Silently Screaming in the Dark: Gender-Based Dynamics of Distress in Japanese Migrants

Abstract

Prior literature has shown the female Japanese population experiences higher susceptibility to mental health disorders. The causal influences of help-seeking for distressed women were investigated through analysis of 24 interviews of Japanese immigrant women in the Detroit Metropolitan Area. The Clinical Ethnographic Narrative Interview (CENI) was utilized as the interviewing technique, investigating Japanese culture as a determinant of personal wellness. This study was a grounded theory examination of the interactions among gender, social context, cultural displacement, and a causal model for Japanese women’s distress experiences. The resulting theoretical model revealed the familial and social dynamics traditional to Japanese culture developed feelings of poor self-worth common amongst study participants. This negative perception of self was exacerbated by gendered challenges of expatriation and intense pressures within this region’s Japanese migrant community. These findings show the need for increased contact with at-risk populations to understand their causal models and help-seeking behaviors and expectations.