Public Pressure, Private Protest: Illness Narratives of West Indian Immigrants in Montreal with Medically Unexplained Symptoms

The authors investigate health beliefs of West Indian immigrants in Montreal with somatic, emotional, or medically unexplained symptoms. Their overall aim was to elicit and explore illness narratives, explanatory models, symptom-attribution and help-seeking in the community. A sample of fifteen West Indian immigrants took part in semi-structured interviews. The authors found that participants overwhelmingly ascribed their symptoms to post-migratory experience. The participants particularly highlighted the importance of two related factors: chronic overwork since migration and irregular patterns of daily living. Many worked long hours, including overtime and moonlighting. Participants related their irregular patterns of daily living to disturbances of bodily functions (e.g., sleeping, eating) as well as to social functions (e.g., family life). The authors believe that these themes reflected elements of ethno-physiological beliefs common in the West Indies, as well as North American illness models. Attributing medically unexplained symptoms to overwork and irregularity in personal and social realms may be a socially acceptable way of critiquing perceived injustices in participants' work, social and interpersonal situations. The authors argue that this is especially so because the dominant discourse regarding race and ethnicity in Canada tends to emphasize positive aspects of multiculturalism — only reluctantly acknowledging conflict and inequality. Narratives could be interpreted as an oblique criticism of Canadian society's apparent indifference to participants' ongoing marginalization.

Anthropology & Medicine

Vol. 13

no. 3

193-205

December 2006

en