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In the Shadow of Race: Immigrant Status and Mental Health

School of Social Work, University of Connecticut, 1798 Asylum Avenue, West Hartford, CT 06117Brenda.Kurz{at}uconn.edu

Barris Malcolm

School of Social Work, University of Connecticut, 1798 Asylum Avenue, West Hartford, CT 06117Barris.Malcolm{at}uconn.edu

David Cournoyer

School of Social Work, University of Connecticut, 1798 Asylum Avenue, West Hartford, CT 06117David.Cournoyer{at}uconn.edu

This study explored the relative usefulness of measures of race, ethnicity, and acculturation in understanding the mental health of an ethnically diverse group of low-income women. The 194 women who were enrolled in the Women, Infant and Child program showed no racial/ethnic variation in the prevalence of mental health symptoms and a general mental health syndrome, as measured by the PrimeMD-PHQ screening tool. However, immigrants or migrants were less likely than were natives to report symptoms of depression and distress. Speaking primarily a language other than English was associated with symptoms of distress. The findings suggest that for treatment and program planning for low-income women, racial/ethnic designations may be less useful than may the more direct measures of the cultural differences they presume to reflect.

Key Words: acculturation • mental health • race/ethnicity • Women, Infant and Child Program

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