Migratory Grief and Depression Among Elderly Chinese American Immigrants

Abstract

This article examines factors that affect psychological distress (depression) among elderly Chinese immigrants. The factors included in the study were their grief experience associated with immigration along with acculturation, length of residence in the U.S. and other demographic factors, such as age, gender, marital status, living arrangement, contact with relatives, relatives in home country, home country visits, and home country identity. A total of 150 Chinese immigrants from a major city in the U.S. aged between 55 and 86 participated in the study. The results of the regression analysis indicated that those respondents who had a higher degree of migratory grief experience and a lower English proficiency score, who visited their home country, and were younger, were more likely to feel depressed. Among these four variables, migratory grief alone contributed to 41.5% of the variance while the remaining three variables contributed to 12.4% of the variation. Implications for social work practice were discussed.

Key Words:

• Migratory grief
• depression
• Chinese elders