The process of separation from one's homeland includes the loss of internal representations or symbolic resources, such as music, landscape, literature, and climate. These symbolic resources express one's ideas, identities, roles, and relations to each other, and contribute to the psychological reactions associated with one's adaptation to the new country. The present study examined the psychological adjustment of 395 new immigrants to Israel from the former Soviet Union using a cross-sectional design. Results showed that the longer an immigrant stays in Israel, the greater the sense of loss of spiritual symbolic resources. It was also found that the greater the loss, the poorer the psychological adjustment. A significant correlation was found between three categories of symbolic resources (spiritual, physical, and social) and psychological adjustment to the new environment. The significance of the findings for immigrants' welfare and acculturation is discussed in light of past and present immigration policies in Israel.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Markovitzky et al. (2005) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: