Impacts of exile on mental health: Considerations with a differential approach. State of the art 2000-2019

Introducción: : Resultados: Conclusiones:

Introduction

Exile generates the fracture of the vital project and a high load of stress, which can induce the appearance of mental health disorders and health in general. The impact is subject to various demographic variables.

Objective

The objective of this article is to present the product of a review of the impacts od exile on mental health based on age, gender and the most important risk and protection factors. Finally, reference is made to the most relevant approaches from the perspective of mental health

Methodology

A search was carried out in various databases of academic literature between the period 2000-2019 using terms in Spanish, English and Portuguese in relation to the impacts of exile on the mental health of women, minor and older adults. The saturation criterion was used.

Results

Although exile itself does not necessarily result in mental illness, the greatest risk is associated with armed conflicts; in women, the absence of an affective partner and the confluence of care roles; in older adults, loneliness, illness and poverty and in all ages and genders, being a victim of hostility or discrimination in the host society. As protective factors, younger age; family and social network; favorable economic conditions, higher level of educations, integration into social groups with cultural and linguistic affinity in the country of arrival.

Conclusions

There is no single therapeutic approach. It´s important to highlight relevance of a comprehensive and cross-cultural perspective and the need for specific public policies.

Self-Imposed Exile, Marginality, and Homosexuality in the Novels of Abdellah Taïa, Rachid O., and Eyet-Chékib Djaziri

A burgeoning canon of Maghrebian writers in self-imposed exiled in France has in the last decade begun to openly broach the subject of homosexuality in Arab-Muslim communities of the Maghreb. Novels of writers like Abdellah Taïa, Rachid O. and Eyet-Chékib Djaziri reflect a fascinating trans-Mediterranean construction of homosexual identity. Drawing on Svetlana Boym's critical work, particularly her observation that nostalgia "charts an affective geography of the native land that often mirrors the melancholic landscapes" of the exiled, this paper analyzes the construction of homosexuality against the notions of exile, nostalgia, and marginality. The novels of these Maghrebian writers highlight nostalgia as both cathartic and paralyzing for "gay" migrant protagonists who find themselves trapped in the subtle seam between a cherished Maghreb that is framed as homophobic in the sexual clash of civilizations and a more liberal yet inauspicious France. The nostalgic contemplation of the constitution of a homosexual subjectivity is read as a critical performance and mainstreaming of hitherto marginalized voices that now subvert and fight back against normalizing discourses of ethnicity, sexual and gender identity as well as nationality.

What can we learn from unaccompanied refugee adolescents' perspectives on mental health care in exile?

Unaccompanied refugee adolescents who have fled war and persecution often have poor mental health. Yet, little is known about their own perspectives on what can relieve their mental health problems. The aim was to explore unaccompanied refugee adolescents' perspectives on healing and the mental healthcare offered to them when resettled. The study was based on methodical triangulation of participant observation in a Danish municipal institution for unaccompanied refugee minors, semi-structured individual interviews with experts, social workers and male refugee minors and a focus group interview with refugee minors. Results show that the refugee adolescents associated traditional conversational therapy with discussing negative and stigmatising aspects of their past and carrying risks of re-traumatisation. Instead, alternative activities were proposed, through which resources could be accumulated and they could be met without stereotype.Conclusion: To enhance the complex mental health needs of unaccompanied minors' mental healthcare, the perspective of the refugee adolescents should be taken into account. This calls for a holistic approach to mental healthcare in their daily lives, where they are met in a non-stigmatising manner in which their unique capabilities are the main focus. Moreover, a trusting relationship constitutes the fundament to support good mental health among refugee adolescents. What is Known: • Unaccompanied refugee adolescents are at risk of poor mental health outcomes, e.g., depression, anxiety, PTSD and psychosocial stress. • Stigma, lack of social support, stressful life events and lack of intercultural competency among mental health professionals are barriers to good mental health. What is New: • There is a need for informal and tailored health promotion initiatives in the refugee adolescents' everyday lives. • To treat the refugee adolescents as equal human beings through curiosity and receptiveness to their resources is important in order to build trust and address stigma.

Displaced Children: The Psychological Implications

Millions of people across the world have been displaced or live in exile and/or as refugees largely as a consequence of wars, acts of terrorism, and catastrophic natural disasters. There are serious psychological consequences as a result of these extremely difficult life circumstances. Adults often can express their needs and have them be heard, whereas children are unable to do so. The children may be provided food, shelter, and clothing and have their medical needs attended to, but their emotional and psychological needs go unrecognized and unmet, with dire and monumental long-term consequences.