Ethnicity versus migration: two hypotheses about the psychosocial adjustment of immigrant adolescents

Birth and Health Outcomes of Children Migrating With Parents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Objective

To examine the birth and health outcomes of children migrating with parents internationally and domestically, and to identify whether the healthy migration effect exist in migrant children.

Methods

Five electronic databases were searched for cross-sectional, case-control, or cohort studies published from January 1, 2000 to January 30, 2021and written by English language, reporting the risk of health outcomes of migrant children (e.g., birth outcome, nutrition, physical health, mental health, death, and substance use) We excluded studies in which participants' age more than 18 years, or participants were forced migration due to armed conflict or disasters, or when the comparators were not native-born residents. Pooled odd ratio (OR) was calculated using random-effects models.

Results

Our research identified 10,404 records, of which 98 studies were retrained for analysis. The majority of the included studies (89, 91%) focused on international migration and 9 (9%) on migration within country. Compared with native children, migrant children had increased risks of malnutrition [OR 1.26 (95% CI 1.11-1.44)], poor physical health [OR 1.34 (95% CI 1.11-1.61)], mental disorder [OR 1.24 (95% CI 1.00-1.52)], and death [OR 1.11 (95% CI 1.01-1.21)], while had a lower risk of adverse birth outcome [OR 0.92 (95% CI 0.87-0.97)]. The difference of substance use risk was not found between the two groups.

Conclusion

Migrant children had increased risk of adverse health outcomes. No obvious evidence was observed regarding healthy migration effect among migrant children. Actions are required to address the health inequity among these populations.

Systematic Review Registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/#myprospero, identifier: CRD42021214115.

An ethnocultural perspective on loneliness in young adulthood: A population-based study in Israel

Young adults are a high-risk group for experiencing loneliness. We examine (1) the prevalence of loneliness among young adults in three ethnocultural groups in Israel: native Jews, former Soviet Union immigrants and Arabs; (2) the associations between loneliness and ethnicity, perceived poverty, physical and mental health, perceived discrimination, social capital and online social capital; (3) the distinct sensitivity of the three ethnocultural groups to the determinants of loneliness. Cross-sectional representative data for individuals aged 20-34 were taken from the 2016 to 2017 Israeli Social Surveys (N = 4253). Hierarchical logistic models were estimated to predict loneliness. Differences in the prevalence of loneliness were observed among the groups, with immigrants at higher risk. We found both common and distinct risk factors among the groups and only little evidence for moderation. Ethnic differences in loneliness between the native Jews and the Arabs can be ascribed to differences in their demographic characteristics and the prevalence of other risk factors. The risk for loneliness remained higher for immigrants after controlling for the entire set of risk factors. Eliminating the possibility that immigrants are more sensitive to any risk factor considered suggests the effect of ethnicity per se or rather that other factors affect loneliness in young immigrant adults.

Romain T. Developing a Bicultural Model for Academic Achievement

This project analyzed multimodel student archival data to address the relationship between academic achievement, acculturative stress, and coping factors. Participants were 126 children between 8 and 11 years of age (59 White and 67 Latino). Measurements included demographics, SAFE-C, A-COPE, Self-Perception Profile for Children, and Harter Teacher's Rating Scale. Latinos used more social support and religious coping strategies than Whites ( p < .001). A general model of achievement for both groups accounted for 33% of the variance in academic achievement ( p < .001). Ethnically specific models accounted for a greater amount of the variance: 57% for a model for Whites and 64% for a model for Latinos ( p < .001). This study demonstrates the importance of investigating ethnic differences independently when conducting cross-ethnic research.

Family obligations and individuation among immigrant youth: Do generational status and age at immigration matter?

Immigrant children and adolescents often assume parental roles in their families and may feel guilty about psychologically separating and individuating from the family. However, little is known about this phenomenon and youth' generational status and age at immigration. We investigated various aspects of family obligations (instrumental and emotional roles, language and culture brokering, perceived unfairness) and individuation among 302 immigrants from the former Soviet Union in Israel: first-generation (n = 44) and second-generation immigrant adolescents (n = 56); young adults who had arrived in Israel before the age of nine (n = 72) and from this age onward (n = 130). Immigrants who had arrived at age nine and older reported adopting more family obligations than other groups. Among the second-generation immigrants, family obligations were related to lower individuation compared to the first-generation immigrants. Possible explanations for the relations between family obligations and individuation according to generational status are suggested.

Between Trauma and Redemption

Many immigrants find immigration a stressful experience. Whereas some overcome the initial feeling of being overwhelmed, others are frustrated and disappointed years after their immigration. In this study, 22 people who emigrated from the former USSR to Israel in the early 1990s were interviewed regarding their immigration experiences and the resulting narratives analyzed. The immigrants chosen represented the extreme poles of the success experience— some felt that their immigration was very successful; others found it very unsuccessful. Analysis revealed differences in the form of the immigration stories. The narratives of the successful immigrants were coherent and well structured; narratives of the nonsuccessful immigrants were fragmented and lacked coherence. The results are discussed in terms of how people construct immigration stories and what these constructions stand for.

Mental health implications of migration: a review of mental health community studies on Russian-speaking immigrants in Israel

INTRODUCTION

Since late 1980s, 1,001,726 immigrants arrived in Israel from the former Soviet Union (FSU). A review of community studies on the mental health of these immigrants is presented.

METHOD

Israeli studies from the past two decades were reviewed. Presented are findings on the prevalence of psychological distress and psychiatric disorders as well as on a number of risk factors among FSU immigrants.

RESULTS

Higher psychological distress and psychiatric morbidity were consistently found among FSU immigrants compared to the Israel-born. Social support was identified as a major stress-mitigating factor in migration. Most studies reveal the persistence of psychological distress among FSU immigrants during the first 5 years following migration, with a risk period around the second and third years following migration.

DISCUSSION

Findings from Israel corroborate some findings on immigrants in other countries but as they are limited to a single immigrant population, replication of these studies is necessary.

Stigma towards people with mental illness in developing countries in Asia

BACKGROUND

There is a wide range of literature on stigmatization and discrimination of people with mental illness. Most studies, however, derive from Western countries. This review aims at summarizing results from developing countries in Asia published between 1996-2006.

METHOD

Medline search focusing on English-speaking literature.

RESULTS

Comparable to Western countries, there is a widespread tendency to stigmatize and discriminate people with mental illness in Asia. People with mental illness are considered as dangerous and aggressive which in turn increases the social distance. The role of supernatural, religious and magical approaches to mental illness is prevailing. The pathway to care is often shaped by scepticism towards mental health services and the treatments offered. Stigma experienced from family members is pervasive. Moreover, social disapproval and devaluation of families with mentally ill individuals are an important concern. This holds true particularly with regards to marriage, marital separation and divorce. Psychic symptoms, unlike somatic symptoms, are construed as socially disadvantageous. Thus, somatisation of psychiatric disorders is widespread in Asia. The most urgent problem of mental health care in Asia is the lack of personal and financial resources. Thus, mental health professionals are mostly located in urban areas. This increases the barriers to seek help and contributes to the stigmatization of the mentally ill. The attitude of mental health professionals towards people with mental illness is often stigmatizing.

CONCLUSION

This review revealed that the stigmatization of people with mental illness is widespread in Asia. The features of stigmatization-beliefs about causes of and attitudes towards mental illness, consequences for help-seeking-have more commonalities than differences to Western countries.