Lack of support may be an important contributor to the worrying rates of mental and physical health problems in migrant mothers. Mixed methods were used in this study to examine relationships between support and stress and explore the meaning of support for Eastern European migrant mothers.
Sixty participants completed an online survey. Social support, stress and acculturation were measured using the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, and an adapted version of the American Rating Scale for Mexican Americans respectively. Semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted with a subset of participants.
Participants with higher total social support, higher emotional/informational support and higher tangible support reported significantly lower levels of stress. When controlling for age, emotional/informational support significantly predicted perceived stress scores. These results were enhanced through the qualitative data which described two themes of ‘self-efficacy’ and ‘connectedness’.
Migrant Eastern European mothers’ support needs are multifaceted and influenced by a number of complex factors. This research illuminates potential social, cultural and situational mechanisms which can be used as a platform to design vital interventions for migrant mothers.
Keywords: migration, motherhood, culture, support, patient-centered care, cultural competence