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November 18, 2008
Seasonal spirit stresses new immigrants
While the lead up to Christmas is known to cause more stress than joy for many North Americans, the stress can be worse and even life threatening for new immigrants. SFU mental health expert Joti Samra says that new immigrants who identify strongly with their heritage and feel socially isolated in North America are more likely to experience suicidal ideas around Christmas than other people. The adjunct professor of health sciences and clinical psychologist says distance from relatives in their birth country and stark differences in tradition can amplify new immigrants’ already heightened stress during the Christmas season. Samra has been researching suicide ideation in different generations of immigrants for the last 10 years.
Joti Samra, 778.782.5263, jsamra@sfu.ca
While the lead up to Christmas is known to cause more stress than joy for many North Americans, the stress can be worse and even life threatening for new immigrants. SFU mental health expert Joti Samra says that new immigrants who identify strongly with their heritage and feel socially isolated in North America are more likely to experience suicidal ideas around Christmas than other people. The adjunct professor of health sciences and clinical psychologist says distance from relatives in their birth country and stark differences in tradition can amplify new immigrants’ already heightened stress during the Christmas season. Samra has been researching suicide ideation in different generations of immigrants for the last 10 years.
Joti Samra, 778.782.5263, jsamra@sfu.ca