We are nurse students from UC Diakonissestiftelsen in Denmark. Our common interest in people with mental health issues is what brought us to Helsinki to participate in the intensive course Mental Health and Wellbeing - focus on homeless and underprivileged populations.
The course taught us about the importance of avoiding stigmatization in order to prevent migrants from getting excluded from society. Living in exile can have severe consequences for the quality of life and the mental as well as the physical health and wellbeing of migrants. Lack of knowledge and resources among migrants influence their ability to integrate and the consequences is a parallel society.
Seeing the individual
Many of the migrants have experienced great trauma in their home country and they are often in need of individual support from health care professionals, in which their personal background and individual needs is taken into consideration. The surrounding communities, however, might not provide individual care and rehabilitation suitable for for these people.
If the migrants continue to live in exclusion, their mental and physical conditions are more likely to get worse. Immigrants will develop or worsen a severe mental illness which, if not taking care of, will affect both the individuals and the society. Intervening at an early state can help the migrants to integrate socially as well as getting a job and contributing to society.
A different approach
In Denmark a way of integrating immigrants in society is getting the them to work as soon as they arrive in Denmark. The vision is that by integration the migrants in danish workplaces, the social integration improved. The project is fairly new, but it seems to have a positive effect on social inclusion. However, the mental health situation is not taking care of, which is why we as students have a sceptical approach towards this way of integrating migrants. Inspired by the lecture given by Sakari Kainulainen and throughout the entire course, we have come to discuss this issue. We find that the mental health and wellbeing of migrants as well as homeless and other underprivileged is of great importance regarding integration. This must be approached alongside the social inclusion and integration in society, in order to secure positive and sustainable integration.
Who are we?
Mathias Støhrmann (25), Danmark, UC Diakonissestiftelsen,1st Nursing student
Sara Pais (24), Danmark, UC Diakonissestiftelsen, 2nd Nursing student
http://nyheder.tv2.dk/politik/2016-02-03-s-alle-flygtninge-og-migranter-skal-arbejde-fra-foerste-dag
Mgutshini T. 2012, Mental health. Greenfield M. Working with adults at risk from harm. Mcgrawhill - Open university press p. 65-85
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