The martyr adaptation syndrome: Psychological sequelae in the adaptation of Portuguese-speaking immigrant women.

Abstract

The martyr adaptation syndrome describes the unique clinical features of a group of female Portuguese-speaking immigrants with a history of abuse and reflects their psychological struggle in the process of adaptation to a new country. Two phases drawn from trauma and constructivist theories are explained: a supercoping phase prior to immigration and a collapse phase after arrival to the United States. Central to the collapse of these immigrant women is a pervasive loss of sense of self and their inability to negotiate their identity in the new culture. Two cases are described to illustrate these phenomena. Specific psychotherapy guidelines are suggested for treating these women that focus on attending to basic survival needs and facilitating the rebuilding of their sense of self and purpose in the new country. • immigration • adaptation • women • Portugal * syndromeThe term martyr adaptation syndrome reflects immigration, such as the conflicting values the common clinical features observed in a and sex roles held by the new and old coungroup of female Portuguese-speaking immi-tries, their history of previous abuse, and grants to the United States who received in-the challenge to their identity in the new dividual psychotherapy at a bilingual com-culture. munity health center. These women'sThe Portuguese-speaking immigrant struggle to adapt to the new country is un-women presented with the following psychoderstood in the context of the stressors of logical features: (a) multiple somatic com-•

Immigrant Women and Counseling: The Invisible Others

“…A few researchers have examined immigrant women's psychological distress (Rodriguez & DeWolfe, 1990), posttraumatic stress symptoms and victimization (Yoshihama & Horrucks, 2002), adaptation strategies (McIntyre & Augusto, 1999), and identity changes (Weeks, 2000). Cole, Espín, and Rothblum (1992) devoted a text to the mental health issues of refugee women.…”

An Inquiry Into the “Agonies” (Agonias) of Portuguese Immigrants From the Azores

“…Given the paucity of researchers studying this community, only a few aspects of the Portuguese immigrant community have been investigated, such as psychological distress (Mancebo, 1997), language preference (Lanca, Alksnis, Roese, & Gardner, 1994), acculturation (Berry, Kim, Power, & Young, 1989;Young, 1984), family dynamics (Araújo, 1996), values (Lambert, 1987;Moitoza, 1982), and settlement patterns and work opportunities (Anderson & Higgs, 1976). Only one study (McIntyre & Augusto, 1999) has investigated symptom expression of the Portuguese in North America. McIntyre and Augusto (1999) found that the symptoms of Portuguese immigrant women who had been traumatized did not map onto posttraumatic stress disorder but rather were an adaptation syndrome that reflected their religious beliefs.…”

“…Only one study (McIntyre & Augusto, 1999) has investigated symptom expression of the Portuguese in North America. McIntyre and Augusto (1999) found that the symptoms of Portuguese immigrant women who had been traumatized did not map onto posttraumatic stress disorder but rather were an adaptation syndrome that reflected their religious beliefs. Thus, consistent with the sociosomatic formulation, the symptoms of community members were inconsistent with standard psychiatric nosology.…”

“…They found that the symptom clusters of these communities did not map onto standard psychiatric nosology. For instance, McIntyre and Augusto (1999) found that symptoms experienced by Portuguese women with a trauma history did not map onto posttraumatic stress disorder but rather reflected an adaptation syndrome that reflected their religious beliefs. Koss-Chioino (1999) determined that the experience of depression in Puerto Rican women did not match DSM criteria in frequency or intensity and, even more interesting, that women did not distinguish between somatic and behavioral complaints.…”