Introduction: Migration is a multifaceted and stressful experience often accompanied by acculturative stress, which can significantly affect the mental health of migrants. Perceived social support is considered an important protective factor that may buffer the adverse psychological effects of this stress. The present study aimed to examine the moderating role of different sources of social support in the relationship between acculturative stress and psychological symptoms among Afghan migrants living in Iran.
Materials and Methods: This descriptive–correlational study was conducted on 580 Afghan migrants aged 18 years and older, selected through convenience and snowball sampling. Data were collected using the Acculturative Stress Scale, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and the SCL-90 symptom checklist. Pearson correlation and moderation analysis using PROCESS Macro (Model 1) were performed.
Results: The findings indicated that acculturative stress was positively and significantly associated with all psychological symptoms, whereas social support showed a negative and significant relationship with these symptoms. Importantly, among the different types of social support, only support from friends demonstrated a significant moderating effect: higher levels of friend support attenuated the impact of acculturative stress on psychological symptoms.
Conclusion: These results highlight the protective role of social support particularly support from peers and underscore the need to strengthen social networks and peer-based interventions to promote the mental health of Afghan migrants.