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Refugees' time perspective and mental health

M Beiser1, I Hyman

  • 1Clarke Institute of Psychiatry, Toronto, Ont., Canada. beiserm@cs.clarke-inst.on.ca

The American Journal of Psychiatry
|July 1, 1997
PubMed
Summary

Refugee mental health may be protected by splitting time and suppressing the past. This temporal atomism and avoidance of nostalgia were linked to reduced depression risk in a study of refugees.

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Trauma, time and mental health: a study of temporal reintegration and Depressive Disorder among Southeast Asian refugees.

Psychological medicine·2004

Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Sociology
  • Mental Health Research

Background:

  • Refugees face significant premigration and postmigration stressors impacting mental health.
  • Understanding protective factors is crucial for supporting refugee well-being.
  • Time perspective (past, present, future orientation) is a potential factor in mental health outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate factors protective of refugee mental health.
  • To specifically examine the roles of time splitting and suppression of the past.
  • To compare refugee time perspectives with those of a non-refugee population.

Main Methods:

  • Structured interviews were conducted with 1,348 Southeast Asian refugees and 319 Vancouver residents.
  • Interviews covered premigration/postmigration stresses, personal/social resources, and mental health.
  • A task measuring orientation toward past, present, and future was administered to both groups.

Main Results:

  • Refugees were more likely than resident Canadians to exhibit an atomistic time perspective (splitting past, present, and future).
  • Temporal atomism and avoidance of nostalgia were associated with a lower risk of depression.
  • These time-splitting strategies correlated with better mental health outcomes compared to other perspectives.

Conclusions:

  • Time splitting and suppression of the past may serve as adaptive coping mechanisms for refugees.
  • These strategies can potentially mitigate the risk of depression under conditions of extreme adversity.
  • Findings suggest a novel approach to understanding and supporting refugee mental health.

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