Responses of International Migrant Women to Abuse Associated With Pregnancy.

The current study aims to identify what newly arrived migrant women do, in the early months post-birth, to respond to abuse associated with pregnancy. Textual data from 59 migrant women were analyzed thematically to identify common responses to abuses. The most common response was to physically leave their countries of origin and move to Canada, or to move out of the shared dwelling.

Developing population interventions with migrant women for maternal-child health: a focused ethnography.

Background: Literature describing effective population interventions related to the pregnancy, birth, and post-birth care of international migrants, as defined by them, is scant. Hence, we sought to determine: 1) what processes are used by migrant women to respond to maternal-child health and psychosocial concerns during the early months and years after birth; 2) which of these enhance or impede their resiliency; and 3) which population interventions they suggest best respond to these concerns.

Methods: Sixteen international migrant women living in Montreal or Toronto who had been identified in a previous study as having a high psychosocial-risk profile and subsequently classified as vulnerable or resilient based on indicators of mental health were recruited.