Survey shows majority of Tibetan immigrants more stressed in US

DHARAMSHALA, December 2: Preliminary findings of a study on the physical and mental health of Tibetan immigrants living in the United States have thrown up startling facts.

According to a recent pilot survey, 59% of Tibetan immigrants feel more stressed in the United States than they felt in their earlier place of residence.

The survey jointly conducted by Dr Yangbum Gyal, a practicing Tibetan physician working with Tibetan immigrants in collaboration with Prof. Lynet Uttal from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Asian American Studies Program has studied over a hundred Tibetan immigrants between the ages 22 and 66.

As per the survey, the most common stresses for Tibetan immigrants include: Concern about the Tibetan cause and general political, economic, and cultural freedom of Tibetans, worrying about their relatives who are still in other countries, and their experience with structural discrimination and interpersonal prejudice in the United States.

The second Demographic Survey of Tibetans in Exile conducted in 2009 by the Central Tibetan Administration had estimated that over 9,309 Tibetans moved to the west during 1998-2009, with a majority of them immigrating to the United States.

The report further noted that 52 per cent of those who migrated, cited education and economic opportunities as reasons for their move.

In their survey, Dr Gyal and Prof. Uttal have found that the most common health issues facing Tibetan immigrants are high blood pressure, tuberculosis, arthritis, and gastrointestinal problems.

The duo blames these recurrent health problems on the changes and stresses that accompany immigration experiences.

With the support of the Wisconsin Tibetan Association and the department of Family Medicine at UV, the Tibetan and American pair plan to design and conduct a Tibetan Immigrant Stress survey about the health concerns and practices that Tibetan immigrants are experiencing.

The survey will be conducted across the United States with the goal of developing a better understanding and documentation of Tibetan immigrant heath, causes of stress, and ways of living and thinking.

Using these survey results, Dr Gyal and Prof. Uttal hope to improve the Tibetan community's physical and mental health by educating Western doctors about Tibetan immigrant health issues and attitudes