Psychological Problems of Men in Emigration

A folk proverb says that moving is worse than a fire. And moving to another country, it seems to me, is a fire of advanced qualification, the fourth, the highest. Psychological problems for everyone during the move can be completely different. And if we say that men and women have psychological problems, then on the one hand, it will be correct, on the other hand, each individual man and each individual woman experiences the move in their own way, depending on how this move went, what social support they had, and so on.

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But nevertheless, it was interesting to identify some general trends, and for this purpose a study was conducted. This study was conducted with the support of the Free Russian Foundation, for which we are very grateful.

So, psychological problems of men in migration. To study the psychological problems of men in migration, we interviewed 160 men who have been in migration for six months or more. These are men who moved for security reasons, or for work reasons. That is, these are all migrants of the so-called new wave. In-depth interviews were also used in the study. Interviews were conducted with psychologists and with men who are in migration, so we know both the quantity and the quality of this issue.

Before talking about psychological problems, let's think about what problems a person has in migration in general. And the rating of problems surprised me. In the first place, of course, these are language and social problems. Indeed, it is difficult to speak and think in a new language during migration, to somehow interact with the environment. In second place are psychological problems — 55% of people said they had some kind of psychological problem. In third place – problems in interacting with the family and their environment. And in fourth place are financial problems. Therefore, if we talk about problems that are urgent for people, psychological problems – These are objective problems that are of interest to men in migration.

What psychological problems did men identify in the first place? 

Самая главная проблема, я бы сказал, комплексная. Почти 60% мужчин так и не считают себя интегрированными в новой стране. Интересная зависимость: чем дольше мужчины находятся в миграции, тем менее интегрированными они себя чувствуют. Казалось бы, парадоксально, но очевидно, что мужчине в первые полгода кажется, что процесс интеграции можно отложить, на второй год кажется, что вот-вот получится интегрироваться, а на третий год человек осознает, что он так и не смог полностью интегрироваться.

Many men have problems with the family. This is very important, especially in our study, because the main coping that a man uses to escape from problems is to close himself off and not communicate with someone. Therefore, if we are talking about some kind of comprehensive psychological assistance to men, it is important to start with establishing their environment.

The next problems that men noted are related to physical health. 50% of men indicated that they have health problems. This is important because even those who have insurance are less likely to go to the doctor. Why? Language problems – They cannot explain what hurts them. They are more likely to focus on making money or doing other things, leaving health in the background. So, 50% of people have health problems.

Next problem – These are problems with sleep, concentration and attention. Interestingly, the sample includes most people with higher education who earn their heads. For such a person, there are problems with concentration and attention – This is a problem of survival. Then there are problems associated with emotional dysregulation. 40% of men said they could not cope with their emotions. 40% of men also said that they are constantly worried and worried, and 36% worry mainly about their future. Also, 36% are not satisfied with their new social status. Only 60% of people are satisfied with their work, and 41% of men said they are not satisfied with their work. 34% of men often experience aggressive states, and 33% of men noted aggression.

"If we compare migrants from Belarus and Russia, the emotional state of Russians turned out to be a little worse"

I remind you that the sample included mentally healthy men or those men who identify themselves as mentally healthy. Every third man has a depressive state, which is a lot. Loneliness was also noted by every third man. These are big numbers, these are huge numbers. That is, it turns out that every third man in migration has serious problems.

In addition, men pointed to procrastination and longing for their country and their former life. Five people also noted suicidal risks - they sometimes think about suicide, which is also serious. This small survey showed that a significant number of men need psychological help.

Interesting addictions: Young and middle-aged people are more likely to experience anxiety and worry, feeling pressured to earn and be successful. Interestingly, people over 45-55 years old adapted more easily and made new acquaintances more easily. Sleep problems were more common in middle-aged and older people, especially those between the ages of 25 and 34.

If we compare migrants from Belarus and Russia, the emotional state of Russians turned out to be slightly worse. Belarusians interact with local residents more often and face social stereotypes and discrimination less often.

Residents of small towns adapt to life in a new country better than residents of large cities. For example, respondents from Minsk – many of them have already experienced one migration in their lives, having moved from small towns.

By country of residence, Lithuania and Georgia showed the highest levels of anxiety, depression and feelings of loneliness. It is easiest to make acquaintances in Poland. However, the longer a person is in migration, the more difficult it is for him to adapt.

Respondents with children, especially those with two, experience more stress than those with no family responsibilities. However, the calmest are those who have adult children.

Men in stable relationships are less likely to experience depression, anxiety and loneliness. Single respondents make new acquaintances more easily, but find it difficult to enter into new romantic relationships.

Educated respondents adapt more easily. Work and finances for men are closely related to the level of anxiety and depression. Men who have jobs and financial stability adapt faster.

Men whose migration was caused by security concerns adapted faster because they had no choice.

Men also noted that life before migration was destroyed and it was difficult to build a new life, which caused problems with self-identification. Many people perceive migration as a temporary phenomenon and do not take it seriously.

Men, especially those who move alone, often deprive themselves of family support, which undermines their strength. In in-depth interviews, several men said that their sex life had become less important to them due to financial and emotional problems.

As for self-realization and life guidelines, most men said that they did not see the point in doing something for the future. This affects their physical condition, they stop saving money and developing. People who do not see the future deprive themselves of the present.

Nevertheless, despite the large number of problems identified, I am optimistic. 20% of men sought psychological help for migration for the first time, and 80% of them rated it as effective. 60% of men consider psychological support important, and 44% – social support.

Thus, men in migration face many problems, including psychological ones, which can seriously affect their mental health. On the other hand, acknowledging the problem is already a step towards solving it.

Successful migration, good psychological health and see you on our podcasts.