Exploring African Immigrant Women's Pre- and Post-Migration Exposures to Stress and Violence, Sources of Resilience, and Psychosocial Outcomes.
Andrew Corley, Bushra Sabri
PMID 32886021WHAT IT FOUND
African immigrant women described pre- and post-migration violence, immigration fear, and stigma as major stressors.
Faith, exercise, and social support helped some cope, but stigma and immigration fear made many avoid services.
Key findings
01Women reported pre-migration political violence, armed conflict, and IPV, and post-migration IPV, immigration uncertainty, discrimination, and lack of community support.
02Religious faith, exercise, artistic expression, and social support were named as coping resources.
03Some women described negative outcomes such as hopelessness, anxiety, depression, and anger, while others described positive outcomes such as feeling buffered by faith or support.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Women were recruited purposively and by snowballing because they had already experienced at least two lifetime violent events, so findings may not represent all African immigrant women. The study included only 39 English-speaking women in the Virginia/DC/Maryland region, so it may not apply to women with other languages or locations. It used qualitative description and did not measure appraisal or coping, so it cannot show that any resource caused better psychosocial outcomes. Immigrants and refugees were grouped as African immigrant women for simplicity, even though legal protections differ. Education data were missing for five women.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the reported coping resources as proven treatments. The study asked women what helped them and did not test whether faith, exercise, or social support caused better psychosocial outcomes.