Illness of the Mind Or Illness of the Spirit? Mental Health-Related Conceptualization and Practices of Older Iranian Immigrants (Report‪)‬

According to the surgeon general's report, there is a recognizable health disparity among immigrant populations in the United States (Satcher, 1999). Nerad and Janczur (2000) reported the following: "Because resettling in a foreign country is a significant source of stress, immigrants are at risk of developing more mental health disorders than members of the host country" (p. 2). Immigrants, particularly those who migrated at a later stage of life, have mental health needs that are different from those of the native-born population (Dhooper & Tran, 1998; Ghaffarian, 1998). Distinct differences have been found in the display of illness and care-seeking behaviors of immigrants compared with the host population (Satcher, 1999). According to Rai (2002), "culture and language influence individual expression of mental distress, psychiatric diagnosis and treatment, and the delivery of mental health care" (p. 28). The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore whether the way mental health is conceptualized by older Iranian immigrants influences their mental health-related practices. LITERATURE REVIEW