Remittance inability, inferiority, and embodied mental distress among African migrants in Europe

African migrants in Europe often support relatives in African countries through remittances, yet little is known about how the inability to remit affects their mental and physical health. This qualitative study analysed handwritten diary entries shared within online mental health support groups linked to the SIDINL (Specialised, In-Depth Information & Newsletters) network that circulates newsletters and convenes moderated online peer-support spaces. Forty two African migrants living in various European countries recorded short narratives over four weeks about money, family expectations and health. Remittances were described as proof of moral worth and as the main evidence that migration has value. When remittances faltered, migrants experienced a persistent sense of inferiority across borders and withdrew from family and migrant communities. Remittance strain was embodied through insomnia, chest heaviness, headaches and exhaustion, alongside solitary and faith based coping and avoidance of formal care. Findings highlight remittance related inferiority as a crucial pathway shaping migrant wellbeing. • Remittance inability links obligation to shame, distress, and embodied suffering • Diaries reveal the “successful migrant” benchmark shaping moral self-evaluation • Aspiration is socialised, while failure is privatised as personal inadequacy • Structural constraints recede from view, intensifying self-blame and concealment • Handwritten solicited diaries capture distress close to everyday stressors