Abstract
We explore the dynamics of mental health, family, and migration within the experiences of United States–based South Asian immigrants with severe mental illness (SMI) diagnoses and their family members. We utilized a grounded theory approach to understand emerging unique cultural aspects (i.e., on economic hardship, racial discrimination) that have not been previously identified. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 South Asian patients with an SMI diagnosis, 11 family members of South Asian patients with an SMI diagnosis, and four clinicians. Thematic analysis was used to interpret the data with a specific focus on family relationships, migration experiences, and South Asian cultural influences. We identified three themes: “Stories of Isolation,” “Complexities of Care,” and “Dynamics of Gender, Illness, and Family.” These themes reflect the complex dynamics involved in migration, family, and mental health for South Asian immigrant families in the United States. Furthermore, we expanded the notion of familial vulnerability by focusing on how structural vulnerabilities induce widespread distress within a family unit and affect multiple kinds of gendered relations within a family.
Keywords
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
