Consequences of international migration: A qualitative study on stress among Polish migrant workers in Scotland

Abstract

This article aims to gain a greater understanding of the personal experiences of Polish migrant workers who work in manual and low-skilled jobs in Scotland, and to explore the experiences of stress and its impact on physical and psychological health and well-being. Qualitative in-depth interviews and subsequent focus groups. Eight in-depth interviews and two focus groups were conducted in Spring 2007. Data were analysed thematically using Nvivo computer software. The following stress factors were identified: difficulties with communication, unfamiliarity with the new environment and culture, work-related stress, practical stress, and social stress. Several respondents gave accounts of decreased health, particularly psychological and psychosomatic distress, and attributed this to the variety of stressors and demands on their physical, sociocultural and psychological adaptation abilities. Cross-border migration is a time of transition and demands adjustment by the individual migrant as well as the country of settlement. Due to high acculturative demands and increased vulnerability, migrant workers need to be recognized as a specific target group for health promotion and health services.