ABSTRACT

VIETNAMESE MIGRANT WORKERS IN MACAO ENCOUNTER NUMEROUS DIFFICULTIES THAT SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACT BOTH THEIR MENTAL WELL-BEING AND OVERALL HEALTH. DAILY LIFE CAN BE CHALLENGING DUE TO LANGUAGE BARRIERS, CULTURAL DIFFERENCES, WORKPLACE STRESS, AND FINANCIAL HARDSHIPS. THROUGH AN EXPLORATORY QUANTITATIVE APPROACH, THIS STUDY EXAMINES THESE CHALLENGES IN GREATER DETAIL, COLLECTING DATA FROM 268 PARTICIPANTS, THE MAJORITY OF WHOM—93.7%—ARE WOMEN. PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT TOOLS WERE EMPLOYED TO EVALUATE RESILIENCE, COPING STRATEGIES, COPING MECHANISMS, AND LEVELS OF STRESS, ANXIETY, AND DEPRESSION. THE FINDINGS INDICATE THAT DESPITE WORKING FULL-TIME, MANY PARTICIPANTS RECEIVE LOW WAGES, LIVE IN INADEQUATE CONDITIONS, AND HAVE LIMITED ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE SERVICES. A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF VIETNAMESE MIGRANT WORKERS SEND MONEY HOME TO SUPPORT THEIR FAMILIES, CREATING SUBSTANTIAL FINANCIAL PRESSURE. LONG WORKING HOURS, DIFFICULTIES IN COMMUNICATION, AND JOB-RELATED INSECURITIES CONTRIBUTE TO MENTAL DISTRESS. HOWEVER, RATHER THAN SEEKING PROFESSIONAL COUNSELLING, MOST INDIVIDUALS RELY ON INFORMAL SOCIAL NETWORKS FOR EMOTIONAL SUPPORT. IN CONCLUSION, THE STUDY EMPHASIZES THE PRESSING NEED FOR MORE ROBUST SUPPORT SYSTEMS, ENHANCED MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES, AND IMPROVED WORKPLACE POLICIES TO AID IN THE SOCIAL INTEGRATION AND WELL-BEING MAINTENANCE OF THESE WORKERS. FURTHERMORE, IT ENCOURAGES FUTURE RESEARCH TO INCORPORATE A GREATER NUMBER OF MALE PARTICIPANTS AND QUALITATIVE DATA IN ORDER TO GAIN A MORE THOROUGH UNDERSTANDING OF THEIR EXPERIENCES.