Involuntary Cultural Change and Mental Health Status Among Indigenous Groups: A Synthesis of Existing Literature

Abstract

Indigenous groups throughout the world have experienced social exclusion and have been subjected to marginalization. Globalization has resulted in significant changes in traditional lifestyles and developmental programs have not been successful in integrating Indigenous people into communities with non-Indigenous people. Although there is substantial research on acculturation and adaptation within the field of cross-cultural psychology, there are few narrative reviews of this literature. The present paper provides such a review and examines the mental health concerns of Indigenous groups undergoing acculturation. We address the consequences of involuntary cultural change and review studies that have been conducted on mental health issues, psychosomatic symptoms, substance use, and suicidality in Indigenous groups. We conclude by offering suggestions to mitigate mental health problems. Directions for future research on the acculturation of Indigenous groups are also provided. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.