Voices of South Asian women: immigration and mental health
Author: Ahmad F, Shik A, Vanza R, Cheung AM, George U, Stewart DE
Source:
Women & health, 40(4), 113-130.
PURPOSE: This qualitative research aimed to elicit experiences and beliefs of
recent South Asian immigrant women about their major health concerns after
immigration. METHODS: Four focus groups were conducted with 24 Hindi-speaking
women who had lived less than five years in CanadThe audiotaped data were
transcribed, translated, and analyzed by identification of themes and
subcategories. RESULTS: Mental health (MH) emerged as an overarching health
concern with three major themes i.e. appraisal of the mental burden (extent and
general susceptibility), stress-inducing factors, and coping strategies. Many
participants agreed that MH did not become a concern to them until after
immigration. Women discussed their compromised MH using verbal and symptomatic
expressions. The stress-inducing factors identified by participants included loss
of social support, economic uncertainties, downward social mobility, mechanistic
lifestyle, barriers in accessing health services, and climatic and food changes.
Women's major coping strategies included increased efforts to socialize, use of
preventative health practices and self-awareness. CONCLUSION: Although
participant women discussed a number of ways to deal with post-immigration
stressors, the women's perceived compromised mental health reflects the
inadequacy of their coping strategies and the available resources. Despite access
to healthcare providers, women failed to identify healthcare encounters as
opportunities to seek help and discuss their mental health concerns. Health and
social care programs need to actively address the compromised mental health
perceived by the studied group.