Despite the political discourse on migration becoming an important issue in the global development
agenda, the mental and physical health implications for left-behind children of migrant workers have
received less attention. And the current evidence base on the health impacts of labour migration, both
for migrants and their families, remains weak. The health impact on families left behind is especially
salient for the majority of labour-sending nations, which are mostly low- and middle-income countries
that lack adequate resources to respond to broad public health outcomes linked to increased migration
and its cascading reverse impact. Changing demographics and shifting epidemiological profiles of disease
can compound changes brought on by increased international migration in labour-sending countries.
International labour migration, despite its remittance-related and other benefits, can also at times create
a negative influence on health, break down family and social cohesion and increase the burden on health
systems.
This Issue in Brief explores empirical evidence on the mental health and nutritional impacts of international
labour migration on the left-behind children of migrant workers in Asia. Current evidence from Asian
countries (Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam) shows both negative and positive influences
from parental migration on the mental health and nutritional status of such children. Results from a
nationally representative study from Sri Lanka, however, suggest that socio-emotional maladjustment and
behavioural problems occur among children in the absence of a migrant worker parent, with two in every
five shown to have mental disorders. In addition, left-behind children were shown to have higher levels of
nutritional deficits compared to non-migrant children.
#LABOURMIGRANTS #CHILDREN #HEALTH #RESOURCES #PUBLICHEALTH #SIBLING #ABUSE
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Publisher:
IOM, MPI
,
(2015
) |
Type / Script:
Bulletin or Poster
in English
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Keywords:
MIGRATION, HEALTH, CHILDREN, CHILD MIGRANTS, DEVELOPMENT, PSYCHOLOGY, LABOUR, MIGRANTS, HEALTH, NUTRITION, CHILD HEALTH, MENTAL HEALTH, DISCRIMINATION, FAMILY, WOMEN, INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC POLICY, INTERNATIONAL SOCIAL POLICY, CHILD NUTRITION, DISEASES, MIGRANT WORKERS, HOUSEHOLD, MOTHERS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION, EMPLOYMENT
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Thematic Group:
IOM
:
Internatinal Organization for Migration
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Thesaurus:
10.02.00
- Comprehensive Health Services
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Reference Link:
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