This systematic review investigates how the wellbeing of migrants from low/middle-income to middle/high-income countries is conceptualised, defined, and measured. The authors analysed 126 research articles and found significant inconsistencies and gaps.
A key finding is that a majority of studies, 70.6%, did not explicitly define the concept of wellbeing they were measuring. Researchers used 43 different tools, many of which were developed in Western, middle-class contexts and may not be culturally appropriate for diverse migrant populations. Worryingly, some of the most frequently used tools were not designed to measure wellbeing at all, but rather to screen for psychiatric disorders or depression. Furthermore, fewer than half of the studies reported translating the measurement tools into the participants’ native languages.
The quality analysis showed that only two tools, the Personal Wellbeing Index (PWI) and the WHO Quality of Life Brief (WHOQOL-BREF), had satisfactory properties for use with migrant groups. The review concludes that the current methods for measuring migrant wellbeing are flawed, limiting the development of effective public health policies and interventions.
