Exploring African Immigrant Women’s Pre- and Post-Migration Exposures to Stress and Violence, Sources of Resilience, and Psychosocial Outcomes

This qualitative study seeks to identify pre- and post-migration stressors experienced by African women who had immigrated to the United States along with the vulnerability and resilience factors that exacerbate or mitigate the negative health effects of these experiences. Seventeen interviews and six focus groups were conducted with 39 African immigrant women. Participants reported encountering experiences of political instability and armed conflict pre-migration and intimate partner violence pre- and post-migration. Religious faith was an important source of resilience for women. Findings support the design of culturally appropriate interventions to improve the mental health of vulnerable African immigrant women.