People migrate to improve their lifestyle. Yet research indicates that migration itself can be a stressful process, which can potentially have an impact on mental health.
"Young migrants who arrive as students from India are particularly vulnerable as they are unfamiliar with the Australia way of life", feels psychologist Jagjit Singh, who has been working in the public health sector for over a decade.
“Most migrants who arrive here experience a cultural shock,” Mr Singh tells SBS Punjabi.
“The culture here is very different from what they have experienced back in India and this can affect the way they think or feel emotionally or physically.”
“When you are in a new environment, it’s only normal to feel angry, sometimes irritable and often they tend to feel homesick.”
But there is nothing to worry, cautions Mr Singh.
Getting help: Talk to your GP Source: Getty images
“There are ways to cope with this kind of stress that migrants experience in the initial days. First thing is to recognize the problem and report it to your GP.”
“People need to understand that there are a lot of resources and help is readily available outside.”
But despite the magnitude of the problem, migrants don’t come out and seek help due to the stigma attached to mental illness as established by data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, in 2016.
Women are the worst affected as many live in stressful situations in their marital homes, which exacerbates the problem and often push them to the edge, observes Mr Singh.
Migrants' Mental Health On the Spot Light. AAP Source: AAP
“It can be very hard for them to get rid of the stigma, especially for women in our culture where they are living in an extended family so there is a lot of influence from the brothers, sisters, mother in laws…so they all influence their decision making process,” says Mr Singh.
“The other thing is that they unfamiliar with the legal system, there are language barriers and there is fear, shame and secrecy associated with help seeking behavior.”
So what is the best way to cope with such stress or anxiety levels?
“Best way to cope is to follow a routine you were following back home and engage in some sporting activity, go out and socialize with people, if you’re connected to a religion there’s no harm in holding on to that because religion can be a great protective factor."
“One of the underlying causes of stress or depression in most cases involving migrants can be the lack or family support, so they need to go out and socialise, advises Mr Singh.
If you'd like to access mental health support, make an appointment with your GP or local migrant resource centre.
You can also call a free helpline like at 1300 22 4636 or at 13 11 14. If you need an interpreter, call the Translating and Interpreting Service first at 13 14 50.
