ABSTRACT
This chapter traces the development of psychological concepts and theories that have emerged in response to major refugee crises since the end of the Second World War. It shows that there is a connection among major world events and psychological responses, and that these responses change over time to reflect changing geopolitical arrangements. Psychological understanding of refugee assimilation shifted towards promoting integration, and recently turned to denouncing the psychological effects of western restrictionism. The psychiatric approach to refugee's mental health that dominated in the aftermath of the Second World War was replaced by the refugee trauma approach that was integrated with cultural awareness and community interventions. The use of psychological knowledge for advocacy purposes ranged from the documentation of oppressions and human rights violations in countries of origin to documenting abuses in countries of resettlement. Psychosocial interventions challenged individually focused practices, and attempts are being made to transfer their application from regions of origin to resettlement contexts.
