Recovery from Mental Disorder and Access to Social Support Mechanisms in Transnational Social Spaces

Abstract

AbstractRecent buzzwords like ‘intercultural opening’ and ‘transcultural psychiatry’ indicate improvements in access to and quality of treatment in psychiatric care for migrants in Germany. However, this process of improvement is still in its beginnings. This article looks at how informal transnational coping strategies and mechanisms of transnational social support are used to compensate for the ongoing lack of adequate professional treatment or support during recovery from mental disorder. The article uses current literature and existing research to investigate the helping and hindering aspects of social networks in the context of mental health problems resulting from transnational lifestyles. It also discusses the potential of transnational social networks to enhance the recovery process and applies this discussion to the field of mental health services for migrants in Germany.