PSYCHIATRIC IMPLICATIONS OF DISPLACEMENT - CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE PSYCHOLOGY OF PLACE

Objective: The purpose of this article is to describe the psychologica l processes that are affected by geographic displacement. Method: The literature from the fields of geography, psychology, anthropology, and psychiatry was reviewed to develop a ''psychology of place'' and so d etermine the manner in which place-related psychological processes are affected by upheaval in the environment. Results: The psychology of p lace is an emerging area of research that explores the connection betw een individuals and their immune environments. The psychology of place posits that individuals require a ''good enough'' environment in whic h to live. They are linked to that environment through three key psych ological processes: attachment, familiarity, and identity. Place attac hment, which parallels, brit is distinct from, attachment to person, i s a mutual caretaking bond between a person and a beloved place. Famil iarity refers to the processes by which people develop detailed cognit ive knowledge of their environs. Place identity is concerned with the extraction of a sense of self based on the places in which one passes one's life. Each of these psychological processes-attachment, familiar ity, and place identity-is threatened by displacement, and the problem s of nostalgia, disorientation, and alienation may ensue. Conclusions: As a result of war, decolonization, epidemics, natural disasters, and other disruptive events, millions of people are currently displaced f rom their homes. Protecting and restoring their mental health pose urg ent problems for the mental health community.