Depression and somatization in Bhutanese-Nepali refugees

The number of Bhutanese-Nepali refugees entering Allegheny County has exceeded 4,500 over the last several years. Local physicians who work with this population have reported patients exhibiting symptoms of various mental disorders. This phenomenon is of grave concern, as various studies have found a suicide rate among Bhutanese-Nepali refugees that is significantly higher than the suicide rates for the general US population and other refugee groups. This research will determine if Bhutanese-Nepali cultural conceptualizations of mental health correlate to mental disorders classified in the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) through a series of individual interviews and a single focus group. By determining and improving the correlations between Bhutanese-Nepali culturally specific disease and western mental health diagnoses physicians will be able to provide informed, culturally-appropriate healthcare for refugees. As a result, public health practitioners will be able to better develop interventions that effectively address the mental health needs of Bhutanese-Nepali refugees and the quality of mental healthcare refugees receive will improve