Clarke, ‘Exploring the mental health and acculturation needs of sexual and/or gender minority forced migrants’, 2025
- Category: Literature
- Source: Academic
- Subject: Sexual Orientation/Sexuality, Gender Identity, Refugee/Asylum
- Place: United Kingdom
- Year: 2025
- File: CLA20502155_thesis_library_copy
- URL: https://pure.roehampton.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/31042416/CLA20502155_thesis_library_copy.pdf
Tyler John Clarke, ‘Exploring the mental health and acculturation needs of sexual and/or gender minority forced migrants’, PsychD, University of Roehampton, 2025
Abstract
The mental health and acculturation needs of sexual and/or gender minority (SGM) forced migrants has been little explored in the scientific literature. SGM individuals often face extreme hostility, including familial rejection, societal discrimination, and threats of violence and death, leading to international displacement. Those who arrive in the UK are confronted with an asylum process that requires them to prove their sexuality which can re-traumatize and worsen existing mental health issues above that of their non-SGM peers.
Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with 13 SGM-forced migrants who arrived in the UK within a 5-year period. The study focused on identifying the mental health and acculturation needs whilst considering pre- and post-migratory factors. Using Constructivist Grounded theory (CGT) the data was analysed to uncover recurring themes and develop a framework that reflects the complexities of their journeys and life after migration.
The findings reveal the profound psychological toll of the asylum process which must be faced whilst attempting to overcome previous traumatic experiences. The requirement to prove one’s sexuality was particularly distressing, forcing participants to relive trauma and heightening their anxiety and fear of deportation. Rejection by the UK Home Office compounded feelings of dehumanization and isolation which reflected pre-migratory experiences of institutionalised discrimination. Despite the physical safety of relocation, participants continued to struggle with psychological scars and a sense of social dislocation.
Building resilience and identity (re)construction emerged as crucial components for better mental health outcomes and were linked to supportive environments and strategies that promoted emotional healing. Isolation and loneliness were shown to hinder acculturation creating a sense of ambivalence that impeded the ability to trust and engage in a new environment.
The research highlights the need for a compassionate asylum process that acknowledges the unique challenges of SGM-forced migrants and advocates for policy changes to enhance and address the well-being of this vulnerable population.