Feeling “split”: the mental health impact of ongoing wars to those “safe” but with family left “behind”

Purpose This paper aims to draw attention to the commonalities across countries and generations of the mental health impact of managing daily life in Scotland, either having come from or having immediate family still in a war-torn country. Design/methodology/approach The research draws on testimonies over four years from an advisory group made up of people from a global majority background and people with experience of migration living in Edinburgh. Findings The distance people feel from families, not being understood by wider society, unseen by an imperial media, and the loneliness this creates. In contrast, the importance of meeting others experiencing similar issues, to give voice to and affirm the pain that exists, and paradoxically the benefits of this awareness of the extreme needs of others and of being a global citizen. Originality/value This paper adds to the dialogue promoting cultural literacy, closing the perceived distance between “them” and “us”. It also calls for the creation of spaces to promote cultural diversity and promote global citizenship. It seeks to challenge the narrative that people always want to come to the UK through choice and asks for a more considered understanding and recognition of the challenges that people arriving here may face daily.