Mental Distress and the Coping Strategies of Elderly Indian Immigrant Women

Abstract

This article explores how elderly English-speaking Indian immigrant women living in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada perceive and manage mental distress. With elders' consent, in-depth interviews were recorded, transcribed and transcripts were thematically analyzed. The findings suggest that these women believed that to lower the risk of mental distress it is critical for individuals to `maximize control over inner self' by `being busy.' The elder's busy behavior is framed within the Indian cultural and spiritual/faith matrix in dialogue with acculturation experiences in Canada. `Staying busy' allows these elders to use culture as a `moral medicine' to facilitate coping and adaptation.