Five Barriers That Prevent Immigrants From Seeking Mental Help
- Sep 12, 2022
- 4 min read
Updated: Mar 16, 2025
Written by: Ajabeyang Amin, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
The immigrant population in the United States has been on a rise for decades. There are people who have newly migrated and others who have been living in the country for years. Regardless of the amount of time since migration, immigrants are still largely influenced by their countries of origin. It affects their views on mental health and their mental health outcomes.
When thinking about immigrant groups, there are several risk factors that can affect their mental health and prevent seeking help. Here are five of them.
1. Undiagnosed family mental disorders.
Many immigrants are unaware of their family’s mental history. This may be because mental illnesses were not diagnosed, or there is a loss in translation of the terms used to describe mental problems. Hence, it’s important to note that the lack of a diagnosis doesn’t mean mental issues didn’t exist in the family. Additionally, the notion of psychotherapy isn’t common in some societies; thus, immigrant parents might have little to no experience with therapy. It is possible that they had other cultural/environmental systems to deal with their issues, and in some cases, their cultures gave other explanations for mental problems. This means immigrants may not have the tools to deal with mental issues within the context of their new environment (the U.S.). It also implies that an immigrant seeking mental help may be the first person in their family to do so in the U.S.; thus, they might have limited educated on mental disorders and effective help-seeking behaviors.
2. Cultural and spiritual beliefs.
Societies have different beliefs and orientations. For example, in the United States, there’s a high focus on science and research, while many African cultures are highly spiritual; hence, there is a larger focus on the spiritual realm, i.e., prayer, evil forces, witchcraft, religion, things that the human eye cannot see. When thinking about mental health and help-seeking, cultural beliefs can pose a challenge. If the culture believes in science, they will be more likely to use scientific evidence-based research to find solutions, e.g., in the U.S. If the culture is more spiritually inclined, they will be more apt to seek more spiritual-based solutions such as going to a priest, to church, or to a “witch doctor,” e.g., in some African cultures. I wrote about this issue pertaining to African cultures in this article.
3. Stigma.
While the talk of mental illness and mental health is gaining more popularity around the world, there is still a lot of work to be done in normalizing mental issues among immigrant populations. One reason is that depending on where the immigrant comes from, there may be unspoken cultural beliefs that are attached to mental problems. For example, in some African cultures, there are beliefs that the person in distress has an evil spirit or is being attacked by their enemies. People also hold stigma because they are afraid they will be labelled as “crazy,” they fear that confidentiality won’t be respected and that they won’t be understood due to cultural barriers. In addition, some societies are more inclined to deal with issues within the family rather than talking to strangers as psychotherapy is done in the U.S. These aspects could pose barriers to mental help-seeking.
4. Limited knowledge on what is available.
Another issue that immigrants run into is the lack of knowledge of when and where to seek help. Sometimes it is difficult to understand that one has come to a place where they are limited and they need external help. They may have questions such as how does psychotherapy work, how do they use it effectively, where do they go to find it, and can they afford it. People may not be aware that sometimes they might not need therapy. They may need to read a book on their issue, find a support group, or find some other source of strength and relief.
5. Access to culturally competent treatment.
And last but definitely not least, there may truly be cultural and language barriers. For people who don’t speak English as their first language, it can be difficult expressing themselves in English. It can also be challenging to find providers that can speak their language or that will have a translator. Furthermore, depending on the presenting issue, some counselors or therapists may be more equipped than others to help effectively. Therefore, accessing culturally competent help could pose a problem. Nevertheless, there are many resources out there for immigrants.
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Ajabeyang Amin, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Dr. Ajabeyang Amin is a psychologist, Christian counselor, and blogger. She founded the blog, African Mind Healer where she writes on mental health, culture, and faith. She is dedicated to helping people heal from their traumas, get unstuck from their past, blossom into authenticity, and do the things they are called to do. She has helped multiple individuals and couples work through various life challenges. She is inspired by her faith, her clients, her experiences living in multiple countries (Cameroon, Senegal, Ghana, France, El-Salvador) and 5 U.S. states, and by being a highly sensitive person. She holds a PsyD in counseling psychology from Northwest University, an MPH from the University of Michigan, and a BS from Penn State University. As you read her writing, her unique background and perspective might just inspire you to take a pause and think about your life.
