The Effects of Forced Displacement on Mental Health
Art by Kalie Yang
Forced displacement is a humanitarian concern. Involuntary migration or forced displacement can be conflict or disaster-induced. Migrants and refugees are exposed to various stress factors which affect their mental health and well-being before and during their migration and acculturation journey. The prevalence of common mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) tends to be higher among migrants exposed to adversity and refugees than among host populations.
Key facts about forced displacement
Forced displacement occurs due to persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations or events seriously disturbing public order. According to UNHCR, the number of forcibly displaced people both within countries and across borders has nearly doubled in the last ten years; there were 41 million forcibly displaced people as of the end of 2010, and the figure was 78.5 million by the end of 2020 (UNHCR, 2021). Refugees and asylum-seekers made up nearly 39 per cent of the 78.5 million people forcibly displaced due to persecution, war, conflict, generalized violence, human rights violations or events seriously disturbing public order.
Different stages of migration and its problems
Here are the four stages of migration and the problems faced by people who are involuntarily displaced.
Pre-migration - In this stage, people lack opportunities for education and livelihoods as they are exposed to violence, armed conflict and persecution.
Migration - During the migration process, people are exposed to challenging and life-threatening conditions, including violence and detention in their home or host countries and lack of access to services to cover their basic needs as they flee for safety.
Post-migration - Once they are in a host country, people have to face barriers to accessing health care and other services to meet their basic needs, poor living conditions, separation from family members who are still in their home country, uncertainty regarding work permits and legal status, and in some cases immigration detention.
Acculturation - During the acculturation process, people might have to face poor living conditions, unemployment, assimilation difficulties, challenges to cultural, religious, and gender identities, changing policies in host countries, racism and exclusion, the tension between host population and migrants and refugees, social isolation and possible deportation.
Cultural bereavement
Cultural bereavement is an important aspect in the understanding of the migrant's experience. Eisenbruch has defined cultural bereavement as "the experience of the uprooted person - or group - resulting from loss of social structures, cultural values and self-identity. The person suffers feelings of guilt over abandoning culture and homeland. Bereavement has been associated with psychotic, anxiety and mood disorders; however, this association is complicated due to the misinterpretation of the cultural expressions of grief.
Loss of cultural identity
Culture is learned and passed through generations and has been described as shared features that bind people together into a community. Identity is one's perception of self or how we view ourselves as unique from others. Racial, cultural and ethnic identities form part of one's identity, and identity will change with development at a personal and social level along with migration and acculturation. During the acculturation process, psychosocial changes experienced by immigrants can be viewed as a process during which cultural differences disappear as immigrant communities adapt to the majority or host culture and value system. An individual's cultural identity may be lost during acculturation as they move within the host society.
Cultural changes in identity can be stressful and result in problems with self-esteem and mental health. Contact between the immigrant, or minority, community with the dominant or host community may lead to assimilation, rejection, integration or deculturation. Rejection, in which the individual or minority group withdraws from the majority group, can lead to apartheid or segregation in extreme cases. Deculturation, in which the individual or minority group experiences a loss of cultural identity, alienation and acculturative stress, can lead to ethnocide. Post-migration stressors include culture shock and conflict, both of which may lead to a sense of cultural confusion, feelings of alienation and isolation, and depression. Host societies' attitudes, including racism, compounded by stresses of unemployment, a discrepancy between achievement and expectations, financial hardships, legal concerns, poor housing and a general lack of opportunities for advancement within the host society, can lead to mental health problems in vulnerable individuals.
Key facts related to mental health among refugees
One in 11 people who have experienced war or other conflicts in the previous 10 years will have moderate or severe mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PSTD), bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia.
1 in 3 refugees experiences high rates of anxiety, depression and PTSD.
Approximately 11% of refugees are children who have PTSD.
15 to 18% of refugees who come to Canada require a formal mental health clinical intervention to help them address trauma.
Host countries need to provide people affected by forced displacement with mental health services. International protocols should be established so that refugees can be given continued care that is customized to their needs and treatment plans that can be shared with different providers. Migrants and refugees contribute positively to host countries, and for them to reach their full potential, they need access to quality physical and mental health care services.
Resources for Refugees and Refugee Claimants
Vancouver Association for the Survivors of Torture (VAST)
VAST supports refugee mental health through counseling, documentation, education, and referrals.
Address: 2610 Victoria Drive, Vancouver, BC V5N 4L2, Canada
Contact: (778) 372-6593 Phone: 1 (604) 588-3071
MOSAIC Counselling – Newcomer Wellness Hub (NWH)
The Newcomer Wellness Hub (NWH) is a unique, two-year-long project funded by Bell Let’s Talk that will provide newcomer youth, families, and seniors with culturally safe programming through multilingual counseling support, settlement and employment counseling, and various group activities to destigmatize mental health and provide community support. The Hub’s services are free and confidential.
Address: 5575 Boundary Road, Vancouver, BC V5R 2P9, Canada
Contact: (236) 878-4630
DIVERSEcity Community Resource Centre Mental Health and Substance Use Services
DIVERSEcity’s Mental Health and Substance Use Services provide individuals and families with free, compassionate, culturally informed, and confidential counseling and support services in several languages, such as Punjabi, Hindu, Urdu, Arabic, Spanish, Mandarin, Farsi, and English.
Address: 13455 76 Avenue, Surrey, BC V3W 2W3, Canada
Contact: (604) 597-0205
Culturally appropriate support groups promote the mental health and wellness of individuals and families. The groups provide participants with knowledge, skills, and confidence to address various issues that impact their health and well-being.
Address: 28 West Pender Street, Vancouver, BC, V6B 1R8
Contact: (604) 408-7274
Vancouver Island Counseling Centre for Immigrants and Refugees (VICCIR)
VICCIR provides mental health counseling to immigrants and refugees living in Canada. They offer their services on a sliding fee scale, and for free when needed. They work with specially trained interpreters as required.
Address: Suite 100-850 Blanshard Street, Victoria, BC V8W 2H2
Contact: (778) 404-1777
Interior Health Authority – Newcomer and Refugee Care – Comprehensive resource for health providers and sponsors in the interior of BC.
Important/Emergency Contacts
If you or someone you know needs help, call one of the numbers below:
911: If you believe that your life or someone else’s life is in danger.
1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433): If you are in distress or worried about someone else. It is free and available 24 hours a day.
310Mental Health Support at 310-6789 (no area code needed): for emotional support, information, and resources specific to mental health. It is free and available 24 hours a day.
811: To access free, non-emergency health information for anyone in your family, including mental health and substance use. Through 811, you can also speak to a registered nurse about symptoms you are worried about or talk with a pharmacist about medication questions.
1-800-663-1441: The Alcohol and Drug Information and Drug Referral Service. If you are in distress or worried about someone else. It is free and available 24 hours a day.
Mental Health Society of Greater Victoria aims to foster a community that speaks openly about mental health. For more content related to mental health, follow us on Facebook and Instagram.