Leaving, longing, and loving: a developmental perspective of migration

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Sociology
• Migration Studies

Background:

• Migration profoundly impacts individual lives, necessitating psychological adaptation.
• Understanding the emotional and identity-related consequences of displacement is crucial.

Observation:

• The process of losing one's country is examined through the lens of object relations.
• Nostalgia in migrants often focuses on nonhuman aspects of the homeland.
• A country can be conceptualized as a nonhuman object with which individuals form relationships.

Findings:

• Mourning the loss of country parallels the adolescent task of mourning childhood parents.
• Migration poses significant threats to an individual's sense of identity.
• The relationship with one's country shares similarities with the parent-child bond.

Implications:

• This parallel offers a framework for understanding the deep psychological impact of migration.
• Therapeutic interventions can be informed by this understanding of grief and identity.
• Further research into the object relations of migrants can enhance support systems.