Research with Immigrant Populations: The Application of an Ecological Framework to Mental Health Research with Immigrant Populations
The purpose of this article is to outline the benefits of an ecological model framework for conducting cross-cultural psychological research with immigrant populations. There are four ways we hope to add to the existing literature. First, we propose an ecological framework to assess the developmental processes and mental health outcomes for immigrants over time. Second, we present interdisciplinary and international research on immigrants' experiences to further efforts to share knowledge and enhance understanding of the impact of globalization on immigrants' experiences. Third, we describe factors leading to immigrants' positive and negative mental health outcomes. Fourth, we discuss the processes of acculturation and adaptation using an ecological framework.We conclude with recommendations for how scholars may use the ecological model to enhance research on immigrants' acculturation experiences.