Cultural Adaptation and Mental Health: A Dual Review of Acculturation, Enculturation, and Psychological Outcomes

Authors

  • Poonam Patel PhD Research Scholar, PG Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Sardar Patel University, Vallabh Vidyanagar, Gujarat (India) https://orcid.org/0009-0007-1335-0922
  • Dr. Suresh Makvana Professor & Head, PG Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Sardar Patel University, Vallabh Vidyanagar, Gujarat (India)

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31305/rrijm.2025.v10.n11.018

Keywords:

Acculturation, Enculturation, Cultural adaptation, Mental health, Positive mental health, Psychological distress

Abstract

Cultural adaptation is a multidimensional process involving both acculturation, the adoption of mainstream cultural norms and enculturation, the retention and internalization of one’s heritage culture. Although both constructs play a central role in shaping psychological functioning, research examining their impact on mental health reveals highly inconsistent findings. This review synthesizes evidence across studies on acculturation, enculturation, and mental health outcomes, integrating results from empirical literature on psychological distress, depression, anxiety, positive mental health, collective self-esteem, and life satisfaction. Enculturation was generally associated with enhanced positive mental health, particularly through cultural identity and community support, though certain behavioural aspects of enculturation were linked with increased anxiety in unfamiliar contexts. Conversely, acculturation demonstrated mixed associations, showing both protective and risk pathways depending on measurement methods, cultural groups, and contextual stressors. Measurement heterogeneity, overreliance on unidimensional acculturation scales, and the concentration of studies in Western populations contribute substantially to inconsistent findings. This dual review emphasizes the need for multidimensional frameworks that consider both enculturation and acculturation simultaneously, along with contextual moderators such as discrimination, identity formation, and social support. A more integrated approach offers stronger explanatory power for understanding how cultural adaptation shapes psychological outcomes across diverse populations.

Author Biographies

Poonam Patel, PhD Research Scholar, PG Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Sardar Patel University, Vallabh Vidyanagar, Gujarat (India)

Poonam Patel holds a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology and has qualified the Gujarat State Eligibility Test (GSET). She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Psychology at Sardar Patel University, Anand, which she commenced in 2021. Her academic and research interests lie in social psychology, cultural psychology, and mental health. She has been engaged in teaching and research since 2018 and has contributed to two major research projects. She is presently working as a Research Scholar and Visiting Faculty in Vadodara, where she teaches across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. She is also a Life Member of the Indian Science Congress. Her ongoing doctoral research focuses on cultural processes, ethnic discrimination, and psychological well-being.

Dr. Suresh Makvana, Professor & Head, PG Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Sardar Patel University, Vallabh Vidyanagar, Gujarat (India)

Dr. Suresh M. Makvana is Professor and Head of the Department of Psychology at Sardar Patel University, Vallabh Vidyanagar, Gujarat. He holds an M.A., M.Phil., and Ph.D. in Psychology and has more than three decades of teaching and research experience. His areas of specialization include Industrial/Organizational Behaviour and Social/Experimental Psychology. Dr. Makvana has guided 23 M.Phil. and 10 Ph.D. scholars, authored eight books, and published over fifty research papers. He has served in several academic and administrative roles, including Sectional President of the Indian Science Congress and Chairman of the Board of Studies in Psychology at Sardar Patel University. He is also Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Indian Psychology and a life member of multiple professional associations.

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Published

15-11-2025

How to Cite

Patel, P., & Makvana, S. (2025). Cultural Adaptation and Mental Health: A Dual Review of Acculturation, Enculturation, and Psychological Outcomes. RESEARCH REVIEW International Journal of Multidisciplinary, 10(11), 187–195. https://doi.org/10.31305/rrijm.2025.v10.n11.018

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Vol. 10 No. 11 (2025): RESEARCH REVIEW International Journal of Multidisciplinary

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This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0).