Through the process of forced migration, immigrants flee wars, conflicts and violence. People are left with no choice but to leave their homes and migrate to safer countries to save their lives and escape brutality.

Migrants who leave their home countries looking for safety away from war face several psychological problems due to the acute internal trauma caused by their experiences back home and the migration process.

General overview

Stress, significant social changes, being separated from the lands where they grew up, their cultures being threatened and problems integrating all pose psychological challenges for migrants. At its core, migration triggers a strong sense of loss. The loss of the land where they were born and raised, the fact that it is under some one else's control and the uncertainty of not knowing when (or if) they will be able to come back is a source of high stress. One's ego is shaped by and identifies with the land where the one was born and its culture.

In situations where people are forced to migrate, such as terrorism and war, they feel that their culture is under threat and they lose their sense of belonging to a larger group. They often suffer from isolation and loneliness. Furthermore, losing the customs and traditions that constitute a part of one's identity threatens to compromise an individual's integrity.

Since the reason for their migration is related to events outside of their control, migrants experience increased psychosocial problems when faced with social and cultural differences in their new environments. If the new environment that the individuals find themselves in is similar to their own culture, they are expected to experience fewer integration issues; otherwise, they will likely have more problems.

In the post-migration experience, the dominance of the language of the new society in which individuals live plays a key role in their cultural integration. This is because a language is a door leading to another culture. In addition to learning the language, the ability to use the language effectively in social settings brings the individual closer to society.

For a person to adapt to the new culture, following certain social norms, behaviors or even a diet can be decisive in integrating into the culture.

Failing to adjust to the culture and language of the host society while being separated from one's familiar surroundings can lead to feelings of exclusion, alienation and distress over the lack of autonomy over one's own life.

In addition, the loss of job and social status after migrating triggers strong feelings of worthlessness and desperation.

Immigrants who have to leave their relatives behind or who have lost loved ones in conflict experience guilt just because they survived. This is called survivor's guilt in psychology. This emotion can hamper the migrants' progress in adapting to the host country and the steps they take to improve their quality of life. This is because, deep down, migrants feel ashamed and guilty for moving on effectively when their relatives have died or have been left behind.

They may not be aware that they have experienced one or more of the aforementioned issues. But their inner distress may manifest into depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, psychosomatic complaints, anxiety, sleep disorders, domestic violence or anger management problems. Even decades after the migration, its effect on individuals can be seen. In all cases, professional support is essential. We can only find a way to heal once we face our pain.

Impact on children

The psychological consequences of war on children living among families forced to migrate due to conflict is an area that must be quickly assessed. This is vital because today's children will be adults who will play an active role in society tomorrow, thus the psychological problems they endure need to be dealt with. Factors such as war, hunger, poverty and violence negatively affect children's mental health from a psychosocial perspective.

Behavioral problems such as fear, introversion, outbursts of anger and aggression are often seen among children.

Mental and physical violence faced by both children and adults before migration, genocide, witnessing death firsthand and harm to their loved ones, destruction, mayhem, looting, kidnapping, financial difficulties and traumas can be listed as situations that increase the risk of mental illness. There are also often legal obstacles to be faced during or after migrating, the risk of homelessness, worries about the future, language barriers and culture shock to contend with.

The mind repeats the trauma. In a sense, individuals who want to get rid of the bad feeling tied to an event they have been through find themselves drawn to similar situations. That way, they think they can fix the damage caused by the original event. Children who have been directly exposed to war, intense violence, bullying and mayhem tend to become the very bullies they had avoided, or they attract new bullies into their lives if they do not receive the necessary psychological support, even if they escape from the traumatic environment.

The host country

Factors that cause migration can be generalized as losses incurred as a result of war, with adverse environmental conditions affecting the physical and mental health of migrating individuals, such as poverty, economic shortages, hunger and lack of access to water. All of the aforementioned factors affect the psychological and physical health of migrants and impact the public health of the host society as their health issues migrate with them, too. The mental health of a society is not independent of the individual. Our brains try to solve our unresolved inner problems by looking for them in others going through difficulties. This process is called projective identification or projection in psychology. Therefore, since they become part of the host society, the mental health of the migrants is carried over to the society that hosts them. The mirror neurons in our brain allow us to copy the emotion and behavior of one another as a reflex.

The host society may perceive that its own culture and integrity are under threat. Depending on the number of migrants and their capacity and desire to integrate into society, the host society can feel that its language and its culture, in a sense, are being threatened.

The emerging incidences of polygamy and the associated increase in divorces among migrants or child brides are a source of intense stress for host communities. People may think that the familial structure they are accustomed to, their women and their children are threatened.

The arrival of migrants increases the burden on health care institutions in the host society and the health sector may suffer from a lack of manpower.

Furthermore, local people face unemployment because immigrants tend to work for lower wages in comparison to a host country's citizens.

All of these factors negatively affect the physical and mental health of the host society and are listed among the factors that trigger ethnic conflicts. Understanding the impact of migration on both sides will help the parties understand each other better.

What can be done?

To protect and improve the mental health of migrants and indigenous communities, their ways of life and the challenges they face must be assessed by authorities and health professionals, who should work to increase their capacity to cope.

Once basic needs such as housing, nutrition and security are met, strengthening psychological services offered by governmental agencies and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and facilitating access to these services for both and migrants and members of the host society should be a few of the first steps to be taken.

Authorities should accept and empathize with both parties, rather than try to suppress either side's negative feelings or convince them otherwise. This attitude offers an outlet for negative emotions without intensifying them and creates a sense of trust.

Those who lost their children, jobs, social status, pets or prized family heirlooms at various points on their journey must face and deal with the feelings associated with these losses. Pain can only be eliminated once it is experienced, like every other emotion. Otherwise, these traumas will continue to permeate to future generations.

Globalization can lead to integration and convergence, however, conversely, by developing a reflex, people may feel more inclined to protect and emphasize their unique values and segregation may occur. This is the normal state of affairs. Integration does not necessarily mean losing one's identity. Migrants who keep their own values intact and learn the basic elements of the host culture – such as native language, manners, customs and traditions – and implement this knowledge in their social lives can bring themselves closer to the host community. Human beings are afraid of the unknown and fear clouds our rational thinking.

If there are common cultural elements that the migrants and the host community share – such as food, religion or even similar words in their native languages – using them will strengthen the bond and create a climate of trust.

Efforts to strengthen intercultural communication must be improved: The immigrants and members of the host society can benefit in many ways by sharing their historical experiences and culture as a society, including behavior patterns, communication and emotional skills, their attitudes towards respect and empathy, roles in corporate and social life, and their tolerance for diversity and uncertainty. It is important and necessary for migrants and the host society to be willing to develop these aspects and take individual, societal and institutional steps in this direction in order to reduce ethnic conflict and strengthen their bond.

Establishing a positive bond and healthy relationship will heal the wounds and the traumas.