Global migration: Moral, political and mental health challenges

Abstract

Global migration is expected to continue to increase as climate change, conflict and economic disparities continue to challenge peoples' lives. The political response to migration is a social determinant of mental health. Despite the potential benefits of migration, many migrants and refugees face significant challenges after they resettle. The papers collected in this thematic issue of Transcultural Psychiatry explore the experience of migration and highlight some of the challenges that governments and healthcare services need to address to facilitate the social integration and mental health of migrants. Clinicians need training and resources to work effectively with migrants, focusing on their resilience and on long-term adaptive processes. Efforts to counter the systemic discrimination and structural violence that migrants often face need to be broad-based, unified, and persistent to make meaningful change. When migrants are free to realize their talents and aspirations, they can help build local communities and societies that value diversity.