The challenge of mental health in migrants
December 18th is International Migrants Day. According to the International Organization for Migration According to the United Nations, the number of international migrants worldwide in 2019 was 272 million, representing 3.5% of the population. Within this group, 12% were children under 8 years old and 12% were young people between 15 and 24 years old.
Migration represents the movement of people from their usual place of residence, whether across an international border or within a country, with the intention of establishing a new temporary or permanent residence in their destination. This process requires an extra effort from the individual to adapt to a new environment. Migration flows have occurred since the dawn of humanity and have increased with globalization.
Migration and suicide
The migration process can be divided into several phases: pre-migration (the person decides to migrate and organizes a plan for it), migration itself (physical displacement), and post-migration (the person adapts to the new environment). It is important to note that not all migrants have the same experience, nor do the societies that receive them respond in the same way. The migration process and subsequent sociocultural adaptation play a fundamental role in people's mental health.
The relationship between migration and mental health is complex and dynamic. The migration process involves immersion in a new culture and inherently presents a set of stressors that can affect the mental health of anyone undergoing this process: forced separation from loved ones, language barriers, changes in place of residence, loss of social status and marginalization, perceived discrimination, job insecurity, and economic hardship, among others. The distress experienced by individuals is greater when the cultures (of origin and destination) are very different from each other.
Multiple risk factors in migrants
Migration represents a significant source of stress that is linked to mental health problems for those who experience it. Within this process, there are several risk factors that make people more vulnerable to developing some type of mental disorder : pre-existing mental illness, unplanned migration or migration for political reasons, traumatic experiences, being a minor or elderly, and post-migration role strain (the person lacks the resources to perform the new role assigned to them). Furthermore, the healthcare system sometimes fails to adequately recognize these situations or provide the necessary care, creating a further source of stress for the individual.
Cultural differences in depressive disorders
In the case of children and adolescents (a particularly vulnerable group), exposure to violence during the migration process has been shown to be a key risk factor for suffering from mental disorders, while stable settlement and social support in the host country have a positive protective effect.
Within the field of mental health, the symptomatic expression of mental disorders and the response to treatment vary depending on a person's culture. Cultural differences are associated with different ways of understanding health and illness, as well as with distinct ways of expressing distress.
We, as social and healthcare professionals, are now more aware of the challenges we face when providing care to a culturally diverse population.
It is well established that, in order to provide culturally competent care, we must be familiar with the beliefs, values, and practices of the populations we serve, in order to prevent errors and be able to offer the best possible care.
Cultural competence aims to address the barriers (social, communication, political, gender-based) that prevent individuals from receiving quality care. It involves professionals acquiring specialized knowledge (cultural aspects of certain illnesses, communication styles), skills (cultural sensitivity and humility), and attitudes that enable them to provide individualized care.
Yolanda Osorio López
In today's globalized world, professionals work with people whose origins, life circumstances, cultural identity, and ethnicity differ from our own. Migrants are not a homogeneous group, nor are their needs, social and health vulnerabilities, and resilience. Furthermore, migrants with mental health problems constitute a doubly vulnerable group, with the potential to suffer stigmatization and social exclusion.
Evidence shows that recognizing all these factors contributes to a better understanding of the problems inherent in migration and to developing prevention strategies, health promotion, and comprehensive approaches according to the needs of the people we serve.
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