OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this article is to describe the psychological
processes that are affected by geographic displacement. METHOD: The
literature from the fields of geography, psychology, anthropology, and
psychiatry was reviewed to develop a "psychology of place" and to determine
the manner in which place-related psychological processes are affected by
upheaval in the environment. RESULTS: The psychology of place is an
emerging area of research that explores the connection between individuals
and their intimate environments. The psychology of place posits that
individuals require a "good enough" environment in which to live. They are
linked to that environment through three key psychological processes:
attachment, familiarity, and identity. Place attachment, which parallels,
but is distinct from, attachment to person, is a mutual caretaking bond
between a person and a beloved place. Familiarity refers to the processes
by which people develop detailed cognitive knowledge of their environs.
Place identity is concerned with the extraction of a sense of self based on
the places in which one passes one's life. Each of these psychological
processes- attachment, familiarity, and place identity-is threatened by
displacement, and the problems of nostalgia, disorientation, and alienation
may ensue. CONCLUSIONS: As a result of war, decolonization, epidemics,
natural disasters, and other disruptive events, millions of people are
currently displaced from their homes. Protecting and restoring their mental
health pose urgent problems for the mental health community.Abstract Teaser