This volume investigates the complex intersection of migration, ethnic identity, and psychiatric diagnosis across a global historical framework spanning 1840 to 2010. Edited by Angela McCarthy and Catharine Coleborne, the text synthesizes contributions from various scholars to examine how institutional and social structures have historically categorized the mental health of migrant populations. The authors utilize archival records, clinical case studies, and demographic data to argue that the experience of migration is inextricably linked to the evolving definitions of mental illness and social integration.

Experts in the field of medical history and sociology identify this work as a significant contribution to the understanding of how institutional bias shapes the treatment of immigrant populations. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which serves as a rigorous resource for researchers and students of social history.