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

Abstract

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.

Still Standing Inside: A Local Idiom Related to Trauma among Namibian Speakers of Khoekhoegowab

“…Faith has been shown to counter the adverse effects of adversity and trauma among African-origin populations [ 123 ] and to contribute to positive mental health outcomes [ 124 ]. Moreover, seeking comfort in religion has been found to be a major coping strategy for refugees from Sub-Saharan Africa [ 125 ] and intrinsic religiosity was associated with lower depression among caregivers of people living with HIV in Namibia [ 126 ]. Not surprisingly, religion is seen as a main pillar of African resilience and psychological health [ 124 ].…”

Pillars of Salt: Pastoral Care with Adolescents with a Migration Experience

“…Migration interrupts relationships, social activities, social networks, informal relationships, and, therefore, cultural knowing. Growing up in a particular religious tradition within a particular community influences children with regards to the transmission of values and religious identity (Grupp et al 2021). This religious influence can range from positive to negative.…”

Coping with Trauma and Symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Exploring Intentions and Lay Beliefs about Appropriate Strategies among Asylum-Seeking Migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa in Germany

“…However, past research on coping strategies among refugees and asylum-seekers from different Sub-Saharan African origins has reported that the most common coping strategies include faith and religion, social support, and various cognitive strategies [10,11]. An abundant body of research on African refugees and asylum-seeking migrants from different countries of origin has emphasized the role of spirituality and the commitment to a religion as an essential coping strategy in overcoming trauma and hardship [12][13][14]. In this regard, scholars have described belief systems in general, including religious, social, or political beliefs, as powerful shared strategies that allow individuals to better process traumatic experiences and to better cope with the symptoms of PTSD [15,16].…”