young adults face stressful life events. In addition, cultural identity conflict is linked to factors such as social pressure from both the home environment and the society, low self-esteem, and perceived discrimination. Young adults who struggle to find a balance between cultures could therefore be at greater risk of experiencing psychological distress. The findings articulate the importance of paying attention to cultural identity development and cultural identify conflict in mental health care, education, and policy. Programs that support young adults in combining cultures and strengthening their identity can contribute to resilience and well-being.