Mental Health and Immigration: An Integrative Review with Notes on Attachment and Grief

Abstract

This study presents an integrative review of scientific literature addressing the relationship between mental health and the immigrant experience. The theoretical foundation is rooted in John Bowlby's Attachment and Grief Theory, interwoven with contemporary contributions on psychological suffering in contexts of both forced and voluntary migration. The bibliographic search involved a comprehensive screening across BVS, LILACS, BDENF, INDEXPSI, MEDLINE, and IRIS databases, using descriptors in Portuguese, Spanish, and English. Inclusion criteria focused on empirical studies published between 2000 and 2025 that explore the nexus between migration and mental health. The selected works were analyzed through four thematic axes: prevalent psychopathological symptoms; risk and vulnerability factors; protective strategies and coping mechanisms; and intersectional differences. The findings reveal recurrent patterns of anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, and prolonged grief, often rooted in disrupted attachments, unprocessed losses, and a breakdown of belonging. In contrast, social support networks, religious or spiritual frameworks, and community integration emerged as stabilizing elements. Migration, more than a physical transition, frequently entails a multilayered grieving process.