Migration experience and mental health: A qualitative study in France and Brazil.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between migration and mental health is complex and involves factors at different levels, as the individual history of the migrant, the collective history of their home country, the host society's and their mutual past history. Even though the migratory scenario of France and Brazil has changed over the years, both countries currently host an important number of immigrants. AIM: The main objective of the present study was to describe and analyze the impacts of the migratory experience on mental health of migrants with different migration experiences and living in two countries: France and Brazil. METHOD: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 participants, six in France and seven in Brazil. A thematic qualitative analysis of the data was performed using the ATLAS.TI software. Three themes were created based on the different times of the migration experience: before migration, during migration and after migration. All codes of these three bigger themes were organized in sub-themes for the samples in France and Brazil. RESULTS: Participants in France described an important exposure to traumatic events before and during migration. In Brazil, the migration experiences were multiple, in some cases presenting a traumatic history, but in most cases migration was seen as an opportunity to have access to better life conditions. In both countries, participants reported a great level of psychological distress associated to post-migratory difficulties (e.g. unemployment, learning a new language, or facing a new cultural environment). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that multidisciplinary interventions, with focus on skills development, such as language and work-related skills, and on access to basic needs may be essential for both voluntary and involuntary migrants. In addition to these interventions, some individuals may need specialized mental health intervention, focusing in past traumatic exposure and in the current acculturation process.

Translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the International Trauma Questionnaire for use in Brazilian Portuguese.

BACKGROUND: The most recent editions of diagnostic manuals have proposed important modifications in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) criteria. The International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ) is the gold-standard measurement for assessing PTSD and complex PTSD in accordance with the model of the 11th International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to adapt the ITQ for the Brazilian context. DESIGN AND SETTING: The translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the ITQ for use in Brazilian Portuguese was performed in trauma research facilities in Porto Alegre, Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte, Brazil. METHODS: The adaptation followed five steps: (1) translation; (2) committee synthesis; (3) experts' evaluation through the content validity index (CVI) and assessment of interrater agreement though kappa statistics; (4) comprehension test with clinical and community samples (n = 35); and (5) final back-translation and authors' evaluation. RESULTS: Two independent translations were conducted. While working on a synthesis of these translations, the committee proposed changes in six items to adapt idiomatic expressions or to achieve a more accurate technical fit. Both the expert judges' evaluation (CVI > 0.7; k > 0.55) and the pretest in the target population (mean comprehension > 3) indicated that the adapted items were adequate and comprehensible. The final back-translation was approved by the authors of the original instrument. CONCLUSION: ITQ in its Brazilian Portuguese version achieved satisfactory content validity, thus providing a tool for Brazilian research based on PTSD models of the ICD-11.

Translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the International Trauma Questionnaire for use in Brazilian Portuguese

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: The most recent editions of diagnostic manuals have proposed important modifications in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) criteria. The International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ) is the gold-standard measurement for assessing PTSD and complex PTSD in accordance with the model of the 11th International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to adapt the ITQ for the Brazilian context. DESIGN AND SETTING: The translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the ITQ for use in Brazilian Portuguese was performed in trauma research facilities in Porto Alegre, Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte, Brazil. METHODS: The adaptation followed five steps: (1) translation; (2) committee synthesis; (3) experts' evaluation through the content validity index (CVI) and assessment of interrater agreement though kappa statistics; (4) comprehension test with clinical and community samples (n = 35); and (5) final back-translation and authors' evaluation. RESULTS: Two independent translations were conducted. While working on a synthesis of these translations, the committee proposed changes in six items to adapt idiomatic expressions or to achieve a more accurate technical fit. Both the expert judges' evaluation (CVI > 0.7; k > 0.55) and the pretest in the target population (mean comprehension > 3) indicated that the adapted items were adequate and comprehensible. The final back-translation was approved by the authors of the original instrument. CONCLUSION: ITQ in its Brazilian Portuguese version achieved satisfactory content validity, thus providing a tool for Brazilian research based on PTSD models of the ICD-11.

Imigração haitiana no Rio Grande do Sul: aspectos psicossociais, aculturação, preconceito e qualidade de vida / Haitian immigration in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil: psychosocial aspects, acculturation, prejudice and quality of life / Inmigración haitiana en Rio Grande del Sur, Brasil: aspectos psicosociales, aculturación, prejuicio y calidad de vida

