Chapter 16 - Mental health issues related to migration in women

Summary

Migration will inevitably affect people of different genders in different ways. Women are more likely to have higher rates of psychiatric disorders and are also more likely to be carers, thereby experiencing additional stress, of which clinicians must be aware. Adjustment to a new country is based on acculturation. Predictors of mental health among migrants include variables of both traumatic and non-traumatic character. Women domestic workers in Asia are a specific population who need attention from mental health workers. Cultural alienation, a process in which individuals find themselves cut off from their culture, is considered to be a common risk factor for mental health problems. Much of the literature reviewed in this chapter indicates that immigrant women have unique problems that make them vulnerable to psychological distress. It is evident that prevention should start from the pre-migration stage itself. The feminisation of migration is increasing with globalisation and work opportunities.