Psychological interventions for labor migrants’ sociocultural adaptation: a resource-oriented approach illustrated by Uzbek migrants in Russia

Abstract

Objective: This article examines the adaptation characteristics of labor migrants from Uzbekistan in the Russian Federation, focusing on their sociocultural integration challenges, and proposes evidence-based recommendations for psychological support and targeted psychocorrection to enhance their adjustment to a new environment.

Method: The study was conducted at the Migration Center of Vladimir Oblast, Russia, involving a sample of 150 male labor migrants aged 21 to 51 years. A mixed-methods approach was employed, utilizing the Personality Adaptation to a New Sociocultural Environment Scale by L. V. Yankovsky, the Multilevel Personality Questionnaire "Adaptability" by A. G. Maklakov and S. V. Chermyanin, and the Personality Adjustment Inventory by K. Rogers and R. Dymond to assess psychological traits and adaptation levels. Statistical analysis included Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r) to explore relationships between variables such as interactivity, emotional comfort, and internal control.

Results: The findings revealed that 82% of respondents exhibited low adaptation levels, reflecting significant sociocultural integration difficulties. However, notable strengths were identified: 24.7% scored high on the "Interactivity" scale, 25.33% scored low on "Depressiveness", 40% demonstrated high "Emotional Comfort", and 70% showed high "Internal Control". Correlation analysis indicated a significant positive relationship between interactivity and both emotional comfort (r = 0.217; p ≤ 0.01) and internal control (r = 0.229; p ≤ 0.01), suggesting a foundation for resilience.

Conclusions: The findings underscore the potential of leveraging internal resources, such as interactivity, internal control, emotional comfort, and low depressiveness, to enhance the psychological resilience of Uzbek labor migrants in Russia. By informing tailored psychocorrectional and psychotherapeutic strategies, this study supports the development of adaptive interventions that mitigate sociocultural challenges and facilitate sustainable integration into the host environment.