Ilene Hyman

Poverty, Family Process, and the Mental Health of Immigrant Children in Canada

OBJECTIVES This study examined the differential effects of poverty on the mental health of foreign-born children, Canadian-born children of immigrant parents, and children of non-immigrant parents. METHODS Secondary analysis of data from a national Canadian study of children between 4 and 11 years of age was conducted. RESULTS Compared with their receiving-society counterparts, foreign-born children were more than twice as likely to live in poor families, but they had lower levels of emotional and behavioral problems. The effect of poverty on childrens mental health among long-term immigrant and receiving-society families was indirect and primarily mediated by single-parent status, ineffective parenting, parental depression, and family dysfunction. In comparison, the mental health effect of poverty among foreign-born children could not be explained by the disadvantages that poor families often suffer. CONCLUSIONS Poverty may represent a transient and inevitable part of the resettlement process for new immigrant families. For long-stay immigrant and receiving-society families, however, poverty probably is not part of an unfolding process; instead, it is the nadir of a cycle of disadvantage.

Determinants of depression among Ethiopian immigrants and refugees in Toronto.

The purpose of this study was to determine the occurrence of and risk factors for depressive disorder in a random sample of 342 Ethiopian immigrants and refugees in Toronto. The Composite International Diagnostic Interview questionnaire was used to measure depression. The results suggested a lifetime prevalence of depression among Ethiopian immigrants and refugees of 9.8%, which was slightly higher than the lifetime prevalence rate in the Ontario population (7.3%). However, the rate among Ethiopian immigrants and refugees was approximately three times higher than the rate estimated for Southern Ethiopia (3.2%). The data confirmed the significance of known risk factors for depression in immigrants, including younger age, experiences of premigration trauma, refugee camp internment, and postmigration stressful events. The implication of the overall finding is that there is a need to develop mental health intervention programs, particularly for people who have experienced premigration trauma, refugee camp internment, and postmigration stresses.

Who Is Most at Risk for Intimate Partner Violence?: A Canadian Population-Based Study

Whole population studies on intimate partner violence (IPV) have given contradictory information about prevalence and risk factors, especially concerning gender. The authors examined the 1999 Canadian General Social Survey data for gender patterns of physical, sexual, emotional, or financial IPV from a current or ex-partner. More women (8.6%) than men (7.0%, p = .001) reported partner physical abuse in general, physical IPV causing physical injury (p < .0001), sexual abuse (1.7% vs. 0.2%, p < .0001), and financial abuse (4.1% vs. 1.6%, p < .0001). There were no gender differences for partner emotional abuse. Significant risk factors after multivariate modeling for physical/sexual IPV were younger age, being divorced/separated or single, having children in the household, and poor self-rated physical health. These findings from a large, randomly generated data set further refine our understanding of the risk profile for IPV in the developed world.

Immigrant and refugee children in Canada.

In view of Canadas commitment to immigration, understanding the sources of successful adaptation by immigrant and refugee children is vital. This paper reviews the literature on the mental health of migrant children and suggests an agenda for future research.

The Association Between Length of Stay in Canada and Intimate Partner Violence Among Immigrant Women

OBJECTIVE We examined the prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) among recent (0-9 years) and nonrecent (>/= 10 years) immigrant women in Canada to determine whether differences in IPV were associated with length of stay in Canada. METHODS We analyzed data from the 1999 General Social Survey, a national cross-sectional telephone survey. We used weighted logistic regression analysis to examine the effect of length of stay in Canada on IPV and controlled for socio-cultural and other factors associated with IPV. RESULTS The crude prevalence of IPV was similar among recent and nonrecent immigrant women. However, after adjustment, the risk for IPV was significantly lower among recent immigrant women compared with nonrecent immigrant women. Country of origin, age, marital status, and having an activity limitation (physical/mental disability or health problem) also were associated with a higher risk for IPV. CONCLUSIONS Our findings have important implications for both prevention and detection of IPV among immigrant women.

