New Zealand has been offering third country resettlement to refugees, migrants, and their families since the end of the Second World War. Migration itself is a source of considerable distress. The study reported here used a set of self-report scales to determine the degree of demoralization and psychological distress among a sample of refugee and migrant clients living in Australasia. A degree of depression and demoralization was evident across the sample. The findings indicated that while many of the participants had attracted a diagnosis of major depressive disorder, in the main they did not benefit from a course of antidepressants. Additional factors known to impact on mental health were also apparent placing emphasis on the need for further development of culturally competent and evidence-based practice in resettlement and mental health services. While the study is based on refugee experiences in Australasia the perspective is much broader and should be seen in the international context. © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Demoralization Depression Mental health refugee resettlement Culture shock Social work

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