Map of Asia Showing The Percentage of People In 2020 Who Reported Experiencing Depression and Anxiety. Data from Our World In Data
While standing in line at the bank I overheard a conversation between the teller and another customer. The customer, a slightly older woman, seemed confused and was asking the teller a lot of questions.
When the teller was done helping her, much to my surprise, she explained how proud she was of the woman for coming in to get some clarification on her questions and assured her that she was doing a great job. The teller then candidly shared that her parents are also immigrants and that when they first arrived in Canada they had to go through a lot of the same things that the older woman was presumably experiencing. She encouraged her to keep up the good work, gave the customer her card, and promised that if she needed anything at all, she could contact her. It goes without saying, if I needed a “restoring my faith in humanity,” moment, this was it.
The overwhelming confusion and frustration that the customer was experiencing, while grappling with a language barrier and attempting to understand foreign financial services, are just a few of the many challenges that immigrants face when arriving in their respective host countries. Some of the other challenges that immigrants may be confronted with are changing seasons, differences in food/diet, discrimination, loneliness and difficulty finding work.
Research has shown that there is a positive correlation between experiencing the aforementioned challenges and developing a mental illness. The adversity and stress of uprooting one’s life and attempting to adapt to new surroundings can take a great toll on anyone’s mental health; sometimes without them realising it. Mental illness then becomes the hidden battle that many immigrants struggle to cope with.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that over 1 billion individuals were living with mental illness as of 2023. 970 million people in 2019 alone were diagnosed with mental illness. Therefore, it is important to note that the increasing prevalence of these disorders are not just symbolic of a problem associated with heightened immigration, but rather a growing global health issue.
The most common mental disorders that people are diagnosed with around the world are depression and anxiety. Furthermore, despite reporting experiencing symptoms of depression, South Asian migrants, such as Indians, were among the least likely groups to seek help from mental health services. This reluctance is often due to cultural beliefs and stigma surrounding mental health.
While incredibly common, depression is characterised by decreased mood and energy, irritability and a loss of enjoyment for things an individual once enjoyed. It can also potentially result in suicidal ideation. On the other hand, anxiety is commonly characterised by relentless worried thoughts, hypertension and an inability to focus.
The increasing prevalence of mental illness is certainly worrisome, especially considering that a large proportion of people suffering from these disorders, like Indian immigrants, tend to battle in silence.This means that there could be an even larger number of Indian immigrants around the world who are experiencing undiagnosed symptoms of mental illness.
"The symptoms of these disorders may seem common. However, experiencing them for an extended period of time and in a way that affects your day to day life might mean that you are struggling with your mental health. We strongly encourage anyone who is struggling to reach out to a medical professional, mental health hotline or their local emergency services provider.”
The intense stigma associated with mental illness, coupled with the growing rate of mental illness across India and the world supports the need for effective mental health services targeted to South Asian migrant populations. emroPsyc fills such a gap. It connects migrants with Indian health care workers and provides easily accessible and culturally sensitive virtual mental health services. For more information on emroPsyc by EMRO Doctors , please visit provide link.
Key Points:
Immigration can be an incredibly stressful experience
The challenges associated with immigration increase the likelihood that immigrants will struggle with mental illness
Mental illness is a growing global health issue
Over 1 billion people in 2023 were diagnosed with mental illness, according to the WHO
Many immigrants, particularly those from India, do not seek help
Most common disorders are depression and anxiety
There is a chance that due to the decreased likelihood that Indian immigrants seek help, the numbers that studies have reported are not adequately reflecting the breadth of the problem
EmroPsyc seeks to reduce the rate of mental illness among Indian immigrants by providing easily accessible and culturally sensitive mental health care
References
World Health Organization;
World Health Organization;
https://www.emro.who.int/media/news/world-mental-health-day-2023-mental-hea lth-is-a-basic-human-right.html
National Institute of Mental Health; Depression and Anxiety Disorders;https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression; https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/anxiety-disorders#part_2220
Ethnic Differences in Mental Health Status and Service Utilisation: A Population-Based Study in Ontario, Canada;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6099776/#:~:text=Regardless%20 of%20immigrant%20status%2C%20ethnic,compared%20to%20other%20immigrant %20groups
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