The March special issue of Translational Issues in Psychological Science aims to advance the translation of psychological research into practice and policy by featuring articles that focus on psychological processes related to migration, displacement, resettlement, and adaptation.
Guest editors Sumie Okazaki, Jessy Guler, Miryam Haarlammert, and Sabrina R. Liu discuss the issue's significance and practical implications.
What is the special issue about?
This special issue is about psychological perspectives on refugees and immigrants, and on how research can inform practices that impact their lives. The articles in this issue discuss a range of important topics such as pre-migration, migration, and post-migration; the utility of community-based research and partnerships; and cultural sensitivity.
What is the significance of the issue?
The significance of this issue is perhaps best demonstrated by the enormity of voluntary and forced migration that is currently being seen around the world. Most recent estimates suggest that there are more than 68.5 million forcibly displaced people worldwide, 25.4 million of which are considered refugees.
These statistics suggest that we are currently experiencing the highest levels of forced displacement in history (UNHCR, 2018). Similarly, the rate of immigration has also been estimated to be rapidly increasing, with more than 258 million international migrants on record worldwide (United Nations, 2017).
It is perhaps never been more urgent or as timely to carefully look at the issues influencing global migratory communities through the dissemination of psychological research on refugees and immigrants.
Our special issue presents a collection of research articles spanning a range of topical areas relevant to the experiences of both refugee and immigrant populations from diverse national and ethnic groups. We hope this issue informs and improves both clinical practice and future research focused on these diverse migratory populations in the field of psychology.
How did the issue come about?
The APAGS science committee is tasked with generating a list of potential special issue topics for Translational Issues in Psychological Science about two years ahead of time. Committee members brainstorm topics that are broad, relevant to different areas of psychology, timely, and translational.
When making decisions, committee members investigate the amount of recent or current psychological research within the different topic areas. The goal of this exercise is to determine if Translational Issues in Psychological Science can expect a reasonable amount of submissions for the various special issue topics.
Next, committee members vote on their top four topic choices, which get sent to the publications and communications board of APA for approval. The Refugee and Immigrants special issue topic was proposed by Sabrina Liu during her time on the APAGS Science Committee from Fall 2016–Fall 2018. Later, she also served as an associate editor for the special issue.
Tell us about a few key takeaways.
Collectively, the articles point to the close connections between social policy about immigrants and refugees and their lived experiences and psychosocial functioning.
For example, an article reporting on a survey of foreign-born Latinx parents found that those who expressed documentation-status concerns were less likely to engage with their children's schooling, especially when involvement required their physical presence at the schools.
Another article reviewed the various forms of stress and trauma that are experienced by Syrian refugees and displaced persons surrounding their immigration and resettlement, which are exacerbated by detention, asylum-seeking process, and hostile treatment by intermediary host countries.
Another takeaway is that provision of psychological or health services (e.g., neuropsychological testing, special education services, cancer treatments) to linguistic minority immigrant communities requires thoughtful attention to potential linguistic, cultural, and structural barriers for access.
What are some practical implications of the articles featured in the issue?
The articles call attention to the critical importance of psychology's role in advocacy.
For example, clinicians working with unaccompanied immigrant minors must not only be attuned to the psychological needs of this population and incorporate trauma-informed interventions but also advocate for more humane immigration policies.
While the articles document various forms of trauma, acculturative stress, and barriers to full participation in society among immigrants and refugees, the articles also highlight remarkable resilience and coping resources that are present among these communities.
Researchers, service providers, and advocates who work with these communities are encouraged to attend to the strengths and the humanity of immigrants and refugees and to do so in collaborative partnerships with the community members.
Special Issue
- View the table of contents and abstracts on APA PsycNET
- Purchase the special issue
PDF Format ($24.95)
Note: This article is in the Core of Psychology topic area. View more articles in the Core of Psychology topic area.