ABSTRACT

The World Health Organization (2005) defines mental health as “a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community.” Mental health disorders in multicultural populations can be complex and multifaceted. In addition, “Mental disorders cover a broad range of problems, with different symptoms. They are generally characterised by some combination of disturbed thoughts, emotions, behaviour and relationships with others. Examples are depression, anxiety, conduct disorders in children, bipolar disorders and schizophrenia” (World Health Organization, 2013). It is important to understand the etiology and origins of these mental health disorders, as well as the length of time in the host country in terms of immigration stage (i.e., arrival, reality, negotiation, integration, and marginalization) as it may be closely linked to one’s migration narrative (Saechao et al., 2012).