Journal of International Migration and Integration
Volume 20, Issue 3, 2019, Pages 769-786

Refugee Mental Health and Healing: Understanding the Impact of Policies of Rapid Economic Self-sufficiency and the Importance of Meaningful Work (Article)

Hess J.M. , Isakson B.L. , Amer S. , Ndaheba E. , Baca B. , Goodkind J.R.*
  • a Department of Pediatrics, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, United States
  • b Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, United States
  • c Department of Sociology MSC05 3080, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, United States
  • d Department of Sociology MSC05 3080, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, United States
  • e Department of Sociology MSC05 3080, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, United States
  • f Department of Sociology MSC05 3080, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, United States

Abstract

Although refugees who are accepted for resettlement in a third country are guaranteed certain rights and experience safety from war and persecution, they face many mental health challenges. Using qualitative methods and constructivist grounded theory, we explored culturally specific perspectives on trauma and recovery among Burundian, Congolese, and Iraqi refugees resettled in the USA. Eighteen semi-structured interviews provided extensive data on the meaning of productivity and work, the ways in which they index normalcy and self-sufficiency, and how they create security that facilitates the healing process. Our inductive analyses revealed that participants emphasized the relationship between productivity and healing when they described recovery from trauma. Participants also discussed individual and structural facilitators and barriers to work. Finally, prominent themes emerged around gendered roles and expectations and the ways these function in refugee resettlement contexts that are shaped by policies that demand rapid economic self-sufficiency. Taken together, these findings suggest that policies that promote underemployment and foreclose opportunities for education and professional development may contribute negatively to refugee mental health, as well as keep refugees in poverty. © 2018, Springer Nature B.V.

Author Keywords

Health Refugees Recovery work Healing policy

Index Keywords

Asian immigrant policy implementation refugee Health Policy health services African immigrant mental health policy analysis United States
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85055865461&doi=10.1007%2fs12134-018-0628-3&partnerID=40&md5=dff88777655872d1c6f540a80406d4ac
DOI: 10.1007/s12134-018-0628-3
ISSN: 14883473
Cited by: 1
Original Language: English