Sex Differences, Duration of Stay in the United States, and Serious Psychological Distress

Abstract

Using data from the 2002-2012 National Health Interview Surveys, this study examines the association between duration of stay in the United States and serious psychological distress (SPD) among Middle Eastern (ME) immigrants and tests whether this association differs by sex. Results show that although ME immigrant women with longer duration are significantly more likely to report SPD than US-born white women, the SPD of ME immigrant men do not significantly differ from that of US-born white men. These findings emphasize the harmful influence of a longer duration of stay in the United States on the SPD of ME immigrant women.

Mental health disorders among Middle Eastern immigrant women living in the United States: A scoping review

“…Two studies reported a prevalence of SPD (8.33%). SPD refers to mental health problems that cause moderate to severe impairment in social or occupational functioning (Alkaid Albqoor et al, 2020; Shafeek Amin & Driver, 2019). Both studies reported a similar rate (5.10% and 6.72%) of SPD among Middle Eastern immigrants (Alkaid Albqoor et al, 2020; Shafeek Amin & Driver, 2019).…”

“…Thirteen studies (54.16%) examined mental health in general or multiple mental health conditions in the same study. Some studies specifically focus on specific mental health conditions such as depression (33.33%, n = 8; Arfken et al, 2018; Jamil et al, 2007; Javanbakht et al, 2019; Kamimura et al, 2018; Kroll et al, 2011; M'zah et al, 2019; Piwowarczyk et al, 2014; Taylor et al, 2014), anxiety (16.66%, n = 4; Javanbakht et al, 2019; M'zah et al, 2019; Piwowarczyk et al, 2014; Taylor et al, 2014); posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD; 29.16%, n = 7; Arfken et al, 2018; Jamil et al, 2007; Javanbakht et al, 2019; Kulwicki & Ballout, 2015; M'zah et al, 2019; Norris & Aroian, 2008; Taylor et al, 2014); psychoses (4.16%, n = 1; Kroll et al, 2011); perinatal mental disorder (12.50%, n = 3; Alhasanat et al, 2017; Alhasanat‐Khalil et al, 2018, 2019); severe psychological disorders (8.33%, n = 2; Alkaid Albqoor et al, 2020; Shafeek Amin & Driver, 2019), and suicide (4.16%, n = 1; El‐Sayed et al, 2011).…”

“…SPD refers to mental health problems that cause moderate to severe impairment in social or occupational functioning (Alkaid Albqoor et al, 2020; Shafeek Amin & Driver, 2019). Both studies reported a similar rate (5.10% and 6.72%) of SPD among Middle Eastern immigrants (Alkaid Albqoor et al, 2020; Shafeek Amin & Driver, 2019). Finally, one study (4.16%) reported the overall suicide rate was 4.86 in 100,000 among Arab American females (El‐Sayed et al, 2011)…”

“…Among Iraqi refugees, depression was associated with the time spent in the U.S., indicating that longer time spent in the U.S. was associated with a higher risk of developing mental health disorders (Taylor et al, 2014). Similarly, Middle Eastern women with 10 years or more duration in the U.S. have significantly higher odds of reporting serious psychological distress than U.S.‐born white women (Shafeek Amin & Driver, 2019). On the other hand, Baird et al (2020) reported that the duration of residence in the U.S. did not significantly affect the mental health risk in newly arrived refugees.…”

“…In 2019, the number of Middle Eastern immigrants in the U.S. reached 1.2 million, representing around 3% of the U.S.‐born population of 44.9 million (Harjanto & Batalova, 2022). The existed studies showed that Middle Eastern immigrants experience greater mental health illnesses than native‐born people and immigrants from different countries (Bulut & Brewster, 2021; Shafeek Amin & Driver, 2019). There is a lack of review synthesizing evidence on the mental health status of Middle Eastern immigrants in the U.S.…”