Chapter 26 - Conclusions

Summary

The ability of migrants to settle down and adjust in the new society will influence their physical and mental health. Some vulnerability factors will pre-exist and may even encourage the individual to migrate, but other factors, such as political or economic, may act as extruding or push factors, and economic and educational factors may also act as pull factors. Migration is a process of social change where individuals face a degree of change, and, depending upon the purpose underlying such a process, the subsequent adjustment may occur related to aspirations and achievements. A series of factors in the new society, combined with personality style and factors, will influence adjustment and acculturation. The services for migrants need not be separate, though occasionally this may be indicated, but they must be culturally sensitive and emotionally and geographically accessible, which will require adequate funding and resources for training and support.