Mastering change: epidemiological and case studies in Senegal, West Africa

While it has often been assumed that persons exposed to rapid social change incur a risk to their mental health, research results have been inconsistent. The authors found that 269 urban migrants in Senegal, West Africa, did not demonstrate worse mental health than did 300 rural nonmigrants. Case studies suggest that outcome is determined not by change per se but by social contingencies which modify the situations, as well as by personal assets which individuals bring with them. Critical factors include the persistence of familiar cultural forms within the new environment and skills such as literacy and the ability to creatively integrate elements of the old and new cultures.