A major source of stress for immigrant families is the experience of settlement, which involves abrupt social, cultural, and environmental discontinuities and adaptation to a new environment. Research on the mental health of Mexican immigrants has focused on the stresses that they experience. However, limited studies have been conducted in identifying the specific coping strategies associated the settlement experiences of this population. A series of 5 focus groups were conducted to obtain qualitative information about the way immigrants cope with the settlement experience in the United States. The focus groups were held in a Catholic school, social agencies, health community clinic, and at an apartment complex. Each focus group meeting lasted approximately two hours. Forty immigrants participated in these focus groups. Most of them were women (80%), who were young (mean=37 years old), had limited years of education (mean years of schooling=6), worked in low-waged jobs, and spoke Spanish. The major sources of stress reported were: finding a place to live, finding a job, legal status, inability to speak English, finding transportation, and getting health care and a place to worship. Most common coping strategies reported by immigrants were: relying primarily on their social network system, which included their spouse, children, relatives, friends, neighbors, coworkers, children's teachers, and several social agencies. Immigrants often reported churches and priests as the primary sources for coping during the settlement experiences. This study underscores the importance of social networks, social and religious institutions as sources of support for immigrant populations.
Learning Objectives: 1.participants will become aware of the 5 major stresses and coping strategies that Mexican immigrants employed to deal with the settlement experiences. 2. Articulate the procedure for assessing coping strategies for Mexican immigrants. 3. Develop interventions that include positive coping strategies tailored to immigrant populations.
Keywords: Immigrants, Mental Health
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.