Refugee migration and mental health of people in the host country
Since the 1990s, Germany has experienced two major waves of refugee migration (1991–1993 and 2015–2016) triggered by armed conflicts and humanitarian crises. With the influx of many asylum seekers, social debates intensified and critical attitudes toward migration became the focus of greater attention in the media and among the general public.
What are the psychological consequences of this public presence of the issue? Can negative attitudes toward asylum seekers act as stressors and affect the mental health of the population? Some people report concerns about their economic situation, fears of job loss, and cultural changes.
At first glance, such a connection seems obvious. However, to measure the direct psychological consequences, researchers examined people’s mental health in relation to their geographical proximity to asylum seekers in their place of residence. The analysis is based on a combination of survey data from the “Leben in Deutschland” study, geographical information at the district level, and health data from health insurance companies.
Das Ergebnis: Es finden sich bislang keine Hinweise darauf, dass sich die mentale Gesundheit der Bevölkerung durch die Nähe zu Asylsuchenden verändert. Die verstärkte Fluchtmigration löst demnach keine psychologischen Verschlechterungen im Gastland aus.