Where really is home for you? The dynamic relationship between globalisation and economic development has created a multitude of opportunities across the world. With the prospects of security and stability for our families, it’s no wonder that so many of us make the daring decision: leaving everything we know to chase our dreams. Nonetheless, as we pack our suitcases and board the flight to our futures, we may overlook the heaviest baggage of all.
The diaspora community refers to a group of people who live outside of their country of origin, such as refugees and immigrants. The most publicized diaspora community is arguably the refugee crisis in Europe, where hundreds of North Africans illegally travel across the Mediterranean to seek asylum [1]. Not only are the harsh conditions physically difficult, but they can be mentally draining as well. That being said, this is not representative of the diaspora as a whole; immigrants are just as susceptible to facing mental health issues. A study done in Spain compared 318 migrant workers of both genders from different parts of the world [2]. It was observed that between 2008 and 2011, the prevalence of poor mental health increased in all subcategories of the sample population [2]. The two major factors for this were the “reduction of income and an increase in unemployment”; which is clearly the case as the largest increase in poor mental health from 30% to 60%, was in unemployed male migrants [2]. However, the fact that poor mental health increased regardless of “gender, employment status, salary, and family burden” paints a slightly different picture: the physical aspects of their lives may not be central to their psychological issues. Living in a foreign country comes with a lot of differences that can be overwhelming; language barriers and culture shock, to name a few. While it’s difficult–and nonsensical–to generalise these stressors for the entire diaspora, it is clearly a common struggle for many, and without the right support can be detrimental to their health.
Just as the working class has significant stressors, including problems with finance and employment, diaspora teenagers are also prone to facing psychological issues due to their social environment. Fitting in with the societal norm can be conflicting at a young age, especially when they’re discovering who they are and who they want to become. In 1981, a study done in the United States included 148 teenagers who had lived overseas for at least two years and 96 teenagers who have never lived abroad [3]. When asked, “Where I really belong and feel comfortable”, 81% of those living in the US answered, “with people” (referring to “friends, relatives, family”). In contrast, only 46% of those living overseas chose the same answer, with the majority choosing “home, my room” instead [3]. These results indicate that even after having lived in a different country for some time, they did not necessarily fit into their social environment [3]. Though their personal reasons for preferring isolation are unknown; body image, race and class are few of the many discriminants that may be evident in these environments, and with social media being omnipresent now, these factors are likely to be magnified. Regardless of how long one has lived abroad, the pressure to conform to the set social standards is mentally challenging, especially when your lifestyle or appearance doesn’t match your peers.
Acculturative stress occurs when migrants are pressured to adapt to the host country’s norms. From social relationships to culture, there are a variety of stressors beyond just physical factors that require adjustment [4]. Queen’s University observed the acculturative stress experienced by five groups in Canada: immigrants, refugees, native peoples, ethnic groups, and sojourners (temporary residents) [4]. On a scale from 0 to 7.0, the levels of acculturative stress for the involuntary residents–natives and refugees–was nearly double than that of the voluntary residents–immigrants and ethnic groups–with the sojourners lying in the middle [4]. Although refugees and immigrants are both Diaspora, their mean levels of stress are 5.62 and 3.08 respectively, which are significantly different [4]. While the reason for this may seem obvious (they have opposing “voluntariness of contact”), other stressors may factor into this [4]. For instance, the immigrants in this study reside in Toronto, which is the most populated city in the country, so the likelihood of finding a good support network and fellow immigrants with similar backgrounds is much higher than for the Vietnamese refugees in Kingston, a city with less than 5% of Toronto’s population [4] [5]. Even with this difference, it is clear that both groups of the diaspora (as well as sojourners) face some form of acculturative stress, indicating that they struggle to an extent with fitting into their new environment.
The millions of people in the diaspora today indicates working for a better future may outweigh any mental health deficits they face. However, this does not undermine the importance of recognising the need for support and making it available. The three aforementioned studies highlight that mental health is just as important as physical health, and this needs to be better addressed by having those tough conversations and pioneering the change we need to better support the diaspora.
References
Tondo, L. (2019, June 9). Mediterranean will be 'sea of blood' without rescue boats, UN warns. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jun/09/mediterranean-sea-of-blood-migrant-refugee-rescue-boats-un-unhcr
Agudelo-Suárez, A.A., Ronda, E., Vázquez-Navarrete, M.L., García, A.M., Martínez, J.M., & Benavides, F.G. (2013). Impact of economic crisis on mental health of migrant workers: what happened with migrants who came to Spain to work?. Int J Public Health, 58, 627–631. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-013-0475-0
Werkman, S., Farley, G.K., Butler, C. & Quayhagen, M. (1981). The Psychological Effects of Moving and Living Overseas. Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry, 20, 645-657. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0002-7138(09)61651-4
Berry, J.W., Uichol, K., Minde, T. & Mok, D. (1987). Comparative Studies of Acculturative Stress. The International Migration Review, 21(3), 491-511. https://doi.org/10.2307/2546607
Statistics Canada. (2016). Census Profile, 2016 Census. https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=3510010&Geo2=CD&Code2=3510&SearchText=kingston&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&TABID=1&type=0
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