Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-r5zm4 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-25T06:15:42.521Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Latin-American Immigrant Women and Mental Health: Differences according to their Rural or Urban Origin

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 January 2013

Teresa Kirchner  and
Camila Patiño
Teresa Kirchner*
Affiliation:
Universidad de Barcelona (Spain)
Camila Patiño
Affiliation:
Universidad de Barcelona (Spain)
*
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Teresa Kirchner. Facultad de Psicología. Universitat de Barcelona. Passeig de la Vall d'Hebron, 171. 08035 Barcelona (Spain). Phone: +34-933125009. Fax: +34-934021427. E-mail: tkirchner@ub.edu
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Spain is one of the EU countries that receive most immigrants, especially from Latin America. The process of migration implies a high level of stress what may have repercussions for the mental health of immigrants. The purposes of this study were: (a) to determine whether the degree of mental health of immigrant women differs according to their rural or urban origin, (b) to compare the mental health of immigrant women with that of the female normative sample of host population (Spain). A sample of 186 Latin American immigrant women (142 from urban areas and 44 from rural areas) was recruited in Barcelona by means of a consecutive case method. A structured interview and the SCL-90-R were administered. The results indicated that the immigrant women from rural origin reported higher levels of psychological symptomatology than those from urban areas. Immigrants reported higher levels of psychological symptomatology than the native female population and in most of the psychological symptoms exceeded 90% of the native Spanish population. Migration is a powerful stressor which may lead to psychological distress. Being female of rural origin and being in an illegal situation is related with an increase in symptomatology.

España se ha convertido en uno de los países de la Unión Europea que recibe mayor número de inmigrantes, especialmente procedentes de América Latina. El proceso de inmigración implica altos niveles de estrés que pueden acabar repercutiendo en la salud mental de los inmigrantes. El objetivo de este estudio se ha centrado en (a) determinar si el grado de salud mental de las mujeres inmigrantes difiere según procedan de zonas rurales o urbanas, y (b) comparar el nivel de salud mental de las mujeres inmigrantes con el de la muestra normativa de la población autóctona femenina española. Se reclutó mediante un método de casos consecutivos una muestra de 186 mujeres inmigrantes procedentes de América Latina (142 de origen urbano y 44 de origen rural). Se les administró una entrevista estructurada y el SCL-90-R. Los resultados indican que las mujeres procedentes de zonas rurales reportan niveles más elevados de sintomatología psicológica que las que proceden de zonas urbanas. Asimismo, las mujeres inmigrantes, comparadas con las nativas, reportan niveles más elevados se síntomas psicológicos, que en muchos casos se sitúan por encima del centil 90. La migración se configura como un poderoso estresor que puede conducir a un profundo malestar psicológico. Ser mujer de origen rural y en situación de ilegalidad se asocia a un incremento del malestar psicológico.

