Why Investing In Refugee Mental Health Makes Economic and Moral Sense. Originally published in The Doc Suit Debrief. Imagine one day losing your home, leaving behind everything you know, and having no sense of safety. Then, you are expected to rebuild your life with the traumas you are carrying in an unknown, often hostile, environment. This is the reality for many refugees across the world, affecting not only their wellbeing, ability to integrate, their economic livelihoods, and importantly their mental health.

Quote of the book “The right to participate politically grants recognition to the moral personhood of the citizen, and exercise of that right gives that person some degree of agency over the common life of the community.” 5 key points Institutions need to create a more accessible platform for political participation and this is something that modern day governments need to focus on.

Quote of the book “Nursing people means doing for them what they would normally do, when they have no will to do it, until they have will to do it”. 5 key points Suffering and the feeling of pain can be reduced by kindness, and ultimately, nursing is a measure of humanity. One day we will all need to rely on the kindness of strangers.

Quote of the book “We have a stake in one another, and that what binds us together is greater than what drives us apart” 5 key points The book was written just before Obama’s campaign for US presidency in 2008 He touches upon several subjects, but in particular he talks about the need for investment in higher education, in healthcare, and he speaks of US race relations…

Quote of the book “It is time for us to reclaim our right to a full night of sleep, without embarrassment or the damaging stigma of laziness” 5 key points In the Northern Hemisphere, when the clocks go forward by one hour, there is an increase in the number of heart attacks the next day. The opposite happens in October when the clocks go back – one hour of sleep makes a difference!

Quote of the book “It is only a slight exaggeration to say that happiness is the experience of spending time with people you love and who love you.” 5 key points We have two systems for making decisions: System 1 (automatic system) and System 2 (effortful system). It is easier to recognise other people’s mistakes than our own. Even with decision-makers, we are biased to blame them when good decisions go wrong more so than the credit we give when good decisions go right, when it appears clearer in hindsight.

Quote of the book “Suicide is not selfish. Characterising suicide as selfish simply adds to the stigma around it. And when stigma increases, help-seeking declines, ignorance flourishes and deaths soar.” 5 key points Suicide is a marker of distress and not attention seeking There is a public health need for more suicide awareness, because of growing health inequalities and sociodemographic differences; even though anyone can die from suicide, there are differences socially.

Conference Reflections In June 2025, thousands of psychiatrists, researchers, and clinicians met in Wales for the Royal College of Psychiatrists International Congress 2025. This is one of the UK’s leading conferences in mental health, exploring emerging challenges, scientific advances, and human experiences at the heart of psychiatry. I was particularly drawn to sessions on insomnia, neurodevelopmental conditions, intergenerational mental health, and the therapeutic value of storytelling in forced migration.

Quote of the book “One of the worst legacies of colonialism is that its ill effects outlasted the Empire” 5 key points The Indian Rupee used to be one of the strongest currencies in the world before British colonialism. When the British arrived in India, India had 25% of the world’s GDP. When the British left, this fell to 3%.

Quote of the book “Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them.” 5 key points Aurelius frequently addresses what can make someone happy or unhappy, such as “those who fail to attend to the motions of their own soul are necessarily unhappy” Another common theme is death and mortality: “no one loses any life other than the one he lives” and “life is short: make your gain from the present moment”

Citation du livre "Les bateaux étaient assez proches pour que les familles puissent se parler, mais impossible de s’approcher davantage." Je voudrais partager mes pensées et réflexions personnelles à propos du sujet d’être un réfugié et de ce que cela signifie, après avoir lu le livre Nous Étions Tous Des Réfugiés, écrit par Alan Gratz (paru le 17 mai 2023 en français).

Quote of the book “We think of globalisation as a uniquely modern phenomenon; yet 2,000 years ago too, it was a fact of life, one that presented opportunities, created problems and prompted technological advance.” 5 key points The rise of the Mongols was due to their planning, organisation, and goals, rather than a lack of order and chaos, which helped them to create the largest land empire in history.

Conference reflections The 33rd European Congress of Psychiatry, hosted by the European Psychiatric Association (EPA), took place from April 5-8, 2025, in Madrid, Spain. I am grateful to the Royal College of Psychiatrists for the funding to attend this conference as part of my Rehabilitation and Social Psychiatry award. Under the theme "Towards Real-World Solutions in Mental Health," the event aimed to bridge the gap between innovative psychiatric research and its practical application in clinical settings.

What makes Vaisakhi so special? Vaisakhi falls on April 13th (the first day of the Punjabi month of Vaisakh), and is an important day for Sikhs marking the birth of the Khalsa, a community of Sikhs, committed to justice, equality, and service.  In 1699, Guru Gobind Singh Ji asked for five volunteers who were willing to give their lives as a test for courage and faith.

I was recently invited to talk at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine about refugee mental health at a seminar. This was a great chance to bring together my professional and personal interests in migration, as two generations of my family have been through migration. I spoke about the asylum system and mental health challenges of refugees and migrants from a public health lens.