High-skilled migration and mental health: Challenges and solutions (Gupta, 2021)
Ventriglio Antonio Gupta Susham Watson Cameron.
Oxford textbook of migrant psychiatry 2021; 259.
High-skilled migrants are those who are at least graduates or have specific or extensive/equivalent experience in a chosen field. High-skilled migrants are in high demand, generally in high-income countries, and often they migrate from low- or middle-income countries. Thus, they form a self-selected group who are likely to be highly resilient, but equally importantly, their expectation of the new country and the level of achievement be it financial rewards or social status will affect their mental health. If they feel and find that their skills are not being recognized or rewarded appropriately, they may feel distressed and stressed. Feeling over-qualified and yet under-performing may create stress. Longitudinal studies indicate that some high-skilled migrants tend to feel let down and develop low self-esteem. More studies from different countries are needed to confirm these. High-skilled migrants may travel by themselves and may have social networks in place, but they may not find it easy to clear professional examinations and across different disciplines, varying parameters may apply and may contribute to further stress. Therefore, clinicians also need to be aware of differences across professions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).