Psychophysiological symptoms predictive of stress in Mexican immigrants in Canada

Emigration is a stress-related phenomenon that is manifested depending on the losses perceived when leaving one s own country of origin. This article reports the relationship between perceived stress and psychophysiological symptoms, age, gender and years of residence of Mexican immigrants living in Edmonton, Canada. Two hundred and thirty seven randomly selected immigrants were surveyed during the year 2013. A relationship was found between perceived stress and physical symptoms (cold hands and feet, neck and backaches, and fatigue), psychological symptoms (feeling depressed, anxiety and insomnia), and female gender. Assessing the symptomology of perceived stress in immigrants health, work, finance, family and social and environmental settings may offer an opportunity for efficient intervention.