Family Medicine With Refugee Newcomers During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Migrants as ‘vulnerable groups’ in the COVID-19 pandemic: A critical discourse analysis of a taken-for-granted label in academic literature

“…In many publications, migrants are described as one among multiple vulnerable groups in the COVID-19 pandemic: “Like other vulnerable groups, refugee newcomers are particularly affected during the COVID-19 pandemic due to the exacerbation of factors that already hinder their access to the health care services” ( Smith et al, 2021 , p. 210). …”

“…In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, language barriers are seen as resulting in poor awareness and understanding of public health regulations and as hampering “emergency communication and health-seeking behaviour” ( Molobe et al, 2020 , p. 2). Limited proficiency in the local language can also increase “susceptibility to misinformation” ( Smith et al, 2021 , p. 211) and result in migrants experiencing “more uncertainty about the disease and the future” ( Martuscelli, 2021 , p. 13).…”

Access to HIV/AIDS or TB care among refugees in Kampala, Uganda: exploring the enablers and barriers during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Taking cognizance of these structural barriers to uninterrupted or continued access of refugees living in urban areas outside designated refugee settlements during pandemics such as COVID-19 will help policy makers and humanitarian practitioners to design measures that make it possible for more urban refugees ( Schulz, 2018 ) to access the needed HIV/AIDS or TB services in order to ensure that no one is left behind ( Gulliford, Figueroa-Munoz, and Morgan, 2002 , Hermans, Castelnuovo, and Katabira, 2012 ). Although this study did not interview rural refugees, previous studies ( Sharpe and Namusobya, 2012 ) ( Smith et al, 2021 ) have highlighted barriers in accessing HIV/AIDS and TB services in rural settings or refugee settlements. These include staffing gaps for critical cadres (generally refugee settlements are in areas with low level health facilities ( Stata statistical software: release 15 2017 ) that do not offer comprehensive health services) ( Tang and Li, 2021 ), difficulties in accessing treatment centres (due to poor roads infrastructure), stock shortages of medicines and other health supplies and food insecurity.…”

Parenthood and well‐being: Examining time pressure and religious practices in a Canadian national sample of immigrants and non‐immigrants

“…Commonalities between the subjective experience of time pressure in both parents and immigrants may include overwhelming demands of living related to family and work responsibilities, role strain, incongruence of expectations for life and perceived realities, feelings of psychological stress, and time costs related to navigating transitions to a new and constantly changing environment and/or role. In this way, time pressure may be experienced by immigrants through expended hours spent seeking greater occupational opportunities, education, resources for children, social connection, safety, and predictability (Brown et al., 2020; Smith et al., 2021). This may produce a sense of unease and pressure, which can increase over time, as initial supports taper off from the onset of immigration and/or becoming a new parent (Simich et al., 2005).…”

“…For some Canadian immigrants, the incongruence between their pre‐immigration goals and vision for their life in Canada may produce helplessness, alienation, and hopelessness that exacerbates risk for mental health challenges, including suicidality, despite the presence of existing immigrant‐specific policies and supports (Zaheer et al., 2018). Other challenges to well‐being documented among Canadian immigrants (e.g., mental illness, food insecurity, and medical conditions that are often associated with health behaviors such as diabetes, obesity, and hypertension; Davison & Gondara, 2019) may reflect unmet healthcare needs, informed by barriers to accessing services, and other social determinants of health amongst newcomer populations (e.g., limited healthcare coverage due to employment status, unsafe housing, lack of health information, language barriers, or other cultural differences that hinder the provision of effective care) (Chowdhury et al., 2020; Kalich et al, 2015; Smith et al., 2021).…”