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Matthew Olusola Akinyemi, Giuseppe Crea
Salesian Pontifical University, Rome (Italy)
ABSTRACT
Background: The experience of migration has a negative impact on migrants’ mental health and their ability to adapt to new contexts and initiate a process of acculturation (Williams and
Sternthal, 2010; Khan and Hasan, 2019). The effects of migratory stress may, however, be more intense in some individuals who are particularly vulnerable as they are simultaneously burdened
by various economic, cultural and social difficulties.
Objective: To assess whether there is an association between the socio-demographic characteristics of migrants, their levels of adaptation and the intensity of migratory stress. This
work should lead to a greater understanding of the set of variables that can have a relevant influence on migrants’ well-being in order to promote and orient health promotion and prevention
interventions for members of this population that are aimed at enhancing their individual resources.
Methods: The study is cross-sectional and was conducted on a total of 503 migrants (60.6% male) aged between 20 and 55 years (M=36.11 years; SD=9.73) from four continents and 47
countries. All participants completed the Revised Socio-Cultural Scale (SCAS-R) and the List of Migration Experiences (LiMEs) to assess adaptation and migratory stress, respectively; in
addition, participants provided data on their socio-demographic characteristics and reasons for migration. By means of analyses of variance and post-hoc comparisons (Bonferroni),
associations between migrants’ socio-demographic characteristics and their levels of adaptation and migration stress were assessed.
Results: The area of origin, level of education and occupation significantly influence migrants’ adaptation levels; furthermore, the level of education also influences the intensity of migratory
stress. In particular, people who have studied for a longer time are more likely to adapt to the new context and cope more energetically with the stress associated with the migration experience.
Conclusion: This work provides operational guidance for the development and implementation of concrete projects and interventions that can have a significant beneficial effect on the mental
health status of migrants and promote adaptation, inclusion and integration by taking into account the specific characteristics of each migrant.
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