Exploring domestic violence and social distress in Australian-Indian migrants through community theater.
In many parts of the world, young adult women have higher levels of common mental disorders than men. The exacerbation of domestic violence (DV) by migration is a salient social determinant of poor mental health. Ecological models describe factors contributing to DV as operating at individual, family, cultural, and societal levels. We explored the interplay among these factors in an Indian community living in Melbourne, Australia, in a qualitative participatory action research study using a modified Forum Theater approach. We here present findings on connections between migration, societal factors, and social/family/cultural factors in DV. The study captured the voices of women living in the community as they describe how DV contributes to their emotional difficulties. Improved understanding of the sociocultural dynamics of DV and the associated social distress in this migrant Indian community can be used to guide the development of culturally sensitive prevention and response programs to assist migrant women from the Indian subcontinent who present with psychopathology and suicidal behaviors associated with DV.
University of Melbourne manjulao@unimelb.edu.au.
Manjula
M
O'Connor
Queen Mary, University of London & University of Melbourne.
Erminia
E
Colucci
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001315:Australia / Q000208:ethnology; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D017579:Domestic Violence / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000208:ethnology*; D008603:Mental Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D014171:Transients and Migrants / Q000523:psychology*; D044465:White People; D055815:Young Adult; D000092864:Suicide Prevention
Australian-Indian migrant women; domestic violence; mental health; psychopathology; social distress; sociocultural factors; suicide