Perceptions Toward Mental Illness and Seeking Psychological Help among Bhutanese Refugees Resettled in the U.S.
Hannah MacDowell, Sudarshan Pyakurel, Jhuma Acharya and 2 others
PMID 31599662WHAT IT FOUND
Most Bhutanese refugees surveyed saw mental illness as embarrassing, saw seeking help as shameful, and feared others would judge them.
Access to counseling was a problem for 34.8%, especially those with lower English skills.
Key findings
01In this sample, 57.7% felt embarrassed by the term mental illness, 79.6% believed mental illness can reoccur, 81.1% believed people need future treatment, and 61.7% said there is no cure.
02Seeing a mental health counselor was viewed as shameful by 55.2% and as a sign of weakness by 52.2%, while 71.1% believed others would look unfavorably on someone who sought help.
0334.8% reported access to counseling as somewhat or a serious problem, and participants with trouble reading, speaking, or writing English were more likely to report this.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Small convenience sample of Bhutanese adults in one Midwestern city, so findings may not represent all Bhutanese refugees in the United States. The questionnaire was not translated into Nepali; bilingual interviewers translated on the spot, which may have introduced bias. Response options were simplified to yes or no, which may have hidden differences in how strongly people felt. Self-reported data can be affected by response bias. Recruitment from a local refugee resettlement agency may have selected for people already connected to services. The cross-sectional design cannot show whether stigma led to access problems or access problems changed stigma. The PHQ depression screens mentioned are not validated for Bhutanese refugees resettled in the United States.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this survey as proof that nurses screening will reduce suicide or that all Bhutanese refugees hold these views. The sample was a convenience sample in one city, and the study did not test an intervention or follow people over time.