Mental Health Advocacy for Migrants & Refugees

What drives my work is a deep concern with lessening mental health suffering worldwide specifically for migrants and refugees through the prevention, access, care and treatment of mental illness. I primarily work on mental health but I also find opportunities to support those working on mental health and substance-use disorders in migrants and refugees.

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Why migrants and refugees specifically? 

Migrants go through a lot of mental health challenges during the phase of integrating them into new environments. My experiences have shown that we are unlikely to enjoy equal success because the system is rigged by legal and social restrictions. In most cases, the suffering of individuals and their families is compounded by stigma, discrimination and violation of human rights, and social exclusion, making the way in which society looks at people with mental health conditions a part of the problem itself.

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I have researched the fastest way to get mental health treatment through therapy. The shortest time I found was three weeks through a general practitioner's recommendation. This does not include the treatment time, which is usually three months through state supported healthcare. On the other hand, most therapists are private service providers with limited skill in cultural awareness, identity, and intersectionality.

 

The conundrum of mental health is its invisibility and stigmatisation. Migrants and refugees are also the group that is least likely to "afford" (money and time) to prioritise mental health, have mental health vocabulary or even acknowledge that they need help. 

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Advocacy is an important means of raising awareness on mental health issues and ensuring that mental health is on the national agenda of governments because society benefits from equity in health and wellbeing. 

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Mental health is influenced by everything from socio-economic conditions, gender and ethnicity, to sexuality and the attitudes and beliefs of individual communities. I am keen to work with organisations on proactive, multi dimensional, intersectional, and sustainable ways to address the mental welfare of immigrants and refugees. 

 

Understanding why the linkages to care are often broken is a good place to start. Culturally competent, thoughtful initiatives that can rectify social inequities through expanded access to health care, engagement with migrant communities, and formation of support networks.