Depth Interview VII. General Adjustment, Mental Health, Immigration and Resettlement

Abstract

Motivation for immigration, level of expectation, experiences in Israel, adaptation to climate and work, sleep and social contacts, occupation and other factors of adjustment and integration, are dealt with in Chapter Thirteen in their relation to general adjustment and mental health. Whereas in our material the Zionist motivation for immigration to Israel is tentatively related to general adjustment, its relation to mental health appears to be significant. The existence of interrelations between the level of expectation and pleasantly surprising or disappointing experiences on the one hand and general adjustment and mental health, on the other hand, is discussed. The topics commented upon in this chapter are of importance in both their theoretical and practical aspects. This is especially the case in respect to social contacts, intergroup relationships and occupation, although in regard to the latter the information received is of restricted value because of the small number of respondents who had worked in the country before their entry into the Ulpan. At the end of the chapter the satisfactory result of a comparison of “old” and new settlers among the respondents is put on record.