Although mental disorders may have a negative effect on the aspects of life that are important to successful settlement and integration, the stressors associated with the migration experience do not necessarily result in newcomers developing a mental disorder. Like most individuals, newcomers will experience distress when faced with some of life's challenges, but that distress does not usually lead to a mental disorder.
Mental distress and mental illness are probably quite different processes. We all know about mental distress. We've all had exams to take or people we love die or really difficult things in our life. And we know that the extent of our response doesn't actually reflect how we integrate this piece of information or this experience and get on with our lives. So we can look really freaked out when something difficult or challenging comes our way but, a week later or a month later, talking about the same thing we can be pretty comfortable. We've sought support through our family, our friends and the actual stressor has gone. So distress doesn't mean anything very much except you're really upset and we express that differently: different age groups, different cultures. And so we have to sort of take account of that a little bit. But, otherwise, distress goes when the stressor goes, or when we've become accustomed to it.