Keywords

immigrationrural originurban originpsychological symptomswomeninmigraciónprocedencia ruralprocedencia urbanasíntomas psicológicosmujeres
Type
Research Article
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 14 , Issue 2 , November 2011 , pp. 843 - 850
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Achotegui, J. (2002) La depresión en los inmigrantes: una perspectiva transcultural. Barcelona, Spain: Ediciones Mayo S.A.Google Scholar
Achotegui, J. (2009). Emigrar en el Siglo XXI: El síndrome del inmigrante con estrés crónico y múltiple Síndrome de Ulises. Ediciones el Mundo de la Mente. Figueras, Spain: Empordà Printing.Google Scholar
Andersson, A.C., Jansson, B., & Archer, T. (2008). Influence of afective personality type and gender upon coping behavior, mood, and stress. Individual Differences Research, 6(3), 139–168.Google Scholar
Aroian, K. J. (2001). Immigrant women's health. Annual Review of Nursing Research, 19, 179–226.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Aroian, K. J., & Norris, A. E. (2002). Assessing risk for depression among immigrants at two-year follow-up. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, 16(6), 245–253. doi:10.1053/apnu.2002.37279CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bayard-Burfield, L., Sundquist, J., & Johanson, S. E. (2001). Ethnicity, self reported psychiatric illness, and intake of psychotropic drugs in five ethnic groups in Sweden. Journal of Epidemiologic Community Health, 55, 657–664. doi:10.1136/jech.55.9.657CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Beiser, M. (2006). Longitudinal research to promote effective refugee resettlement. Transcultural Psychiatry, 43, 56–71. doi:10.1177/1363461506061757CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bhugra, D. (2004). Migration and mental health. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 109, 243–258. doi:10.1046/j.0001-690X.2003.00246.xCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bhugra, D., & Ayonrinde, O. (2004). Depression in migrants and ethnic minorities. Advances in Psychiatric Treatment, 10, 13–17. doi:10.1192/apt.10.1.13CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Coffman, M. J., & Norton, C. K. (2010). Demands of immigration, health literacy, and depression in recent Latino immigrants. Home Health Care Management & Practice, 22(2), 116–122.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Derogatis, L.R. (1977). SCL-90-R Manual. Baltimore, MD: Clinical Psychometric Research.Google Scholar
Fossion, P., Servais, L., Rejas, M. C., Ledoux, Y., Pelc, I., & Minner, P. (2002). Psychosis, migration and social environment: an age and gender controlled study. European Psychiatry, 19, 338–343. doi:10.1016/j.eurpsy.2004.04.010CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grant, B. F, Stinson, F. S, Hasin, D. S, Dawson, D. A, Chou, S. P, & Anderson, K. (2004). Immigration and lifetime prevalence of DSM-IV psychiatric disorders among Mexican Americans and Non-Hispanic whites in the United States. Results from the national epidemiologic survey on alcohol and related conditions. Archives of General Psychiatry, 61, 1226–1233. doi:10.1001/archpsyc.61.12.1226CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
González, M. T., & Landero, R. (2007). Factor structure of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), in a sample from Mexico. The Spanish Journal of Psychology, 1, 199–206.Google Scholar
González de Rivera, J. L., De Las Cuevas, C., Rodríguez, M., & Rodríguez, F. (2002). Cuestionario de síntomas SCL-90-R. Madrid, Spain: TEA.Google Scholar
Grusser, S. M., Wolfling, K., Morsen, C. P., Albrecht, U., & Hein, A. (2005). Immigration-associated variables and substance dependence. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 66, 98–104.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Haasen, C., Demiralay, C., & Reimer, J. (2008). Acculturation and mental distress among Russian and Iranian migrants in Germany. European Psychiatry, 23, 10–13. doi:10.1016/S0924-9338(08)70056-7CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hidalgo, N., Peralta, M.I., Robles, H., Vilar, R., & Pérez, M. (2009). Estrés y psicopatología en mujeres inmigrantes: repercusiones sobre la calidad de vida. Psicología Conductual, 17(3), 595–607.Google Scholar
Hiott, A. E., Grzywacz, J. G., Davis, S. W., Quandt, S.A., & Arcury, T. A. (2008). Migrant farmworker stress: mental health implications. Journal of Rural Health, 24(1), 32–39. doi:10.1111/j.1748-0361.2008.00134.xCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kessler, R. C., McGongale, K.A., Zhao, S., Nelson, C. B., Hughes, M., Eshelman, S., … Kendler, K. S. (1994). Lifetime and 12-month prevalence of DSM-III-R psychiatric disorders in the United States. Archives of General Psychiatry, 51, 8–19.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kiev, A. (1965) Psychiatric morbidity of West Indian immigrants in an urban group practice. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 111, 51–56. doi:10.1192/bjp.111.470.51CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kirchner, T., Forns, M., Muñoz, D., & Pereda, N. (2008). Psychometric properties and dimensional structure of the Spanish version of the Coping Responses Inventory- Adult Form. Psicothema, 2, 902–909.Google Scholar
