Bhutanese Older Adult Refugees Recently Resettled in the United States: A Better Life With Little Sorrows

Gautam, Ramraj; Mawn, Barbara; Beehler, Sarah

doi:10.1177/1043659617696975

Cited by 21 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…This study found that participants 55 years and older were most likely to report access to counseling as a problem and to have more challenges reading, speaking, and writing English. A qualitative study with Bhutanese refugees in the U.S. age 50 years and older revealed challenges that could contribute to mental health in this population, including separation from family members in Nepal, post-migration cultural tensions, language barriers, isolation and loneliness, and citizenship worries (Gautam, Mawn, & Beehler, 2018). The participants in the study described not knowing how to attain citizenship and expressed concerns about learning English as part of this process.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Perceptions Toward Mental Illness and Seeking Psychological Help among Bhutanese Refugees Resettled in the U.S.

MacDowell

Pyakurel²,

Acharya³

et al. 2019

Issues in Mental Health Nursing

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This study examined perceptions toward mental health and seeking psychological care among Bhutanese refugees in a large Midwestern U.S. city. Bhutanese adults (n = 201) completed a community health needs assessment. Survey questions addressed beliefs toward mental health and seeking psychological care. Perceptions toward mental illness and receiving psychological help were generally negative among participants. Over 71% believed others would look unfavorably on a person who sought out a counselor. Participants who had less than a high school education, were 35 years and older, and lived in refugee camps for more than 20 years had significantly greater negative beliefs toward mental illness. Over one-third (34.8%) of participants reported access to counseling services as being somewhat of a problem or a serious problem. These findings may inform future research and interventions aimed at improving mental health among Bhutanese refugees. BackgroundAs of 2016, approximately 85,000 Bhutanese refugees were resettled in the United States (U.S.) (White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, 2016, March 11). In 2012, they were the leading population resettled in the U.S. with 15,021 individuals arriving that year (Office of Refugee Resettlement, 2015). Refugees may experience trauma from war or displacement, and post-migration difficulties that may put them at substantially higher risk for mental health disorders, including depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and anxiety (Bogic, Njoku, & Priebe, 2015;Vonnahme, Lankau, Ao, Shetty, & Cardozo, 2015). Despite being at increased risk for mental health concerns, refugees often encounter barriers that prevent or deter them from obtaining care, including stigma surrounding mental health diagnoses and treatment, seeking mental health services not being a perceived norm in their country of origin, differing cultural practices, and lack of information about mental health services (Saechao et al., 2012). A study with Bhutanese, Karen, Oromo, and Somali first-generation refugees in the U.S. found barriers that may be unique to these more recently resettled refugees in the U.S., including a history of political repression, fear, the belief that talking will not help, lack of knowledge about mental health,

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Perceptions Toward Mental Illness and Seeking Psychological Help among Bhutanese Refugees Resettled in the U.S.

MacDowell

Pyakurel²,

Acharya³

et al. 2019

Issues in Mental Health Nursing

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show abstract

“…Differing definitions and age limits in were present in the studies reviewed. While many articles used 65 years or older as their inclusion criteria, others selected a lower age, still categorizing the age as the threshold for ‘older adult.’ For example, Cofie et al [ 51 ], Zhang and Zhan [ 38 ], Nandan [ 48 ], and Gautam et al [ 52 ], included those 50 and older; while Guo et al [ 53 ], Lee and Eaton [ 54 ], Sohng et al [ 55 ], and Aroian and Vander [ 56 ], included those 60 and older. This creates concerns when comparing studies, especially when assessing health insurance, as one needs to be at least 65 to qualify for Medicare unless qualifying via disability status or in few other conditions [ 57 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Barriers and facilitators of health among older adult immigrants in the United States: an integrative review of 20 years of literature

et al. 2022

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Background There are over seven million older adult immigrants in the United States, and that number is expected to increase. Older adult immigrants in the United States have unique factors that influence their health. Methods In this integrative review, we systematically review 20 years of peer-reviewed literature on the barriers (i.e. isolation, lack of English Language Proficiency, low health literacy, lack of SES resources, discrimination) and facilitators (i.e. English Language Proficiency and maintaining ones native language, social support, culturally sensitive providers, healthcare access) of health among older adult immigrants in the United States. Results We found differing uses of the term ‘older adult’, emphasis on the lack of homogeneity among older adult immigrants, social support and isolation as significant barriers and facilitators of older adult immigrant health, and inconsistencies in uses and definitions of acculturation. We also examined relevant theories in the literature. Based on the literature review, focusing on Acculturation Theory, Social Cognitive Theory, and Successful Aging Theory, combining these three theories with findings from the literature to create the Older Adult Immigrant Adapted Model for Health Promotion. Conclusions Public health strives to promote health and prevent adverse health outcomes. Our integrative review not only systematically and thoroughly explicates 20 years of literature, but the Older Adult Immigrant Adapted Model for Health Promotion, provides guidance for future research and interventions.

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“…Psychosocial adjustment identifies connections and social support of refugees within the resettlement community. Moreover, 35 articles explored this specific domain of the social dimension of adjustment [ 28 , 36 , 41 , 53 , 55 , 57 , 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 , 67 , 68 , 69 , 70 , 71 , 72 , 73 , 74 , 75 , 76 , 77 , 78 , 79 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 , 84 , 85 , 86 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Defining Adjustment to Address the Missing Link between Refugees and Their Resettlement Communities

Modesti

Talamo

2021

IJERPH

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Background: data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) show that, in 2020, among 82.4 million refugees, only 251,000 returned to their home countries, indicating the desire for refugees to stay, for the long-term, in their new homelands. The paper contributes to the scientific–psychological debate on the social representation of refugee populations, by studying this population, not simply as “foreigners”, traumatized and resourceless people, but rather focusing on the factors that lead to their positive adjustments within local communities. Method: a scoping review was carried out to explore the phenomenon of adjustment (RQ1) and to identify the factors that foster adjustment among refugees and their resettlement communities (RQ2). A research protocol and eligibility criteria were defined prior to conducting the literature research through the Scopus database. Afterwards, data charting and items were conducted to organize the results. Results: a process of data mapping outlined three dimensions of adjustment—psychological, social, and scholastic. In addition, six macro factors emerged that ease refugee adjustments—context characteristics, time, social integration markers, acculturation, social support, and psychological capital. Results show that adjustment is the result of the inter-relations among sociological and psychological factors. Conclusions: the lack of studies addressing the inner resources of refugees and community participation confirms that research in this field needs a change of paradigm, to identify the resources that refugees use to adjust to their new communities and promote their development.

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Bhutanese Older Adult Refugees Recently Resettled in the United States: A Better Life With Little Sorrows

Cited by 21 publications

References 28 publications

Perceptions Toward Mental Illness and Seeking Psychological Help among Bhutanese Refugees Resettled in the U.S.

Perceptions Toward Mental Illness and Seeking Psychological Help among Bhutanese Refugees Resettled in the U.S.

Barriers and facilitators of health among older adult immigrants in the United States: an integrative review of 20 years of literature

Defining Adjustment to Address the Missing Link between Refugees and Their Resettlement Communities

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