The migration process will be affected by personality characteristics and other factors such as education, socio-economic status, previous experience of migration and the social capital which people bring with them when they migrate. Several biological, psychological and social environmental and cultural factors interact and lead to the development of a bio-psycho-social model of aetiology and management. Individuals are born into a culture and not with a culture. Cultures are dynamic and keep changing as a result of coming into contact with other cultures, through direct or indirect contact. Social factors such as unemployment, poor housing, urbanisation, over-crowding and changes in family structure have been shown to be related to poor mental health. Poor educational background will influence pre- and post-migration experiences. After migration, the possibility of cultural bereavement, culture shock or cultural conflict will play a role in adjustment to the new culture.

People have migrated from one place to another since the start of human existence, for all kinds of reasons and varying durations. The process of migration can be divided into three stages: pre-migration, migration and post-migration. The impact of migration on an individual's mental health is multifaceted and affects different aspects of the individual, whether it is biological, social or psychological. Migration involves a series of losses, such as the family and the familiar society; both emotional and structural losses are experienced. The relationship between social inequalities and mental health is well known and it is inevitable that if migrants suffer from social and economic inequalities they are also likely to suffer from mental ill-health, though the mediating factors may well vary. In cultures where Cartesian mind-body dualism is not a prevalent model, the interaction between somatic symptoms and psychological distress will be significant.