5th ISA Forum of Sociology (6-11 July 2025)

A migrant changes his home and moves to a new place of destination which may be hospitable or hostile depending upon how much host societies benefit from migration. The movement of a migrant between places is known as migration – a very important dimension of the personal wellbeing of a migrant. As a migrant is away from his/her home, separated from social milieu, family and kins, they may lack a sense of identity, social network and support leading to a situation what sociologists call a condition of anomie. In this situation, many migrants may face mental health problems like depression and anxiety, and several forms of psychic disorders. Living and working conditions, access to food, nutrition and health care add to their physical and mental health burden. In addition, if migration is irregular or forced it may further exacerbate their psychic health. In migration literature, mental health of migrants occupies a low priority. Low wages, precarious job, lack of social security, language barriers and abuse in host societies further aggravate their mental health. In this situation, the conditions of migrants emerge as a strong social determinant of health in general and mental health in particular. Further the intersectionality of migration with age (such as children and elderly), gender and ethnicity shape the both migration experiences and mental health outcomes of a migrant.