Validating negative context of reception scale for Ukrainians in the US

This study aimed to validate the Context of Reception (NCR) scale among Ukrainian immigrants in the United States, comparing those who arrived before and after the 2022 Russian invasion. NCR refers to some of the challenges immigrants face in their new environment, including lack of support and opportunities. The research involved 703 Ukrainian migrants who completed measures related to NCR, cultural and family-economic stressors, well-being, mental health issues, and alcohol misuse. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) supported a strong factor structure for the NCR scale. Measurement invariance tests had partial metric and scalar invariance between pre-invasion (n = 477) and post-invasion (n = 217) cohorts. Structural equation modeling (SEM) yielded significant correlations between NCR and various stressors and psychological outcomes. Post-invasion immigrants reported a significantly worse context of reception than their pre-invasion counterparts. NCR scores were positively linked to discrimination, language stress, depressive symptoms, anxiety, and alcohol misuse, whereas negatively correlated with life satisfaction and optimism. The NCR scale proved to be a reliable measure, strongly associated with mental health outcomes among Ukrainians.