Living on the margins; illness and healthcare among Peruvian migrants in Chile

16 September 2008

WOTRO supported researcher Lorena Carrasco has analyzed the relationship between migration and health, in the context of Peruvian migrants in Chile. The aim of the study was to understand the effects of exclusion and discrimination on the mental and reproductive health of migrants in Chile.

The study uses an ethnographic approach to reach a more holistic understanding of migrants’ conceptions of health and illness experiences. The study delves into migrants’ mental health through different research techniques. A mental health test is used to select a group of migrants among whom in-depth interviews are conducted and illness narratives are gathered. These interviews offer an understanding of the social context, and the emotional relationships in which migrants’ emotional distress is embedded.

The study offers sufficient background to render healthcare models more culturally sensitive.