Kleinman, A. (2004). Culture and depression. New England Journal of Medicine, 351(10), 951–953. doi:10.1056/NEJMp048078CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lindert, J., Schouler-Ocak, M., Heinz, A., & Priebe, S. (2008). Mental health, health care utilisation of migrants in Europe. European Psychiatry, 23, 14–20. doi:10.1016/S0924-9338(08)70057-9CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Matud, M. P. (2004). Gender differences in stress and coping styles. Personality and Individual Differences, 37, 1401–1415. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2004.01.010CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Miller, A. M., Sorotkin, O., Wang, E., Feetham, S., Choi, M., & Wilbur, J. (2006). Acculturation, social alienation and depressed mood in midlife women from the former Soviet Union. Research in Nursing Health, 29, 134–146. doi:10.1002/nur.20125CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mohr, C. D., Armeli, S., Ohannessian, C. M., Tennen, H., Carney, A., Affleck, G., & Del Boca, F. K. (2003). Daily interpersonal experiences and distress: Are women more vulnerable? Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 22, 393–423.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Neff, J. A., & Husaini, B. A. (1987). Urbanicity, race, and psychological distress. Journal of Community Psychology, 15(4), 520–536. doi:10.1002/1520-6629(198710)15:4<520::AID-JCOP2290150410>3.0.CO;2-03.0.CO;2-0>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
O'Ferrall, C., Crespo, M., Gavira, C., & Crespo, J. (2003, February). Inmigración: ¿estamos preparados los profesionales de la salud mental para este reto? [Immigration: Are we prepared the mental health professionals for this challenge?]. IV Congreso Virtual de Psiquiatría. Retrieved from http://www.psiquiatria.com/interpsiquis2003/9953.Google Scholar
Patiño, C., & Kirchner, T. (2009). Estrés y calidad de vida en inmigrantes latinoamericanos en Barcelona [Stress and quality of life in Latin American immigrants at Barcelona]. Ansiedad y Estrés, 15, 49–66.Google Scholar
Parikh, S. V., Wasylenki, D., Goering, P., & Wong, J. (1996). Mood disorders: rural/urban differences in prevalence, health care utilization, and disability in Ontario. Journal of Affective Disorder, 38(1), 57–65. doi:10.1016/0165-0327(95)00096-8CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pumariega, A., Rothe, E., & Pumariega, J. (2005). Mental Health of Immigrants and Refugees. Community Mental Health Journal, 41, 581–97. doi:10.1007/s10597-005-6363-1CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ritsner, M., Ponizovsky, A., Nechamkin, Y., & Modai, I. (2001). Gender differences in psychosocial risk factors for psychological distress among immigrants. Community Psychiatry, 42, 151–160. doi:10.1053/comp.2001.19750CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Smart, J. F., & Smart, D. W. (1995). Acculturative stress of Hispanics: Loss and Challenge. Journal of Counseling & Development, 7(3), 390–396.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sundquist, K., Frank, G., & Sundquist, J. (2004). Urbanisation and incidence of psychosis and depression: Follow-up study of 4.4 million women and men in Sweden. British Journal of Psychiatry, 184, 293–298. doi:10.1192/bjp.184.4.293CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Vega, A., Kolody, B., Aguilar-Gaxiola, S., Alderete, E., Catalana, R., & Caraveo-Anduaga, J. (1998). Lifetime prevalence of DSM-III-R psychiatric disorder among urban and rural Mexican Americans in California. Archives of General Psychiatry, 55, 771–778. doi:10.1001/archpsyc.55.9.771CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vicente Torrado, T. L. (2005). La inmigración Latinoamericana en España. [Latin American immigration in Spain]. Proceedings of the Expert Group Meeting on International Migration and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean. United Nations Secretariat, N/POP/EGM-MIG /2005/12. Retrieved from http://www.un.org/esa/population/meetings/IttMigLAC/P13_Vicente.pdfGoogle Scholar
Wang, J. L. (2004). Rural-Urban differences in the prevalence of major depression and associated impairment. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 39, 19–25. doi:10.1007/s00127-004-0698-8CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Williams, R., Eley, S., Hunt, K., & Bhatt, S. (1997). Has Psychological distress among UK South Asians been underestimated? A comparison of three measures in the west of Scotland population. Ethnicity & Health, 2, 21–29.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wittig, U., Lindert, J., Merbach, M., & Brähler, E. (2008). Mental health of patients from different cultures in Germany. European Psychiatry, 23, 28–35. doi:10.1016/S0924-9338(08)70059-2CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed