Cultural Transitions and Mental Health: Lived Experiences of North-Eastern Indian Late Adolescent Females

Introduction

Migration among young people from North-Eastern India to metropolitan and semi-urban regions of mainland India has increased substantially in recent years, particularly for educational opportunities. For many young women between 18 and 22 years of age, this transition marks a critical phase of late adolescence, a developmental period characterised by identity exploration, emotional vulnerability, and increased dependence on peer and environmental cues. Relocating away from home often exposes North-Eastern adolescents to unfamiliar cultural practices, social norms, and interpersonal dynamics that shape their daily experiences in complex ways.

The cultural distance between the North-Eastern states and Western India is particularly pronounced. Differences in food, language, appearance, dress, gender norms, and social interaction patterns often make North-Eastern youth highly visible in public spaces. Research indicates that their distinct physical features and accent can lead to stereotyping, exclusion, and subtle or overt discrimination (McDuie-Ra, 2012). Such experiences may contribute to feelings of being ‘othered’, reduced belongingness, and heightened cultural stress. For late adolescent females who are navigating autonomy, safety concerns, and gendered expectations, these challenges can have cumulative psychological effects.

Acculturation and enculturation processes become central during this transition. Young migrants attempt to adapt to the cultural expectations of the host environment while simultaneously maintaining a connection with their heritage culture. Balancing these cultural pathways, while coping with discriminatory encounters, can directly influence mental health outcomes such as anxiety, loneliness, hypervigilance, and emotional exhaustion. Despite the growing migration of North-Eastern youth to educational hubs like Vadodara, limited research has examined their lived experiences, especially through a qualitative lens that centres their voices and subjective realities.

Understanding the cultural transitions and mental health challenges of North-Eastern late adolescent females is essential for informing support systems within academic institutions, community spaces, and mental health services. A qualitative exploration can offer nuanced insights into how these young women interpret, negotiate, and cope with the cultural and psychosocial demands of living away from home. This study, therefore, seeks to capture their lived experiences, with the aim of generating contextually grounded knowledge that can guide more inclusive and culturally responsive practices.

Rationale

North-Eastern Indian late adolescent females represent a unique and understudied population in the context of internal migration within India. Although increasing numbers of young women migrate to urban centres like Vadodara to pursue higher education, little is known about how they experience cultural transitions and navigate the socio-emotional challenges of living away from home. Their position as visible ethnic minorities often places them at heightened risk for stereotyping, exclusion, and discriminatory treatment, which can influence their psychological well-being during a developmentally sensitive period.

Late adolescence (18–22 years) is marked by identity formation, autonomy seeking, and the establishment of new social networks. For young women from the North-East, these developmental tasks occur simultaneously with the demands of adjusting to a culturally distant environment. Differences in language, accent, appearance, lifestyle, and norms may intensify feelings of cultural mismatch or ‘outsiderhood’, making adaptation more complex than for peers from similar cultural backgrounds. These challenges may compound existing emotional pressures associated with academic expectations, safety concerns, and the absence of familial support.

Despite these realities, research exploring the lived cultural and mental health experiences of North-Eastern adolescent females in Western India remains scarce. Most existing studies focus broadly on racism, discrimination, or acculturation but do not capture the nuanced, everyday experiences of young women navigating higher education settings far from home. The absence of qualitative research limits our understanding of how these adolescents make meaning of their experiences, how they cope with cultural stressors and discrimination, and what support systems they rely upon.

Given this gap, a qualitative inquiry is essential to foreground the voices of North-Eastern late adolescent females and provide an in-depth understanding of their cultural, emotional, and psychological experiences. Such insights can inform culturally sensitive practices within educational institutions, guide mental health interventions, and promote inclusive environments that foster resilience and well-being among this vulnerable youth population.

Method

This study adopted an exploratory qualitative design to understand the lived cultural and psychological experiences of North-Eastern Indian late adolescent females residing in Vadodara. A qualitative approach was chosen to capture the depth, context, and subjective meanings participants assign to cultural transition, discrimination, and mental health. In total, 20 female participants (aged 18–22 years) took part in the study. All participants were originally from the North-Eastern states of India and were residing in Vadodara for higher education. Inclusion criteria were as follows: (a) female; (b) aged 18–22 years; (c) born and raised in a North-Eastern state; (d) currently studying in Vadodara; and (e) willingness to participate and provide informed consent. Purposive sampling was used to recruit participants expected to provide rich, relevant accounts of cultural adaptation and well-being. Convenience sampling assisted recruitment through student groups and community contacts to ensure timely access to participants from diverse North-Eastern backgrounds.

Findings

Thematic analysis of the 20 interviews revealed four overarching themes, each with multiple subthemes reflecting the cultural, emotional, and psychosocial experiences of North-Eastern Indian late adolescent females living in Vadodara. These themes highlight how participants navigate cultural differences, experience discrimination, manage psychological distress, and adopt coping strategies to maintain well-being (Table 1).

OPEN IN VIEWER

Table 1.

Summary of Themes and Subthemes Identified Through Thematic Analysis.

Theme	Subthemes	Description
1. Navigating cultural distance and reconstructing identity	1.1 Feeling visibly ‘different’	Participants felt highly visible in public due to their appearance, accent, and style, leading to self-consciousness.
	1.2 Adjusting to new norms	Challenges in adapting to food, language, gender norms, and social expectations in Vadodara.
	1.3 Negotiating cultural identity	Constant balancing between heritage culture and mainstream expectations while redefining self-identity.
2. Subtle and overt experiences of discrimination	2.1 Stereotyping and misrepresentation	Experiences of being stereotyped based on ethnicity, lifestyle assumptions, and misconceptions about the North-East.
	2.2 Microaggressions and exclusion	Subtle jokes, accent mockery, and social exclusion within academic and peer settings.
	2.3 Safety concerns and gendered discrimination	Heightened vulnerability due to being female, leading to fear, avoidance, and hypervigilance.
3. Emotional and psychological distress	3.1 Loneliness and homesickness	Persistent longing for home and emotional disconnect from local peers.
	3.2 Anxiety and overthinking	Emotional strain, hyperawareness, and fear triggered by discrimination and cultural distance.
	3.3 Impact on self-esteem	Reduced confidence, self-doubt, and internalised feelings of ‘not fitting in’.
4. Coping strategies and sources of support	4.1 Cultural continuity	Use of home culture, food, music, and language to maintain emotional grounding.
	4.2 Peer support systems	Friendships with other North-Eastern students as primary emotional support.
	4.3 Personal coping behaviours	Adaptive (music, cooking, and self-care) and avoidance-based strategies (withdrawal, isolation).
	4.4 Resilience and self-reliance	Growing confidence, assertiveness, and psychological adaptation through lived experiences.

Discussion

This study explored the lived cultural, social, and psychological experiences of North-Eastern Indian late adolescent females residing in Vadodara. The findings illuminate how these young women negotiate cultural difference, experience subtle and overt discrimination, and develop coping strategies during a critical developmental period marked by identity formation and increasing autonomy.

The first theme highlights the complexity of cultural adjustment. Many participants felt visibly ‘different’ due to their physical appearance, accent, and cultural practices, which aligns with research showing that visible minority youth often experience heightened self-consciousness and social scrutiny in culturally distant environments (Berry, 2005; Sam & Berry, 2010). The emotional labour involved in modifying speech, behaviour, or dress to ‘fit in’ reflects the strain of navigating acculturation pressures while preserving one’s cultural identity. Similar patterns have been identified among internal migrants in India who face cultural incongruence and lowered belongingness (McDuie-Ra, 2012).

The second theme underlines the pervasive nature of discrimination. Participants encountered subtle microaggressions, stereotyping, ethnic misidentification, and exclusion from peer groups. Such experiences are consistent with broader literature documenting racism and everyday discrimination against people from North-Eastern India across urban regions (Barbora, 2008; Misra & Lemiere, 2013). Microaggressions, such as accent mimicry or curiosity about ethnicity, are known to contribute to minority stress and emotional distress (Sue et al., 2007). Gendered vulnerabilities intensified these experiences, echoing findings that minority women often face intersecting risks tied to ethnicity and gender (Crenshaw, 1991).

The third theme demonstrates the psychological consequences of cultural displacement. Participants reported loneliness, homesickness, anxiety, hypervigilance, and diminished self-esteem. Previous research suggests that discrimination acts as a chronic stressor that heightens risk for anxiety, depressive symptoms, and identity conflict among minority adolescents (Pascoe & Smart Richman, 2009; Schwartz et al., 2010). Late adolescence is already marked by heightened emotional sensitivity; thus, discriminatory encounters and cultural distance can exacerbate vulnerability to psychological distress. The participants’ accounts of emotional withdrawal and hyperawareness resonate with studies showing that minority youth often internalise stressors arising from social exclusion (Williams & Mohammed, 2009).

The final theme highlights coping strategies used by participants. Maintaining cultural continuity, through music, food, language, and friendships with other North-Eastern peers, appears to function as a protective factor. Prior research confirms that enculturation buffers the negative impact of discrimination by reinforcing identity and belonging (Yoon et al., 2013). Peer support networks played a crucial role in emotional resilience, consistent with evidence that social support significantly moderates acculturative stress among migrant youth (Cobb, 1976; Ungar, 2011). Although some participants used avoidance-based strategies such as social withdrawal, many demonstrated resilience and adaptive coping, reflecting how cultural transitions can foster personal growth and psychological strength (Panter-Brick & Leckman, 2013).

Overall, the findings emphasise the need for culturally responsive support systems within educational and community settings. Institutions hosting diverse student populations must recognise the unique challenges faced by North-Eastern adolescent females and implement initiatives aimed at safety, inclusion, and mental well-being. Understanding their lived experiences provides essential insight for designing support structures that promote cultural sensitivity, reduce discrimination, and enhance resilience among minority youth.

Conclusion

The findings reveal that cultural transition is a layered and emotionally demanding process shaped by visible minority status, unfamiliar social norms, and the need to renegotiate identity in a new environment. Experiences of subtle and overt discrimination, rooted in appearance, accent, and stereotypes, emerged as consistent challenges that influenced the participants’ sense of belonging and personal safety.

Cultural distance, discrimination, and social exclusion collectively contributed to emotional strain, including loneliness, anxiety, self-doubt, and hypervigilance. Yet, the adolescents also demonstrated notable resilience. Their reliance on cultural continuity, supportive peer networks, and personal coping strategies underscores the importance of relational and cultural resources in mitigating acculturative stress.

Overall, this study highlights the unique vulnerabilities faced by North-Eastern late adolescent females living away from home for higher education. Their experiences point to the need for culturally sensitive support mechanisms, anti-discrimination efforts, and inclusive institutional practices that recognise both the challenges and strengths of minority youth. By foregrounding the voices of these young women, the study contributes a nuanced understanding of cultural transition and mental health, offering insights that can inform interventions, policies, and student support initiatives.

Implications

The findings of this study demonstrate the complex cultural and psychological challenges faced by North-Eastern Indian late adolescent females living away from home for education. Their experiences of cultural distance, discrimination, and emotional strain underscore the urgent need for culturally sensitive support systems within academic institutions. Strengthening inclusive practices, enhancing peer support structures, and improving the responsiveness of mental health services can play a crucial role in supporting minority youth. The insights also highlight the importance of recognising appearance- and accent-based microaggressions as legitimate contributors to distress and the need for institutional policies that actively address such behaviours. More broadly, the study emphasises that cultural transition is not solely an individual task but a relational process shaped by institutional climate, community attitudes, and access to support networks.

Recommendations

Based on the participants’ narratives, the following recommendations are proposed:

Culturally sensitive orientation programmes: Universities should develop orientation sessions that introduce cultural diversity, address stereotypes, and educate students on respectful intercultural communication.

Limitations

The study has several limitations. First, the sample comprised only female participants from a single urban location, which may limit the transferability of findings to other contexts or to male and non-binary North-Eastern youth. Second, the study relied on self-reported narratives, which may be influenced by personal interpretation or selective recall. Third, the focus on late adolescents (18–22 years) excludes younger or older age groups who may have different cultural or psychological experiences. Finally, although data saturation was achieved, future studies with more diverse samples across multiple cities would help build a broader understanding of North-Eastern migrants’ experiences across India.