Gihane Endrawes

Western Sydney University, Australia

Title: Bridging Cultures: Addressing the Unique Mental Health Challenges of Immigrant Women

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Biography

Gihanehas more than 20 years experience in mental health nursing and education. Sheworked as a Transcultural Mental Health Clinical Nurse Consultant, shecoordinated a number of projects addressing consumers’ care and satisfaction.She won 2 nursing achievement awards due to her contribution to mental healthnursing. Her PhD was on the ‘lived experience of caring for a relative withmental illness’. At her current role as lecturer at Western Sydney University,Australia she coordinated a number of under-graduate and post-graduate unitsand is involved in the development and review of curriculum. Her role alsoincludes supervision of higher degree research students and her researchinterests are in the area of mental health, transcultural nursing, evidence-basedpractice and nursing education which are reflected in her publications

Abstract

Women’s mental health is identified as oneof the top five research priorities worldwide. There is an increasing concern about stresses faced by women and howthese may adversely affect their health. International studies confirm gender difference and genderinequalities.  For example, 70% of peopleliving in poverty are women, 2/3 of adult illiterate people who are over 15years of age are women. Marriage for men is a protective factor but isassociated with more mental health problems for women. The risk of womendeveloping depression and other mood disorders was found to be as twice that ofmen. This risk is even higher among immigrant women due to cultural factors andissues related to immigration. Migration can be a risk factor for suicide.  The suicide rates for immigrants are higherwhen compared to those of the population in their countries of origin,particularly among immigrant women. The paper aims to explore a range of mentalhealth issues experienced by women with specific attention to the role ofculture.  Women are a diverse group withspecific mental health needs across the lifespan.  Therefore, this paper will address mentalhealth issues of adult, adolescent and elderly women.  The following recommendations will beexplored in more details: the need for more specialised services that targetspecific age groups, focusing on health promotion, health education, earlydetection, and early intervention for those women who are at risk of mentalhealth problems.  More efforts towardsthe empowerment of women are also needed which includes building theirself-confidence, informing and educating them of their legal rights, increasingdomestic violence refuges, how to access information and support services whenneeded, addressing the injustice and inequalities they are currently facingand, increasing the number of bi-lingual staff and culturally sensitiveservices.