The Importance Of Mental Health Among Immigrants

Mental health is a state of psychological well-being. According to World Health Organization (WHO) mental health includes "subjective well-being, perceived self-efficacy, autonomy, competence, intergenerational dependence, and self-actualization of one's intellectual and emotional potential, among others." (Organization, WHO 2001) However, cultural differences, race, ethnicity, personal background, subjective assessment, and socioeconomic status all affect how mental health is defined. This variation in definitions of mental health between different sects of our society further causes drift in methods of treatment, and may cause the burden of mental health to be greater on some cultures.

Research draft paper Amid American communities all over the country there is a hidden population of individuals who are particularly susceptible to the damaging effects of the inaccessibility of quality health care. An estimated 11 million people, Latino individuals and families who have entered the United States without documentation, live their lives under an inordinate amount of stress and fear (Sorrell). Undocumented Latino immigrants in the US are especially vulnerable when it comes to their health due to the various barriers and disparities they encounter such as a complicated healthcare system, inaccessible care, language barriers, cultural differences, perceptions of discrimination, and fear of deportation.

9. What are the barriers faced by women in accessing justice and services? Canada is the dream destination for many immigrants. Federal government reported, the number of immigrants entering Canada in 2012 were over 250,000 being one of the highest proportion of foreign-born population in any country. Immigrants who enter Canada generally have no understanding or knowledge of the family justice system and face some serious hindrances in gaining access and learning the system, and arguably, the single group of immigrants that face the greatest barriers are immigrant women who are victims of domestic violence.

Refugees are physically separated from their family and friends when they relocate to a host country. This lack of familial support among those in an ethnic community directly affects refugees’ emotional and physical health in a negative manner (Simich, Beiser,& Mawani, 2003). Poor or nonexistent support systems do not give refugees the outlet to cope with the involuntary changes that are forced upon their lives as a resettled refugee. An incapability to deal with such stressors is the specific cause as to why significant amounts of psychological distress are seen among Afghan refugees in America.

According to Potochnick & Perreira (2010) there is higher likelihood of anxiety and depression on Hispanic/Latinos when immigration and psychosocial worries are present. With the large majority of foreign-born population in the U.S. originating from Mexican land [I], this is an important matter to consider. 2. Lack of medical care may not be the ultimate factor in the low number of treatment for depressive disorders in this culture, a social-cultural script may also be of substantial significance in this matter. C.

The linear model described above is widely accepted not only with regard to economic assimilation of immigrants, but also in the field of health research, which focuses on health outcomes of immigrant assimilation (Portes & Rumbaut, 1996; Rumbaut & Weeks, 1996). However, the linearity of immigrants' health assimilation is reversed when compared to economic assimilation. Studies on immigration and health report that upon arrival in the host country immigrants are likely to be healthier than the native-born population (McDonald & Kennedy, 2004; Akresh, 2007). This phenomenon has been termed in the literature the "healthy immigrant effect". Such studies have clearly demonstrated that, on average, the recent immigrant population has lower birth

The ideas that the world has about mental health nowadays does not help. By trying to prevent mental health and getting help from people who really need it is something we need to do. There needs to be an institution to help people who need it and to provide and sanctuary for the people who can not get

One main cause of depression is if immigrants miss the home and families they may have had to leave behind. The trauma of loss and separation can be immense. If immigrants are fleeing their home country related to war or government prosecution, immigrants may feel depressed and worried for the fate of their country and any other family members still at home. It may also be very hard to adjust to a brand new culture. Imagine having to change the way you are, changing or learning a new language, adapting to new customs that are different than those back at home.

This comprehensive annotated bibliography discusses about the poor mental health of the refugees and asylum seekers under detention in developed countries. This sits within the “Social Work Practice in Mental Health” and “Social Work with Refugee Survivors of Torture and Trauma” categories of Social Work fields of practice (Alston and McKinnon, 2005) and uses sources from Australian publications on these issues. The sources cited suggest that due to the large number of refugees and asylum seekers, governments of developed countries have implemented policies to deter people from seeking asylum such as immigration detention policies, strict visa restrictions, rigorous border checks and the stopping of voyages of vessels suspected of carrying smuggled asylum seekers (Silove et al. 2000). The refugees and asylum seekers go through tremendous amount of mental suffering and the worst affected are small children and adolescents.

In a study by Sarah Garcia-Siberman (1998:1-12), mental health issues can be seen at any age from the very young to the elderly, those with a higher level of education are less likely to develop cultural-bound syndromes. They are more likely to seek out the assistant of mental health providers (psychotherapy) and take medication (pharmacological treatment) if needed. This makes since to me, when someone is educated and are able to cope with the stresses of everyday life, the person is better equip to deal with whatever changes occur, making mental health issues less likely in this population. The older population and those that have little to no education, view these syndromes as evil, spiritual possession, or witchcraft, which can only be cured through herbal remedies, religious or shaman healers, and ritual ceremonies (Piñeros 1998:1425). If a culture is isolated and has no contact with civilization, I can see why they would not be able to seek professional help.

Abstract As individuals migrate to the US in search for better opportunities, life does not always turn out to be as easy as they had imagined it would be, with most facing various challenges especially cultural, social, and economic, leading to most questioning their decisions. Most immigrants face culture shock, language barrier, and economic challenges due to inability to secure well-paying jobs, while their children also have to adjust in terms of language, culture, and education. The lack of legal residency of undocumented immigrants also causes individuals to live in fear and is unable to access various resources since they lack the channels to do so. Majority of these individuals need professional help in coping with the language barrier,

These problems could be avoided if we learned how to take action in this type of situation. Thesis Statement: My three arguments on why mental health should be talked about more often are how mental illnesses affect Canada, how the government can solve this issue, and how you can help. body-paragraph one: Mental illnesses affect Canada deeply through lost of job days, money, and

Discussion Contrary to popular belief, migrants are not diseased people; however, the actual process of migrating, depending on the conditions encountered, makes migrants particularly susceptible to physical, environmental, social and psychological problems.5 In short, the migration process makes migrants and refugees vulnerable. Infectious and communicable diseases may spread in conditions where health hygiene and sanitation are poor. Likewise, the incidence of non-communicable diseases may be distributed inequitably due to the stresses of migration and the lack of access to the necessary medical services both in the countries of origin and the receiving states. Psychosocial illnesses like anxiety and depression from traumatic experiences, for example war, may lead to migrants having problems with substance abuse.

Introduction: When we think about culture, we automatically associate it with all of the stereotypes that are known. However, many of us never actually take the effort to find out the true culture of a place, which is why when we go to other countries we are clueless as to the culture and its practices. I believe that it is important to learn about the culture and any relevant information about a country before going there, which is why I have decided to look into the culture of the country Canada and its social practices. The country of Canada is in the continent of North America and it is well known for the friendly culture and open minded citizens.

Why do the people of today still associate stigma, shame and blame with mental health issues? Mental health issues are extremely and widely misunderstood. Despite the fact one in four people are likely to experience some kind of mental health problem a year in the United Kingdom. “Mental health is a person’s condition with regard to their psychological and emotional well-being and it affects how we feel, think and act. It also helps to determine how we handle situations such as stress, how we relate to others and how we make decisions.