Abstract
BackgroundImmigrant women face greater barriers to health care, especially mental health care, than non-immigrant women. However, immigrants are a heterogeneous group and bring with them a range of different personal, social, cultural and economic factors, which impact both mental health and access to care. In this study, we explored factors that influence Filipina immigrants’ perceptions of help seeking from a general practitioner for mental health problems in Norway.MethodUsing data from semi-structured interviews, we applied a post-colonial feminist perspective to identify factors that affect perceptions of help seeking.ResultsFindings indicated that a combination of the women’s beliefs and values, stigma, experiences with healthcare services in Norway and familiarity with mental health services influence perceptions of help seeking. Some factors represented structural barriers to healthcare seeking in general, while others related to mental healthcare seeking in particular. The significance of each factor varied depending on the women’s backgrounds.ConclusionsSocioeconomic status, educational background, familiarity with health services and experience of mental health can influence immigrant women’s perceptions of, and barriers for, help seeking for mental health problems. There are a number of barriers to address at a structural level to improve both the propensity to seek healthcare in general, as well as mental healthcare in particular. Efforts to increase awareness of primary mental healthcare services may also help change the perception that professional help is only appropriate for serious mental health disorders.
Highlights
Immigrant women face greater barriers to health care, especially mental health care, than non-immigrant women
Some factors represented structural barriers to healthcare seeking in general, while others related to mental healthcare seeking in particular
There are a number of barriers to address at a structural level to improve both the propensity to seek healthcare in general, as well as mental healthcare in particular
Summary
Immigrant women face greater barriers to health care, especially mental health care, than non-immigrant women. Immigrants may be at greater risk of mental health problems than the general population [3] due to the migration and adjustment process Women have different migratory experiences than men and face greater social disadvantage. They are at higher risk of exploitation and abuse, experience poorer socioeconomic conditions and more social isolation [9]. These factors can both increase the risk of mental
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