Este estudo traça um panorama da imigração haitiana no Rio Grande do Sul, quanto a aspectos psicossociais, perfil sociodemográfico e socioeconômico, orientações aculturativas, preconceito e qualidade de vida. A pesquisa, de delineamento quantitativo transversal, contou com a participação de 67 imigrantes haitianos, com idades entre 19 e 58 anos (M = 33,87; DP = 5,47). A amostra é predominantemente composta por homens (77,6%), com alta escolaridade (M = 10,5; DP = 4,53) e que falam o idioma português (56,7%). A orientação aculturativa mais frequente é a de integração, que é mais presente entre homens, quem acessou o sistema brasileiro de assistência social; os mais jovens, os com maior fluência em outros idiomas e os que chegaram há mais tempo no Brasil. Além disso, o preconceito percebido e a qualidade de vida obtiveram resultados mais significativos em comparação a estudos com imigrantes haitianos realizados em outros países. (AU)

The present study traces a panorama of Haitian immigration in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, regarding psychosocial aspects, sociodemographic and socioeconomic profile, acculturative orientations, prejudice and quality of life. Participants included 67 Haitian immigrants, aged between 19 and 58 years old M=33.87; DP=5.47). The sample was predominantly male (77.6%), presented high schooling (M = 10.5; SD = 4.53) and spoke the Portuguese language (56.7%). The predominant acculturative orientation is integration, which is more present among men; those who accessed the Brazilian social assistance system; the youngest; those with more fluency in other languages, and the ones that have been in Brazil for the longest amount of time. In addition, perceived prejudice and quality of life obtained significantly higher results in comparison to studies with Haitian immigrants carried out in other countries. (AU)

Este estudio traza un panorama de la inmigración haitiana en Río Grande del Sur en Brasil, con relación a los aspectos psicosociales, perfil sociodemográfico y socioeconómico, orientaciones aculturativas, prejuicio y calidad de vida. La investigación, de delineamiento cuantitativo transversal, contó con la participación de 67 inmigrantes haitianos con edades entre19 y 58 años (M=33.87; DP=5.47). La muestra fue predominantemente compuesta por hombres (77.6%), con alta escolaridad (M = 10.5; SD = 4.53)y que hablan portugués (56.7%). La orientación aculturativa más frecuente es la de integración, que se encuentra más presente entre los hombres,entre los que accesaron al sistema brasileño de asistencia social, entre los más jóvenes, los con mayor fluidez en otros idiomas y, los que llegaron hace más tiempo a Brasil. Además, el prejuicio percibido y la calidad de vida obtuvieron resultados más significativos en comparación a estudios con inmigrantes haitianos realizados en otros países. (AU)

Análise da rede de apoio e do apoio social na percepção de usuários e profissionais da proteção social básica / Analysis of the support network and the social support in perception of users and professionals of the basic social protection / Análisis de la red de apoyo y del apoyo social en la percepción de usuarios y profesionales de la protección social básica

Este artigo analisa articulações da Rede de Apoio e de diferentes funções do Apoio Social de usuários da Proteção Social Básica, através da percepção de trabalhadores do CRAS e de seus usuários, em Porto Alegre (RS). As entrevistas foram analisadas através da Análise Temática e os resultados codificados, contrastando as percepções de profissionais e de usuários. Os resultados indicam um enfraquecimento precoce de vínculos familiares e um reordenamento da Rede de Apoio, através de novos vínculos com a família extensa e a comunidade, como estratégia de enfrentamento, na história de vida dos usuários. Em relação aos sistemas informais, as instituições religiosas são relacionadas com o apoio material, enquanto que nos sistemas formais os profissionais da assistência social desempenham uma importante fonte de apoio emocional, destacando-se nas narrativas tanto de usuários como dos profissionais.

This article analyzes the articulations of the Support Network and the different functions of Social Support for Basic Social Protection users, through the perception of CRAS workers and their users, in Porto Alegre (RS). The interviews were analyzed using Thematic Analysis and the results were codified, contrasting the professionals' and the users' perceptions. The results indicate an early weakening of family ties and a reordering of the Support Network through new links with the extended family and the community, as a strategy of coping, in users' life history. Regarding the informal system, the religious institutions are related to the material support, while in the formal systems, the professionals of Social Assistance play an important source of emotional support, inserting themselves in the Support Network, highlighting the narratives, both for users and for professionals.

Este artículo analiza articulaciones de la Red de Apoyo y de distintas funciones del Apoyo Social de usuarios de la Protección Social Básica, a través de la percepción de trabajadores de los CRAS y de sus usuarios, en Porto Alegre (RS). Las entrevistas se analizaron mediante análisis temático y los resultados codificados, contrastando las percepciones de los profesionales y usuarios. Los resultados indican un debilitamiento precoz de los lazos familiares y un reordenamiento de la Red de Apoyo, a través de nuevos vínculos con la familia extensa y la comunidad, como estrategia de afrontamiento en las historias de vida de los usuarios. En cuanto a los sistemas informales, las instituciones religiosas son relacionadas con el soporte material, mientras que en los sistemas formales, los profesionales de la Asistencia Social desempeñan una importante fuente de apoyo emocional, destacándose tanto en las narrativas de los usuarios como en las de los profesionales.