Integration

Integration is the dynamic process through which an individual assimilates, processes, and incorporates diverse, fragmented, or traumatic experiences into a cohesive and functional sense of self. In the framework of mental health and psychosocial support, integration represents both a psychological mechanism — where cognitive, emotional, and somatic aspects of an event are successfully synthesized into a person's life narrative — and a social mechanism, involving the meaningful re-entry, acceptance, and active participation of a person within a supportive community system after experiencing displacement, marginalization, or psychological trauma.

Sources:

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. (n.d.). Integration. Oxford University Press. Retrieved June 10, 2026, from: https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/integration

Siegel, D. J. (2020). The developing mind: How relationships and the brain interact to shape who we are (3rd ed.). Guilford Press. Retrieved from: https://www.guilford.com/books/The-Developing-Mind/Daniel-Siegel/9781462543908

Miller, K. E., & Rasmussen, A. (2017). The mental health of civilians displaced by armed conflict: An ecological model of refugee distress. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 26(2), 129–138. Retrieved from: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/epidemiology-and-psychiatric-sciences/article/mental-health-of-civilians-displaced-by-armed-conflict-an-ecological-model-of-refugee-distress/99B8A2ADB20F63A897A87C0DE1C5936F