Migrants to the United States often experience depressive symptoms due to various reasons, including war, economic hardship, and language barriers. Amongst the various depressive symptoms are insomnia, loss of energy, feelings of worthlessness, difficulty concentrating, poor appetite, and loss of pleasure.
Due to the lack of awareness about depression and its causes, immigrants are often unable to recognize these symptoms as mental illness when they occur. As such, they also don’t recognize the necessity and importance of seeking help and treatment. Therefore, these symptoms often go unnoticed for months and years before they worsen and become life threatening.
We can spread awareness by educating immigrant families about depression and its presentation, so people can obtain the necessary treatment to reduce suffering. Many sources are available online in different languages that can be provided to immigrant families. We can also spread awareness by collaborating with ESL classes across cities where a great majority of immigrants are present.
Educating one individual will help a family. Educating a family will help a community. And educating a community will create a more healthy and functional society. Therefore, reaching just one individual can make a big difference for mental health awareness within minority groups. Let’s start the journey to spread awareness together. A healthy society starts with educating its people.
