Migration-related emotional distress among Vietnamese psychiatric patients in Germany: An interdisciplinary, mixed methods study

Abstract

Culture and socialization influence how individuals perceive and express emotional distress. Research therefore, must consider the context to capture individual experiences. However, the majority of studies on factors associated with emotional distress among migrants use quantitative approaches, limiting an in-depth understanding. This study investigates emic themes of emotional distress among Vietnamese migrants by integrating anthropological and psychiatric approaches. The mixed methods study first quantified differences in reported themes of distress between Vietnamese ( n = 104) and German ( n = 104) patients, who utilized two psychiatric outpatient clinics in Berlin, Germany. Based on these differences, ethnographic interviews were conducted with 20 Vietnamese patients. In the quantitative part, differences in frequency of reported distress between Vietnamese and German patients indicate cultural and migration-related issues among Vietnamese migrants, such as the upbringing of children in a transcultural context. In the qualitative part, interviews with Vietnamese patients elicited contextualizing information and additional themes of distress. Besides commonly expressed socioeconomic themes, such as work and finances, we identified affectively charged themes concerning roles toward partnership and children. A central emic theme is expressed as “moments of speechlessness,” which go beyond a lack of language proficiency and challenge patients in different spheres of life. Migration entails complex affective dynamics, determined by a specific migratory and post-migratory context. Within this context, norms and values determine which themes of distress patients articulate openly. Therefore, an interdisciplinary, mixed-methods approach can yield a contextualized understanding of emotional distress and the complex nature of migration.

Loneliness in Myanmar’s older population: A mixed-methods investigation

“…This study aims to help address the knowledge gap about mental health in non-WEIRD countries, with a specific focus on Myanmar. As this is the first study to investigate loneliness in Myanmar’s older population, a mixed-methods approach was used, as it has the powerful advantage of being able to complement quantitative measures with individuals’ reports about their lived experiences (e.g., Haroz et al, 2017 ; Nguyen et al, 2021 ). In research on global mental health, it is well-known that quantitative measures of theoretical constructs may not correspond to individuals’ culturally specific understandings of mental health (e.g., depression, loneliness).…”

Cultural immersion, acculturation strategies, and depressive symptoms among first-generation Vietnamese migrants in Germany

“…Cultural immersion provides an individual with a sense of belonging. Studies have demonstrated that belonging, defined as an emotionally charged position in social structure, experienced through identification, embeddedness, connectedness, and attachments (Pfaff-Czarnecka, 2013), represents an essential factor for the well-being of migrants in Germany (Fuchs et al, 2021;Nguyen et al, 2021). Effectively, Schwartz et al (2010) argue that it is unlikely for a person to develop a cultural identity without using their ethnic or dominant cultural context and associated practices.…”

Psychological distress and anxiety in Arab refugees and migrants during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany

“…A mixed methodology for collecting and analyzing data is vital for understanding ‘hard-to-measure’ constructs and for confirming the accuracy of findings ( Bowers et al, 2013 ). Mixed methods can balance the need for generalizability and sensitivity for specific perspectives when investigating minorities’ emotional distress, even in smaller samples ( Nguyen et al, 2020 ). In this research project, the Arabic version of the questionnaire was available online in April 2020.…”

“…There is evidence that refugees and other migrants may be at greater risk for stress related to the pandemic. Qiu and colleagues (2020) found that females, elderly people, people with higher education, and migrant workers among all occupations experienced the highest level of stress in a cross-sectional sample with 52,730 participants from the Chinese general population. The authors concluded that migrants might be a vulnerable population who have specific concerns and worries about viral exposure in public transportation when returning to work, and about delays in work time and consequent decrease in their income—all factors that may explain their high stress levels ( Qiu et al, 2020 ).…”