Foundations and Applications of Logotherapy to Improve Mental Health of Immigrant Populations in the Third Millennium

Although migration is a natural phenomenon, a number of special conditions of this third millennium result in a rising number of populations exposed, worldwide, to the impact of risk factors for mental health associated to immigration and asylum. In this scenario, the vulnerability to distress and mental health problems such as depression, anxiety disorders and PTSD is increased in these immigrant populations due to the severity of traumatic experiences while struggling in their attempts to reach their destinations but also a poor capacity of immigrant/host to handle the situation once there. The risk for psychological and mental health problems worse with time, failure of expectancies, lack of knowledge of resources or lack of support, among other difficulties. Here, we analyzed the foundations and applications of logotherapy on immigrant mental health problems, showing the benefits that ‘finding meaning and purpose in live’ can have in these populations. Thus, among the interventions that urge to reduce depression and anxiety symptoms among older adult immigrants, we propose three logotherapy techniques, namely, paradoxical intention, dereflection and Socratic dialogue. After development and adaptation to the specific scenarios (populations/ destinations) these logotherapy techniques can have a huge potential to become effective therapeutic strategies improving the mental health of the current immigrant populations facing misfortune in the Third Millennium.