Impact and correlation between migration and psychiatric disorders

Migration is a complex phenomenon all over the world. The current global estimate is that there were around 281 million international migrants in the world in 2020, which equates to 3.6 per cent of the global population. Overall, the estimated number of international migrants has increased over the past five decades.

Migrations and psychiatric disorders can be closely interconnected. During the migration process, individuals may experience traumatic events, family separation, socio-economic difficulties, and discrimination, which can increase the risk of developing psychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and adjustment disorders. It is crucial to provide adequate psychological and psychiatric support to migrants, recognizing their unique experiences and adopting culturally sensitive approaches to promote mental health and well-being during the migration process and integration into a new society.


• Create a collaborative network of experts in mental health in migration processes with international authors of scientific relevance who can make contributions on the topic.

• To foster the exchange of ideas and approaches related to migrants' reception processes in relation to different socio-cultural contexts with a particular focus on inclusion practices that contribute to reducing the development of psychopathology.

• Understanding not only individual but also community factors that contribute to the prevention of psychiatric suffering from an ecological and multi-level perspective.

• Use a cultural approach to understanding psychopathology in relation to different ethnic backgrounds.

• Researchers need to conduct longitudinal studies to assess the long-term impact of migration on mental health outcomes. By following migrant populations over an extended period, researchers can examine the trajectory of psychiatric distress, identify protective factors, and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions. Longitudinal research will provide valuable insights into the changing mental health needs of migrants and inform the development of sustainable support systems.

Keywords: migration, asylum seeker, migrants

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