Transnationals' experience of dying in their adopted country: a systematic review

Social and emotional challenges of migration and integration include managing memories and perceptions of country of birth, leaving loved relatives behind, and the challenges of maintaining traditions, such as cultural food and practices. For many migrants, the strong connection with their birth country is never completely severed, which may become pertinent at particular events and stages in life with inherent emotional impact. This may be particularly the case for end-of-life experience.

We undertook a systematic review of published evidence of research to identify the lived experience of migrants dying in a country different from their country of birth.

The search terms [transnationals OR migran* OR immigran*] AND [emotions OR belonging OR acculturation OR national identity] AND [dying OR end-of-life OR contemplation of dying] AND [palliative care OR terminal care] were used on the following electronic databases: MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, EBSCO, Geobase, PsychINFO, and Scopus to the end date of January 2014. No date limit was imposed. All research methodologies were included. The search was restricted to human subjects and English language.

Seven qualitative studies met the criteria. Thematic analysis of these studies identified three main themes: sense of dual identity, importance of traditions from their country of origin, and dying preferences.

Findings have implications for the provision of palliative end-of-life care for dying transnationals, particularly in relation to providing support for migrants who are dying to resolve social and emotional issues.