Abstract
Cultural influences are deeply rooted, and continue to affect the lives of Asian-Indian (AI) immigrants living in Western culture. Emerging literature suggests the powerful nature of traditions and culture on the lives, mental and physical health of AI immigrants, particularly women. The purpose of this study was to explore depression among AI women in Central California (CC). This mixed-methods research was conducted in collaboration with the CC Punjabi community and the support of local religious leaders. All interviews were conducted in Punjabi and English. Whenever possible we utilized validated scales aligned with emerging themes from the qualitative data, which also provided contextualization to survey responses. In all we conducted 11 key informant interviews, four focus groups (n = 47) and a rigorously developed anonymous survey (n = 350). Social dynamics and traditional expectations including gendered roles significantly affected mental health among women participants. Subgroups along the lines of language choice (Punjabi vs. English) experience and report depression differently in part due to the highly stigmatized nature of mental health issues in this model minority community. The findings of this study highlight the importance of utilizing mixed methods to access hard to reach populations regarding sensitive topics such as mental health.
Highlights
Asian-Indians (AIs) constitute one of the fastest growing minority groups in the U.S [1].Currently there are over three million AIs in the U.S [2], with many AI immigrants settling in California [3,4], including Punjabis, Gujaratis, Bengalis, and Tamils [5,6]
There are over three million AIs in the U.S [2], with many AI immigrants settling in California [3,4], including Punjabis, Gujaratis, Bengalis, and Tamils [5,6]
As noted in our previous work [21], the mental health variables were significantly different between genders; on average, women indicating elevated levels of anxiety and depression while men indicated levels within the normal range
Summary
There are over three million AIs in the U.S [2], with many AI immigrants settling in California [3,4], including Punjabis, Gujaratis, Bengalis, and Tamils [5,6]. This rapid growth is well documented, literature is lacking on AI mental health needs and preferences for care in the U.S [7]. For instance while AI subgroups share several cultural tenants such as son preference and patriarchy, Punjabi Sikh AI have very different religious guiding principles with
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
