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This paper presents ethnographic findings on the role of informal care practiced by relatives, friends, and neighbors in the prevention and alleviation of mental distress in two Bhutanese refugee communities: the refugee camps of eastern Nepal and the resettled community of Burlington, Vermont, US. Data gathered through interviews ( n\u2009=\u200940, camp community; n\u2009=\u200922, resettled community), focus groups (four, camp community), and participant observation (both sites) suggest that family members, friends, and neighbors were intimately involved in the recognition and management of individual distress, often responding proactively to perceived vulnerability rather than reactively to help-seeking. They engaged practices of care that attended to the root causes of distress, including pragmatic, social, and spiritual interventions, alongside those which targeted feelings in the \u201cheart-mind\u201d and behavior. In line with other studies, we found that the possibilities for care in this domain had been substantially constrained by resettlement. Initiatives that create opportunities for strengthening or extending social networks or provide direct support in meeting perceived needs may represent fruitful starting points for suicide prevention and mental health promotion in this population. We close by offering some reflections on how to better understand and account for informal care systems in the growing area of research concerned with identifying and addressing disparities in mental health resources across diverse contexts. <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1177\/1363461517703023","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2017,5,5]],"date-time":"2017-05-05T17:46:03Z","timestamp":1494006363000},"page":"400-422","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":43,"title":["\u201cIn our community, a friend is a psychologist\u201d: An ethnographic study of informal care in two Bhutanese refugee communities"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"54","author":[{"given":"Liana","family":"Chase","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"SOAS, University of London"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ram P.","family":"Sapkota","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"McGill University"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2017,5,5]]},"reference":[{"key":"bibr1-1363461517703023","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/01459740.2013.858335"},{"key":"bibr2-1363461517703023","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1176\/appi.books.9780890425596"},{"key":"bibr3-1363461517703023","unstructured":"Ao, T., Taylor, E., Lankau, E., Sivilli, T. I., Blanton, C., Shetty, S.\u2026 Geltman, P. (2012). An investigation into suicides among Bhutanese refugees in the US 2009\u20132012: Stakeholders report. Retrieved from http:\/\/refugeehealthta.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Bhutanese-Suicide-Stakeholder_Report_October_22_2012_Cleared_-For_Dissemination2-1.pdf."},{"key":"bibr4-1363461517703023","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0020872811417474"},{"key":"bibr5-1363461517703023","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2105\/AJPH.2014.302504"},{"key":"bibr6-1363461517703023","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1097\/WTF.0000000000000030"},{"key":"bibr7-1363461517703023","unstructured":"Chase, L. (2011). Coping healing and resilience: A case study of Bhutanese refugees in Vermont (Unpublished BA thesis). Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH."},{"key":"bibr8-1363461517703023","first-page":"144","volume":"43","author":"Chase L. 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