Journal of Psychological Science

fa The Role of Personality in the Mental Health of Iranian Immigrants: Investigating the Mediating Role of Acculturation The Role of Personality in the Mental Health of Iranian Immigrants: Investigating the Mediating Role of Acculturation تخصصي Special پژوهشي Research <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;">Background: Migration challenges the mental health of millions of Iranian immigrants. Although acculturation is considered a key pathway linking individual differences to immigrant well-being, the simultaneous contribution of personality traits, self-regulatory capacities, and acculturation orientations to psychological distress remains underexplored. Aims: This study examined (1) the direct effects of the Big Five traits, integrative self-knowledge, mindfulness, and self-control on distress, and (2) whether heritage and mainstream acculturation orientations mediate these relationships. Methods: In a cross-sectional design, 356 Iranian immigrants (252 women; mean age = 37.37 years) in 30 countries completed validated Persian measures, including the Goldberg Big Five Inventory, Integrative Self-Knowledge Scale, Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, Brief Self-Control Scale, Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21), and the Vancouver Index of Acculturation (VIA). The VIA was subjected to confirmatory factor analysis, resulting in a refined 16-item version. Structural equation modeling tested the proposed conceptual model. Results: he final model demonstrated satisfactory fit (RMSEA = .053, CFI = .894). For direct effects, neuroticism was the strongest positive predictor of psychological distress (β = .54), while integrative self-knowledge (β = –.31), extraversion (β = –.16), and self-control (β = –.13) were significant negative predictors. Openness, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and mindfulness showed no significant direct effects. For mediation, all sixteen hypothesized indirect paths through heritage and mainstream acculturation were non-significant after controlling for personality variables; neither acculturation dimension significantly predicted distress. Conclusion: In the complex context of migration, deep-seated inner resources such as emotional stability and integrative self-knowledge are far stronger determinants of mental health than the cultural strategies immigrants adopt. The findings challenge simplistic models that attribute immigrant well-being primarily to acculturation, and underscore that who the immigrant is matters more than which culture they embrace. Interventions aimed at fostering integrative self-knowledge may be particularly effective in promoting mental health among Iranian immigrants.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">Background: Migration challenges the mental health of millions of Iranian immigrants. Although acculturation is considered a key pathway linking individual differences to immigrant well-being, the simultaneous contribution of personality traits, self-regulatory capacities, and acculturation orientations to psychological distress remains underexplored. Aims: This study examined (1) the direct effects of the Big Five traits, integrative self-knowledge, mindfulness, and self-control on distress, and (2) whether heritage and mainstream acculturation orientations mediate these relationships. Methods: In a cross-sectional design, 356 Iranian immigrants (252 women; mean age = 37.37 years) in 30 countries completed validated Persian measures, including the Goldberg Big Five Inventory, Integrative Self-Knowledge Scale, Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, Brief Self-Control Scale, Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21), and the Vancouver Index of Acculturation (VIA). The VIA was subjected to confirmatory factor analysis, resulting in a refined 16-item version. Structural equation modeling tested the proposed conceptual model. Results: he final model demonstrated satisfactory fit (RMSEA = .053, CFI = .894). For direct effects, neuroticism was the strongest positive predictor of psychological distress (β = .54), while integrative self-knowledge (β = –.31), extraversion (β = –.16), and self-control (β = –.13) were significant negative predictors. Openness, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and mindfulness showed no significant direct effects. For mediation, all sixteen hypothesized indirect paths through heritage and mainstream acculturation were non-significant after controlling for personality variables; neither acculturation dimension significantly predicted distress. Conclusion: In the complex context of migration, deep-seated inner resources such as emotional stability and integrative self-knowledge are far stronger determinants of mental health than the cultural strategies immigrants adopt. The findings challenge simplistic models that attribute immigrant well-being primarily to acculturation, and underscore that who the immigrant is matters more than which culture they embrace. Interventions aimed at fostering integrative self-knowledge may be particularly effective in promoting mental health among Iranian immigrants.</div> سلامت روانی, مهاجران ایرانی, فرهنگ‌پذیری, صفات شخصیت mental health, Iranian immigrants, acculturation, personality traits. 1 18 http://psychologicalscience.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-3675-1&slc_lang=fa&sid=1 Alireza Zare علیرضا زارع alireza.zare@ut.ac.ir 0440766125 100319475328460049849 Yes Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Education, University of Tehran,Tehran, Iran. گروه روان‌شناسی، دانشکده روان‌شناسی و علوم تربیتی، دانشگاه تهران، تهران، ایران. Nima Ghorbani نیما قربانی nghorbani@ut.ac.ir 100319475328460049850 100319475328460049850 No Department Of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Education, University of Tehran,Tehran, Iran. گروه روا‌ن‍‌شناسی، دانشکده روانشناسی و علوم تربیتی، دانشگاه تهران، تهران، ایران. Hojjatollah Farahani حجت اله فراهانی h.farahani@modares.ac.ir 100319475328460049851 100319475328460049851 No Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran. گروه روانشناسی، دانشکده علوم انسانی، دانشگاه تربیت مدرس، تهران، ایران. Peter Watson پیتر واتسون peter.watson@mrc-cbu.cam.ac.uk 100319475328460049852 100319475328460049852 No MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK. واحد شناخت و علوم مغز، دانشگاه کمبریج، کمبریج، بریتانیا.