Ethnic differences in response to adversity

Summary

A community sample of Bangladeshi immigrants were compared with their native-born near neighbours in one inner London housing estate on measures of adversity and distress. The Bangladeshi sample were found to be experiencing more serious life-events and chronic difficulties, and reported more symptoms of psychological disturbance than their indigenous neighbours. These higher rates of distress appeared to be accounted for by the higher levels of adversity to which they were exposed. The hypothesis that members of Asian ethnic minorities appear to use mental health services less because they are psychologically more robust in the face of difficulties therefore seems questionable. Sampling difficulties mean that these findings have to be considered tentatively. Further, striking differences between these and earlier findings obtained from other Asian communities suggest that local and historical factors may exert a major influence on patterns of results. Generalisations across Asian immigrant communities, therefore, need to be treated very cautiously.