Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Psychological distress through immigration: the two-phase temporal pattern?

M Ritsner1, A Ponizovsky

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, Hebrew University, Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel.

The International Journal of Social Psychiatry
|August 12, 1999
PubMed
Summary

Immigrant psychological distress peaks around 27 months post-resettlement, then declines. This two-phase pattern, observed in a large study, challenges the idea of an initial euphoric period for immigrants.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Cancer risk among parents and siblings of patients with schizophrenia.

The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science·2007
Same author

Cancer and schizophrenia.

The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science·2006
Same author

Psychiatric services and training for children and adolescents in Europe: results of a country survey.

European child & adolescent psychiatry·2004
Same author

Is the WKL1 gene associated with schizophrenia?

American journal of medical genetics. Part B, Neuropsychiatric genetics : the official publication of the International Society of Psychiatric Genetics·2004
Same author

Quality of life and coping with schizophrenia symptoms.

Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation·2003
Same author

Clinical evaluation of prior suicide attempts and suicide risk in psychiatric inpatients.

Crisis·2002

Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Sociology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Immigration is often associated with psychological distress.
  • Understanding the temporal patterns of distress is crucial for targeted interventions.
  • Previous literature suggests an initial euphoric period followed by a crisis, which this study investigates.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the timing and pattern of psychological distress among immigrants after resettlement.
  • To compare distress levels between immigrants and native populations.
  • To examine factors influencing the distress trajectory.

Main Methods:

  • A large community sample of 2,378 adult immigrants from the former Soviet Union to Israel.
  • Cross-sectional and longitudinal design with data collected at 20 intervals over 60 months.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Use of the Talbieh Brief Distress Inventory to assess six psychological symptoms.

    • Main Results:

    • Immigrants exhibited significantly higher psychological distress than Israeli natives.
    • A two-phase pattern of distress was identified: an escalation phase peaking at 27 months, followed by a reduction phase.
    • Distress prevalence reached 24% at 27 months and declined to 4% by 44 months.
    • This pattern was consistent across genders, marital statuses (excluding singles), and most age groups.

    Conclusions:

    • The study refutes the common claim of an initial euphoric period for immigrants.
    • Psychological distress among immigrants follows a predictable two-phase trajectory after resettlement.
    • Findings underscore the need for mental health support tailored to the evolving needs of immigrants over time.