The mental health of migrants: actors, practices and networks-1950-1980, France, Switzerland, Germany, Great Britain

Psychiatry in the second half of the 20th century was characterised by a number of important changes. At the same time, Western Europe made the decisive shift from an emigration to an immigration society, even if the migration only became positive in the early 1960s.

This research project intends to explore the field emerging at the intersection of the migration phenomenon and psychiatric practices and theories, on a local, national and transnational scale.

The goal to analyse the development of mental health knowledge related to migrant populations and the extent to which psychiatric expertise on migration issues has been reflected in public policies. It will propose a longitudinal analysis of the lives of migrants who became users of mental health services by tracing their complex paths and networks (involving families, associations and institutions).

The project is supported by the Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR) and the Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR). The French team is lead by Marianna Scarfone (Université de Strasbourg).