Changing Help-Seeking Rates for Intimate Partner Violence in Canada

ABSTRACT The adverse physical and psychological sequelae of intimate partner violence (IPV) are well documented, as are government initiatives in Canada since the early 1990s to address the problem through public awareness campaigns and service enhancement programs. While these initiatives have been designed to encourage abused women to come forward, there has been little research examining changes over time in help-seeking rates among this group. To fill this void, we compared data from two large Canadian population-based, cross-sectional telephone surveys: the 1993 Violence Against Women Survey (1993-VAWS) and the 1999 General Social Survey (1999-GSS). Among women who reported physical and/or sexual violence by a current or previous partner, we examined differences in rates of disclosure of abuse, help-seeking by type of service, and barriers to service use. Abused women in the 1999-GSS were significantly more likely than those in the 1993-VAWS to have reported disclosing a violent incident(s) to a family member (66.4% vs. 43.9%), friend or neighbor (67.4% vs. 45.4%), doctor or nurse (31.9% vs. 23.0%), and/or minister, priest, or cleric (11.5% vs. 7.3%). The 1999-GSS cohort was also more likely to have presented to a shelter or transition house (11.0% vs. 7.8%), a crisis center (17.3% vs. 4.2%), a counselor or psychologist (39.1% vs. 14.7%), a womens center (11.2% vs. 3.4%), and/or a community or family center (15.4% vs. 4.7%). Among those women who did not seek help, fewer in the 1999-GSS reported that they did not know of any services (6.4% vs. 17.0%), or that services were not available (0.8% vs. 14.5%). Although we found a demonstrable increase in the numbers of abused women seeking help, overall, rates of service utilization were still low as late as 1999, highlighting the importance of continued government commitment to funding IPV initiatives.

Help-Seeking Rates for Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) Among Canadian Immigrant Women

We examined rates of help seeking for intimate partner violence (IPV) among recent (0–9 years in Canada) and nonrecent (10+ years in Canada) immigrant women. Data from a national, cross-sectional, telephone survey were used. Help-seeking variables included disclosure of IPV, reporting IPV to police, use of social services subsequent to IPV, and barriers to social service use. Recent immigrant women, compared with nonrecent immigrant women, were significantly more likely to report IPV to police and less likely to use social services. Findings have important implications for prevention and detection of IPV in immigrant communities and in future research.

Help-seeking behavior for intimate partner violence among racial minority women in Canada.

INTRODUCTION Intimate partner violence (IPV) is experienced by women of all ethnoracial backgrounds. Despite the serious adverse impacts of IPV on womens lives, many abused women do not seek help. The main objective of this paper was to determine whether a womans racial minority status was a significant predictor of help-seeking for IPV after controlling for other factors associated with help-seeking. METHODS Data from a national Canadian, cross-sectional, telephone survey were used. Help-seeking variables included disclosure of IPV, reporting IPV to police, the use of social services subsequent to IPV, and barriers to social service use. RESULTS In the bivariate analyses, rates of disclosure and reporting to police were similar for racial minority and white women, however, racial minority women, compared to white women, were significantly less likely to use social services. After adjustment for age, marital status, household income, number of young children at home, immigration status, household language, and severity of IPV, racial minority status was not a significant predictor of help-seeking in the multivariate analysis. DISCUSSION Our findings suggest that further investigation is necessary to understand what aspects of membership in a racial minority group or sytemic factors may be contributing to inequalities in accessing help for IPV.

Intimate partner violence among Canadian women with activity limitations

Objective: To determine the prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) in the previous five years among women reporting activity limitations (AL). Design and setting: A community based, representative telephone survey of Canadians aged 15 and over. AL was assessed by the question: “Does a long term physical or mental condition or health problem reduce the amount or the kind of activity that you can do at home, at school, at work or in other activities?” Response categories were: often, sometimes, or never. Participants: 8771 women who had a current/former partner of whom 1483 reported AL. Main results: IPV was reported more often for AL (often or sometimes) compared with no AL women (emotional abuse (27.1, 26.4 v 17.7%, p<0.0001), physical—severe (7.3, 6.7 v 3.6%, p<0.0001), sexual abuse (3.5, 3.6 v 1.4%, p<0.0001)), or any IPV (30.5, 27.8 v 19.6%, p<0.0001). Adjusting for age, marital status, education, income, employment, children in the household, Aboriginal or visible minority status, place of birth, urban or rural residence, region of Canada, time in current residence, and religious attendance, AL women had higher odds of IPV (adjusted odds ratio: AL often  = 2.12; 95% CI: 1.64, 2.74; AL sometimes: OR = 1.64; 95% CI:1.40, 2.29). Conclusion: These findings call for increased recognition of violence that occurs in the lives of women with AL. This community based study suggests that abuse among those reporting AL is high. Women with AL represent a high risk group to be targeted in terms of IPV prevention and intervention.

“Violence Is an International Language”: Tamil Women's Perceptions of Intimate Partner Violence

Research on intimate partner violence (IPV) across populations is challenging because of the multiplicity of definitions and lack of clarity about the behaviors that constitute IPV. The purpose of this study was to examine the ways in which Sri Lankan Tamil women in Toronto understand, define, and experience IPV. Focus group interviews were conducted with women representing different ages and stages of life. Findings suggest that definitions of IPV were not culturally specific. Rather, the Tamil women defined IPV broadly and recognized different forms of coercive control. However, psychologically abusive behaviors were identified that held particular meanings for this community.