Migration and mental health: a study of low-income Ethiopian women working in Middle Eastern countries.
BACKGROUND
Few studies have explored influences on mental health of migrants moving between non-Western countries.


METHODS
Focus group discussions were used to explore the experiences of Ethiopian female domestic migrants to Middle Eastern countries, comparing those who developed severe mental illness with those remaining mentally well.


CONCLUSIONS
Prominent self-identified threats to mental health included exploitative treatment, enforced cultural isolation, undermining of cultural identity and disappointment in not achieving expectations. Participants countered these risks by affirming their cultural identity and establishing socio-cultural supports.


CONCLUSIONS
Mental health of migrant domestic workers may be jeopardized by stressors, leading to experience of social defeat.
Anbesse
Birke
B
St Paul's General Specialized Hospital, PO Box 31657, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Hanlon
Charlotte
C
Alem
Atalay
A
Packer
Samuel
S
Whitley
Rob
R
D000328:Adult; D018585:Battered Women / Q000523:psychology; D003906:Developing Countries; D005002:Ethiopia / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008016:Life Change Events; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology*; D008877:Middle East; D011203:Poverty / Q000523:psychology*; D011567:Psychiatric Department, Hospital; D012307:Risk Factors; D017406:Sexual Harassment / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D012933:Social Identification; D014171:Transients and Migrants / Q000523:psychology*; D014940:Work Schedule Tolerance / Q000523:psychology; D016526:Workload / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult