IMPACT OF IMMIGRATION ON
MENTAL HEALTH IN MUSLIM
POPULATION OF MICHIGAN
By FARHA ABBASI MD
ALIEN TO AMERICAN
• United States accepts more legal immigrants
as permanent residents than any other
country in the world. In 2006, the number of
Immigrants totaled 37.5 million.
• U.S. immigration use to be an economic
venture, which inspired dreams of prosperity
and opportunity .The fear of life has become
the driving force now.
THE WAVE OF MUSLIM IMMIGRATION
CREATING THE NEW FACE OF AMERICA
• The number of immigrants from Muslim
countries were nearly 1.5 million in 2000 and
now number nearly 2 million.
• Muslim immigrants to the United States are
highly dispersed. The only town in the country
with a substantial concentration of Muslim
immigrants is Dearborn, Michigan, where they
make up perhaps 30 percent of the population
NOT ALL ARE ARABS
WHY!
• Muslims since 1965 have arrived in the United States for
two main reasons.
• The first is refuge, Tragic events in Muslim countries often
lead directly to the emergence of a Muslim ethnic
community in the United States. The Muslim countries
being disproportionately dominated by dictators means
that tyranny, persecution, poverty, violent regime changes,
civil strife, and wars have driven some of the most talented
and wealthy from Muslim countries in the Middle East,
South Asia, and beyond.
• The second major reason for immigration is education
WHO ARE REFUGEES?
• Refugee is a person who owing to a well founded
fear of being persecuted for reasons of race,
religion nationality, and is unable to or owing to
such fear is unwilling to avail himself of the
protection of that country. [UNHCR]
• The United States resettled the largest number
of refugees in2001.Muslim countries like Iran,
Iraq, Sudan ,Somalia and Afghanistan being the
top ten countries producing the most refugees.
THE REFUGEE EXPERIENCE
• Refugees are different from immigrants, they flee
their country of origin for fear of persecution not
out of personal choice, they are resettled in
countries that they may not have chosen ,as their
primary residence or with which they may not be
familiar . They do not have the opportunity to
prepare for their transition to a new country ,may
find it culturally strange ,and may have skills that
do not transfer well to their new
environments.{STEIN,1986}
REFUGEES IN MICHIGAN
• According to an estimate since 2004-2006 a
total of 4187 refugees have been resettled in
Michigan ,1890 in Lansing area only
comprising of diverse populations ,out of
which roughly 20%-30% are of Muslim faith.
FIGHT,FRIGHT,FLIGHT
• Immigration may it be legal, illegal or as a
refugee is a traumatic and stressful
experience, fraught with hardships, fear of the
unknown and social disruption.
• Refugees additionally have to deal with the
consequences of exposure to violence and
political oppression. It can have severe and
lasting impact on their mental well being.
CULTURAL BEREAVEMENT
• Loss of familiar sights, sounds and smells.
• Language barriers.
• Norms, values and cultural beliefs, stark
contrasts to host country.
• Change of economic and social status.
• Lack of social support.
• Racial discrimination.
“ IT’S ALL IN YOUR MIND”
• “Minority status ,experiences of prejudice ,social
and economic disadvantages and communication
barriers become a lamentable part of daily life
adversely affecting the immigrant’s mental
state.”…Dr Saeed Islam.
• Due to how people behave, express and manifest
is largely determine by their culture and ethnicity,
mental diseases especially depression go largely
undetected in immigrant populations.
STIGMA……SHROUD IT IN SILENCE
• “Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.”
• Strong faith and spirituality in Muslim culture
deems mental illness as the weakness of the
soul, where keeping silent in face of suffering is
the norm and to persevere is pious.
• These tend to under seek the professional help
as the stigma and shame of mental health is
worse than their anguish. They usually end up in
Primary care settings with vague pain and
symptoms. Where they are either under or
misdiagnosed.
MISMATCHED,MISUNDERSTOOD AND
MISDIAGNOSED
• The reasons for under diagnosing of
depression in Transcultural settings:
• Different description models used.
• Patient’s unwillingness or inability to disclose
mental or emotional issues.
• Divergence of clinical features across cultures.
• Language, cultural and racial barriers between
patient and psychiatrists.
WHEN WORDS CAN’T DESCRIBE THE
PAIN
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Common expressions of distress include:
Country / culture Somatic idiom
India/Pakistan ‘sinking heart’, ‘feeling hot’, ‘gas’
Nigeria ‘heat in the head’, ‘biting sensation all over the
body’, ‘heaviness sensation in the head’
Mexican Americans ‘brain ache’, ‘brain exploding’, ‘uncontrollable’
Chinese ‘shenjing shuairuo’ – neurasthenia
Dubai ‘sadri dayeq alayya’ – ‘my chest feels tight’
‘taabana’ – ‘I am tired, fatigued’
‘jesmi metkasser’ – ‘broken body’
United Arab Emirates‘the heart is poisoning me’
‘as if there is hot water over my back’
‘something is blocking my throat
ASSESSING DEPRESSION IN
IMMIGRANTS
• • Review sadness, joylessness, hopelessness, lack of energy, poor
concentration.
• • Look for biological symptoms such as loss of sleep and libido and
appetite
• variations.
• • Determine the reasons for migration, preparations and the actual act of
• migrating.
• • Evaluate aspirations and achievements.
• • Gauge social support and peer group contacts.
• • Study negative life events, feelings of loss and grief.
• • Appraise self-esteem and self-confidence.
• • Ascertain whether any social skills deficit is present.
• • Determine the degree of culture shock.
• • Check cultural identity.
HEALTH FAIR
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Sep. 7
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Greater Lansing Arab American Social Services (GLAASS),
Sparrow Hospital, Ingham County Health Department
Family & Community Development Services
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are delighted to jointly organize a HEALTH FAIR!!
FREE BLOOD PRESSURE, CHOLESTEROL, BONE DENSITY, AND BODY MASS TESTING
MENTAL HEALTH SCREENING and FREE REFRESHMENTS too!
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 7TH, 2007
12:00 PM TO 4:00 PM
WHERE: at the Islamic Center Gymnasium
920 S. Harrison Rd., E. Lansing,
Inside the gym
When you come to the Jummah prayer, plan on coming early or on staying back longer !
Free consultation from the best of the best expert professionals in town. The event is free and is open to all.
If you have any questions, please call 517-402-6225
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Download a flyer to the event at : http://www.lansingislam.com/dl/health_fair.doc Annual Fund Raising Dinner
Sunday September 9, 2007
HIDE YOUR CARROTS IN THE CLOSET