The Impact of Migration and Social Displacement on Mental Health: The Roles of Cultural Adaptation, Perceived Discrimination, and Resilience
Keywords:
Internal migration, social displacement, mental health, cultural adaptation, perceived discrimination, resilience, , qualitative researchAbstract
This study aimed to explain the lived experiences of internal migrants residing in Tehran regarding the effects of migration and social displacement on mental health, with particular attention to cultural adaptation, perceived discrimination, and resilience. This qualitative study employed an inductive thematic analysis approach. The participants were 24 adult internal migrants residing in Tehran who were recruited through purposive maximum-variation sampling based on gender, age, educational attainment, marital status, duration of residence, and region of origin. Eligibility criteria included at least one year of residence in Tehran and a perceived change in social networks, family roles, occupational status, or socioeconomic position following migration. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews lasting between 45 and 75 minutes. Theoretical saturation was reached after the twenty-first interview, followed by three confirmatory interviews. All interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, coded inductively, and analyzed using NVivo software. Credibility and dependability were strengthened through participant checking, peer review, reflexive memo writing, maximum-variation sampling, and maintenance of an analytical audit trail. Five main themes were identified: “disrupted belonging and psychological instability,” “cultural negotiation between identity preservation and urban adaptation,” “perceived discrimination and erosion of social status,” “resilience and reconstruction of personal and social resources,” and “the dual mental health consequences of migration and help-seeking.” Participants described loneliness, homesickness, anxiety, reduced self-worth, identity uncertainty, and distress associated with downward social mobility. Conversely, supportive relationships, meaningful goals, flexible identity reconstruction, access to education and employment, and active coping facilitated psychological adaptation and personal growth. Migration was not experienced as an inherently pathogenic event. Its mental health consequences were shaped by post-migration living conditions, recognition of migrants’ cultural identities, social acceptance, perceived discrimination, economic security, and access to supportive resources. Resilience emerged as a dynamic social-ecological process rather than merely an individual personality trait. Mental health policies and interventions should therefore combine culturally responsive psychological care with anti-discrimination measures, social-network development, livelihood support, and improved access to community-based services.
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