Work

Mental health impact of migration: an umbrella review of studies in Latin American contexts

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: This umbrella review examines the relationship between migration and mental health in Latin American contexts, synthesizing evidence from five systematic reviews conducted under PRISMA and AMSTAR-2 guidelines. The study analyzes different types of migration, international, forced, internal, and professional, to identify empirical patterns, methodological strengths, and theoretical gaps. Findings consistently reveal a higher prevalence of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among migrants, particularly in contexts marked by violence, poverty, and social exclusion. Despite methodological heterogeneity, the evidence converges in framing migration as a structural determinant of mental health, shaped by inequality, discrimination, and precarity. Protective factors such as family cohesion, religiosity, cultural identity, and community networks emerge as key mechanisms of resilience and identity reconstruction. The review identifies a persistent theoretical gap: the lack of integrative frameworks that connect the structural, cultural, and emotional dimensions of migrant distress. Addressing this gap requires interdisciplinary and context-sensitive approaches that draw on cultural psychology, critical sociology, and collective health. The study calls for intersectoral policies that link psychosocial care with social inclusion and human rights, and emphasizes the need for primary research led from Latin America to advance a socially responsive understanding of migrant well-being. Systematic review registration CRD420251239251.

Source: Frontiers in Human Dynamics

DOI: 10.3389/fhumd.2026.1760324