In this study I investigated the community establishment and utilization of mental health services among refugee adolescents who received resident permit in Sweden in 2010. I compared a group of 20 adolescents –boys and girls- mainly from Afghanistan and Somalia, living in small residential care by the Social service management in Stockholm – Socialförvaltningen (SF) - with a group of 10 adolescents from the same countries, living in family homes. The study showed clear differences in adolescents´ adaptation processes. Those who were living in small residential care by SF had a better chance to adapt quickly into their new society compared with the other group. The study showed that refugee adolescents from both groups underutilized mental health services.

Refugee torture survivors often present with a myriad of psychological challenges, such as posttraumatic stress and depression, stemming from their exposure to torture and other pre- and post-settlement experiences (Gong-Guy and colleagues, 1991). The present study examined the moderating effect of four coping processes (i.e., family support, religious beliefs, political beliefs, and will to survive) on the relationship between cumulative torture and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among a sample of 204 (N=204) adult refugee torture survivors. Subjects completed a demographic questionnaire, the Torture Severity Scale (TSS; Kira, Lewandowski, Templin, Ramaswamy, Ozkan, Hammad, & Mohanesh, 2006), the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS-2; Weathers, Keane, & Davidson, 2001), and the Means of Survival Scale (MOS; Kira, 2012). Twenty-three percent (N = 74) of the sample endorsed clinically significant levels of PTSD. Torture and PTSD were positively associated, indicating that greater exposure to cumulative torture is associated with greater trauma symptoms (r[2] = .18, pppppp2 = .039; F (2,323) = 7.55, p=.001. None of the interaction terms examined accounted for significant variation in PTSD symptoms. Study findings will help counseling psychologists devise the most appropriate treatment plans and strategies to treat posttraumatic stress reactions among refugee torture survivors, as well as inform future interventions developed for this vulnerable population.

Diss.-Munich. / Bibliography: p. [297]-312.

published_or_final_version / Politics and Public Administration / Master / Master of Public Administration

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The prolonged civil-war and famine in the African nation of Sudan has displaced millions over the last two decades, many of these are women and children. Refugee women who are resettled to the US with their children must make profound adjustments to learn how to live in the American society and culture. Very little is understood about the factors and conditions that affect the health of immigrant and refugee populations who resettle to a host country.This ethnographic study investigates the influences to health and well-being in 10 refugee women from the Dinka tribe of southern Sudan who were resettled with their children to a Midwestern city in the United States (US). The in-depth interviews and participant observation that occurred over the one-year period of the study resulted in an interpretive theory of Well-Being in Refugee Women Experiencing Cultural Transition. Well-being in Dinka mothers is understood through the relationships between three major themes: Liminality: Living Between Two Cultures, Standing for Myself, and Hope for the Future. Liminality: Living Between Two Cultures describes how the women struggled to maintain a delicate balance between their traditional Dinka culture and the new American culture. The theme of Standing for Myself addresses how learning new skills and taking on new roles in the US, led to transformation of the refugee women. The third theme of Hope for the Future emphasizes the Dinka cultural values of communality and religious convictions that gave the women hope for a better future for their families and countrymen.The middle-range theory of transitions was used as a theoretical framework to guide the investigation of well-being of the refugee women and their families during resettlement. The study extends of the theory of transitions to refugee women from southern Sudan by developing a theoretical explanation for how refugee Dinka women attain well-being during transition. The results of this study strongly indicate that `cultural transition' be added as a distinct type of transition significant to understand the health needs of refugee women. The knowledge from this study will lead to the development of culturally competent interventions for resettled refugee families.

In Jamaica, sexual acts between men are still punishable by law. Numerous incidents of violence against gay men and lesbians have prompted human rights groups to distinguish it as one of the most homophobic places on earth. There are many cases of gay Jamaican men seeking resettlement and refuge in Canada. While any transition to a new country and culture can be challenging for immigrants, there is limited research that speaks to the experiences of the gay Jamaican men. This paper is based on stories gathered from four gay Jamaican men who came to Canada as refugees and highlights issues of acculturation related to connection with Canadian culture, letting go of the home culture, challenges in support systems and the inability to feel comfortable, confident and settled in the new Canadian environment. The project resulted in a compilation of visual stories and audio clips that were placed on a website (http://queeryingjamaica.tumblr.com/). Using the tools available through social media, the stories provide a source of representation.

No description available.

This study explores the perceptions, and life experiences of formerly gang-involved young adult refugee men living in Winnipeg. In doing so, this study examines both the negative experiences and challenges of these young men that led to their involvement with gangs, and the positive and life changing events that provided the catalyst for these young men to leave their gangs. If positive support mechanisms are insufficient, and if their basic human needs cannot be satisfied, refugee young people become at-risk of involvement in antisocial behavior and criminal activity. In order to assist refugee young people in their successful transition into a foreign culture and society it is essential to understand how their perceptions and experiences inform their identity and behavior. This study contributes to this understanding, which will inform policy and future approaches by government and community-based organizations to assist them in their transition.

Refugees, as forced migrants, have suffered displacement under conditions not of their own choosing, rather from a lack of choice, finding themselves in new settings, new places and new hardships. When refugees abandon their own home, community and country, they do so because there is a probability of losing all rights and face being murdered, tortured, raped, imprisoned, enslaved, robbed or starved. This thesis investigates the lives of refugees in Pietermaritzburg. More specifically, the thesis examines why and how refugees come to Pietermaritzburg, how refugees are treated (by locals to public officials), the hardships that refugees face, and their livelihood options. The main method used was the life story approach, whereby the refugees wrote their own life story, providing detailed information and an in-depth understanding of their hard and often tragic experiences. After entry into South Africa various hardships are experienced. A major difficulty is the application process, whereby South Africa has failed to adequately manage the flow of asylum seekers into the country and is faced with a serious backlog of refugee claims. In KwaZulu-Natal alone 35 137 applications were received at the Durban Refugee Reception Office with 27 539 of those pending. Refugees in South Africa are perceived by the public as criminals, „job stealers‟ and are often used as a scapegoat for the country‟s social problems. This thesis presents a framework to better understand the problems experienced by refugees, as well as some policy recommendations to remedy the situation. It provides a detailed account of the stories of refugees in Pietermaritzburg and the lack of assistance offered to a growing population of concern. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2008.