Overview

Abstract (English)

Immigrants can face insurmountable odds in their acculturation to the new society, and subsequently suffer from poor emotional/mental health. Using immigrant data from the United States, Australia, and Western Europe, this paper tests the relationship between immigrant religious involvement and emotional well-being. Results demonstrate that regular religious participation is associated with better emotional/mental health outcomes. Conversely, non-religious group involvement (i.e., ethnic associations, leisure groups, work groups) do not have as equally a positive association with emotional well-being. This pattern is consistent across all countries examined in this study, suggesting that religion has a unique relationship with immigrant emotional well-being regardless of national context. Therefore, it is posited that in easing the emotional/mental adjustment of immigrants, religion is not an artifact of context or of a particular religious group, but a generality of immigrant adaptation. Policy implications for the study’s findings are discussed.

Abstract (French)

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