A study of the acculturation and health of the Irish in Britain

Abstract

Ireland has had a relatively high rate of emigration for centuries. This has been traditionally out-migration from the island although with an uptum in the economy, in the 1970s, and also in the 1990s, - the latter due mainly to the impact of the ‘Celtic Tiger’, migration flows are now in both directions. In recent years it has emerged that the Irish in Britain have had disproportionately raised levels of mental and physical health problems and lower life expectancy, in comparison with the indigenous community and with other ethnic minorities. Among the many reasons given for this imbalance, is the migration process itself and particularly the acculturation experience.