Salud mental y migración. Un estudio cualitativo

Resumen

The interregional migration of Venezuelans in Latin America has become a complex problem that is difficult to tackle because, despite having a collective impact, it also has implications on the subjectivity of migrants, having consequences on their mental health. The present study aimed to understand the impact of migration on the mental health of Venezuelans residing in Quito-Ecuador, based on their life stories. The life stories method was used with eight Venezuelan migrant participants, women and men of legal age who voluntarily participated in the research. Study categories were generated around the elements associated with the psychic impact of migration, to later carry out a discourse analysis. This analysis made it possible to carry out a coding process that yielded the following main categories: maternal and paternal role, vulnerable conditions, community insertion, grief; and, feelings of guilt and depression. It was concluded that the elements that have allowed migrants to symbolize their experiences are related to mood symptoms, insomnia and melancholy; This has had consequences on the insertion of the participants in the host country and difficulties in relating effectively with the members of the new culture.