Immigrants and suicidal behavior: The role of gender

Immigrants' voyages to a new land have been among the most exciting and noble of human endeavors. It is the amazing courage to flee oppression, to leave behind everything that is familiar, and to chance the hostility of a completely alien culture in order to find freedom, opportunity, and a better life. Immigrants are moving to a new country for the best of motives: the desire to improve their lives; the urge to leave countries whose governments they could not abide; and the willingness to work for another country where individuals can live in freedom and dignity. Many and many immigrants and refugees, including Albert Einstein, Ernst Boris Chain, Selman Abraham Waksman, Enrico Fermi, Sigmund Freud, Eric Fromm, Bertold Brecht, Jean Gabin, Charles de Gaulle, Thomas Mann, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, François-Marie Arouet (Voltaire), and Victor Hugo have made a remarkable contribution to the welfare and happiness of mankind.
Immigrants often face difficulty adjusting to their new home in a new country for many reasons, including coping with trauma experienced in their native country, overcoming cultural and language barriers, and encountering discrimination. This can lead to severe and long-lasting psychological and behavioral problems, including depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, and a high risk for suicide. The effects of immigration on psychological and social well-being are especially profound for certain populations, including children, women, individuals with disabilities, and those with limited financial resources. Many immigrants are often forced to take low-qualified jobs, even though they have the training and education for professional jobs. They cannot sustain their former economic and social status, which can lead to psychological distress. Despite the critical need for mental health services, immigrants face significant obstacles to receiving quality mental health care including financial difficulties, the lack of culturally- and linguistically-appropriate services, and mistrust of mental health providers.

The results of the most recent research studies related to immigration and mental health will be presented in the book, "Immigration and Mental Health: Stress, Psychiatric Disorders and Suicidal Behavior Among Immigrants and Refugees". This book will be of interest to physicians, psychologists, mental health counselors, sociologists, politicians, social workers, public health administrators, medical, psychology and sociology students, and lay people.