Intercultural dimensions in the treatment of traumatized refugee families.

Bala, Julia; Kramer, Sander

doi:10.1177/1534765610369262

Cited by 39 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…Furthermore, it aims to foreground social and political factors associated with these experiences. Finally, with a few notable exceptions (e.g., Bala, 2005;Bala & Kramer, 2010;Betancourt, Abdi, Ito, Lilienthal, Agalab & Ellis, 2015;Weine et al, 2004;Woodcock, 2000), the discourse around refugee mental health has largely focused on individual experiences at the expense of the relational aspects and implications of forced migration. This study aims to redress this by paying attention to the lived experiences of refugee mothers who have been forced to migrate.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Negotiating motherhood as a refugee: experiences of loss, love, survival and pain in the context of forced migration

Kelly

Nel

Nolte

2016

European Journal of Psychotherapy & Counselling

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The mental health of refugees has been an increasingly-researched area, but has been criticised for having an individualised and symptom-focused approach to understanding the experience of forced migration. This paper attempts to respond to calls to address this culturally limited and incomplete way of conceptualising responses to experiences of persecution and terror bound up within global hegemony and power inequalities. Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was employed to analyse semi-structured interviews undertaken with six refugee mothers, with the aim of exploring how participants made sense of, and created meaning around parenting and family life in the UK. Three main themes emerged from the data analysis (a) loss as a constant companion to parenting; (b) a shifting view of the self as a mother; and (c) taking the good with the bad in family life. Methodological limitations, as well as implications for future research and clinical practice are discussed.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Negotiating motherhood as a refugee: experiences of loss, love, survival and pain in the context of forced migration

Kelly

Nel

Nolte

2016

European Journal of Psychotherapy & Counselling

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“…Thus, the Western psychological and medical perspective on traumatic stress might conflict with traditional, religious, and spiritual practices in the context of family conceptualizations of Cameroonian migrants with a precarious residency status. When working with traumatized migrants from Cameroon, health professionals need to use a broad and flexible multifocal lens (6). It is necessary to acknowledge the diversity of belief systems and attitudes within cultures and to attempt to understand each individual context as embedded within a culture-specific family context and a particular demographic situation.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…France and Germany are the top two destinations of resettlement for Cameroonian migrants in Europe, as the countries are bound by cultural, historical, and post-colonial ties (2,4,5). Many forced migrants need to reorganize relationships within the fragmented family, redefine the roles and relationships within the changed family structure, adjust to a new environment, and reevaluate future perspectives (6). Accordingly, the term "transnationalism" describes the unique diasporic experiences of migrant families in terms of maintaining family relationships within and across nations simultaneously (7).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relational Spirituality and Transgenerational Obligations: The Role of Family in Lay Explanatory Models of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in Male Cameroonian Asylum Seekers and Undocumented Migrants in Europe

et al. 2021

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Context: Diasporic Cameroonians are increasingly leading a transnational life in which family members are sustained through networks of relations and obligations. However, before arriving in Europe, the vast majority of African migrants who take the Mediterranean route are exposed to trauma and hardship. Moreover, the joint occurrence of forced displacement, trauma, and extended separation from families has a significant impact on mental health.Objectives: This study explores the role of culture-specific conceptualizations of family structures and transnationalism in explanatory models of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among male Cameroonian asylum-seekers and undocumented migrants in Europe.Methods: An in-depth study of two samples of Cameroonian migrants with a precarious residency status in Europe was conducted. Focus group discussions and interviews were carried out with asylum seekers in Germany (n = 8) and undocumented migrants and failed asylum seekers in France (n = 9). The verbatim transcripts of these interviews served as the data for interpretative phenomenological analyses.Results, Analysis, and Discussion: Family was conceptualized in religious and spiritual terms, and relational spirituality appeared to be a crucial element of family cohesion. Explanatory models of PTSD were mainly based on an intersection of family and spirituality. The disrespect of transgenerational, traditional, and spiritual obligations toward parents and ancestral spirits represented a crucial causal attribution for post-traumatic symptoms.Conclusions: Conceptualizations of post-traumatic stress were based on a collective family and spiritual level instead of an individualized illness-centered perception. The Western psychological and psychiatric perspective on post-traumatic stress might conflict with traditional, religious, and spiritual practices in the context of family conceptualizations of Cameroonian forced migrants with a precarious residency status.

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“…Our analysis was informed by considering the narrow lens and focus on trauma often applied to refugees (Bala & Kramer, 2010). We believed that it was important to highlight broader aspects of Syrian parent's experience and support this often-marginalized and/ or stereotyped group.…”

Section: Reflexivitymentioning

confidence: 99%

The parenting process in Syrian refugees: A grounded theory study.

Huntley¹,

Ulph²,

El-Khani³

et al. 2021

Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology

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A key concern of peace psychology is to develop a robust evidence base that informs those working with groups who have experienced the impact of war and conflict (Cohrs et al., American Psychologist, 2013, 68, 590). With rates of refugees forcibly displaced now the highest on record the development of psychosocial interventions designed to promote well-being is essential (Hynie, Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology, 2018, 24, 265; UNHCR, UNHCR projected global resettlement needs, 2020). This is highly relevant for refugee parents who must parent through multiple adversities and transitions. Effective parenting is an important protective factor for the psychological functioning of refugee children. The design of support for families, to be available during displacement and the integration process, is essential because inclusion and participation in new settings Syrian refugee parenting through transition; from being forced to leave Syria to eventually being resettled in the U.K. In-depth interviews with six professionals who worked with refugee parents and six Syrian refugee parents were conducted and analyzed. Secondary data with narratives from three Syrian parents and transcripts from a parent focus group of nine parents were analyzed. We theorized an active process of resilient parenting in recovery. The process comprised of three phases: Contracting, reforming, and moving forward. Parents moved between phases at different points in their journey. A core role for language was identified. The findings suggest that the development and use of resilience-based narratives may be helpful. This would represent a relatively resource-light intervention to support parental capacity. Public Significance StatementA central aim of peace psychology is to produce evidence and theory that could mitigate the impact of conflict and violence. An important area is in policy development and the provision of services to address the impact of conflict upon refugees and their children. We are currently witnessing what has been referred to as a displacement crisis, with the highest level of forced displacement on record. Approximately half of the current refugee population are children under 18 years of age. There is an increasing global concern for this group. Quality of parenting is recognized as an important protective and promotive factor for their well-being. Our study offers a theory that conceptualizes the parenting process of Syrian refugees forced to flee their country and resettle in the U.K. Our findings provide support for the development of resilience-based interventions to support refugee parents' capacity. These approaches could be informed by relational and solution-focused concepts. Interventions that draw upon the strength-based narratives that parents already use with their children would be relatively resource-light. They would move away from a narrow, distress focus by including protective and promotive factors.

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Intercultural dimensions in the treatment of traumatized refugee families.

Cited by 39 publications

References 27 publications

Negotiating motherhood as a refugee: experiences of loss, love, survival and pain in the context of forced migration

Negotiating motherhood as a refugee: experiences of loss, love, survival and pain in the context of forced migration

Relational Spirituality and Transgenerational Obligations: The Role of Family in Lay Explanatory Models of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in Male Cameroonian Asylum Seekers and Undocumented Migrants in Europe

The parenting process in Syrian refugees: A grounded theory study.

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