Thesis (Ed.D.) -- Teachers College, Columbia University, 1990. / Typescript; issued also on microfilm. Sponsor: William C. Sayres. Dissertation Committee: George C. Bond. Includes bibliographical references :(leaves 200-214).

Thesis (M.A.)--Georgia State University, 2006. / Joseph Perry, committee chair; Jared Poley, committee member. Electronic data (126 p.) : digital, PDF file. Description based on contents viewed July 20, 2007. Includes bibliographical references (p. 114-119).

The purpose of this study was to understand the meaning of "opportunity" as expressed in the experiences of three recent refugee youth from Central America (Guatemala and El Salvador). The setting of the study was MOSAIC'S Youth Job Corps programme in Vancouver, Canada. This four-month voluntary programme was designed to give immigrant Canadian youth language skills to facilitate their entry into the work force. Data for the study were obtained through a twenty-week field study at the Job Corps site followed by the construction of three case studies based upon a series of interviews. Among the findings of the study were the following: the three refugees used a notion of opportunity as the overriding theme in defining their situation in Canada. This theme contained two aspects. First, the "what" of opportunity was future-oriented and contained a social dimension of "wanting to become someone," a material dimension concerned with "wanting to have things," and a familial dimension of "wanting to maintain the family unit." Second, the "how" of opportunity referred to the way the three refugees defined opportunity in terms of their past experiences, their initial difficulties since coming to Canada, the support networks available to them in Canada, their perception of the lives of other immigrants, and finally, the age factor. There was a strong awareness among the refugees studied that their attainment of personal goals (the "what" of opportunity) was dependent on acquiring fluency in the English language and in their finding secure employment with career mobility. The study also found that many of the refugees' future aspirations were related to their own past experiences in their countries of origin. / Education, Faculty of / Graduate

A conflict that ensued between Senegal and Mauritanian in 1989, led many Mauritanians to seek refuge in Senegal. Though the exact number is not known, an estimated 20,000 Mauritanian refugees continue to live in northern Senegal 16 years after being expelled from their home country. The exact number could not be ascertained because the attempted registration exercise which started in December 1999 was unfortunately abandoned in 2000. / Thesis (LLM (Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa)) -- University of Pretoria, 2011. / http://www.chr.up.ac.za/ / nf2012 / Centre for Human Rights / LLM

Univ., Diss.-2002--Münster (Westfalen), 2001.

Economic and ecological processes interact with one another over both spatial and temporal dimensions.This dissertation explores four socio-ecological systems where space crucially matters for both economic and ecological outcomes. In the first chapter, a windborne chemical dictates the diffusion in space of a new agricultural technology. The second chapter dissects the notion of landscape complexity to find which of its components matter for the intensity of insect pressure in agriculture, and thus the use of insecticides. In the third chapter, the location of participants in an environmental program seeking to curb deforestation points to additionality problems and anticipates the lack of measurable effects of the program. Knowing where crops are grown and temperatures less well-suited for their thriving is key to identifying in chapter four the effects of weather fluctuations on asylum applications into the European Union. The spatial dimension tends to be hard to apprehend and overlooked, but those four pieces together stress that space matters in the study of sustainable development.

There is a growing acknowledgement of the importance of mental health and well-being among refugees and asylum-seekers as a result of high rates of mental distress. Most research, however, has focused on refugees and asylum-seekers who live in high-income countries, even though the vast majority (approximately 80 percent) reside in lower- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This three-paper dissertation brings attention to this research gap and examines issues surrounding the mental health of refugees and asylum-seekers living LMICs. Three different cross-sectional data sources were included in this dissertation from study participants recruited from Malaysia, Jordan, and Turkey in 2018. Additionally, three separate analyses were conducted, which include descriptive analyses and multivariable regressions. The first dissertation paper examines the scope and prevalence of mental health counseling utilization in Malaysia. Using Andersen’s Health Service Utilization as a conceptual framework, I examine how certain predisposing factors (socio-demographic characteristics), enabling factors (availability of resources), and need factors (mental health symptom severity) are associated with counseling utilization. The second dissertation paper examines suicidal behaviors among Syrian refugee women living in Jordan. Incorporating the Three-Step Theory (3ST) of suicidal behaviors, I examine how psychological pain, connectedness, and postmigration stressors are associated with suicidal behaviors. Lastly, my third dissertation paper examines the scope and prevalence of vicarious posttraumatic growth (VPTG) among service providers working with Syrian refugees in Istanbul, Turkey. Using a constructivist self- development theory, I examine how greater exposure to traumatic material, in addition to having a greater support system, and having greater years of professional experience is associated with higher levels of VPTG. Study results from Malaysia emphasize the need to understand individual and contextual determinants of mental health service use. I hypothesize that refugees and asylum seekers with certain predisposing factors (female, older age, married, higher education, lived longer in Malaysia, registered refugee), have greater enabling factors (easy access to healthcare, larger household income, do not need interpreter services, greater health literacy, and live with greater number of people in household), and have greater need factors (higher PTSD symptoms) will be more likely to attend counseling services. Almost three-quarters (71.89%) of participants surveyed had never attended mental health counseling services. The majority (71.89%) had never attended mental health counseling services, and among those who screened positive for PTSD, only a minority (16.49%) attended counseling services. My hypothesis was partially supported. Participants from Afghanistan and Myanmar were less likely to attend mental health counseling compared to Somalia and other countries (p<0.001). Not having easy access to health facility (OR:0.10, 95% CI:[0.03, 0.32]), needing interpreter services (OR:0.23, 95% CI:[0.07, 0.75]), and higher PC-PTSD scores (OR:0.69, 95% CI:[0.52, 0.91]) was associated with lower odds of counseling attendance. Other determinants of health service use such as gender, marital status, education level, years in Malaysia, registration status, household income, health literacy, and number of people in household did not show significant associations. Study results from Jordan highlight that greater research and public awareness regarding suicidal behaviors is needed among Syrian refugee women. I hypothesize that screening positive for PTSD, social isolation (have no friends or family members available to help), and greater number of postmigration stressors is associated with suicidal behaviors. Approximately one-tenth (9.86%) of participants reported suicidal behaviors (suicidal ideation and/or attempt) in the past 6-months. My hypothesis was partially supported. Screening positive for PTSD (aOR:4.02, 95% CI:[1.33, 12.15]) was associated with increased odds of suicidal behaviors, while having 1 friend or family member available to help when in need (OR:0.31, 95% CI:[0.13, 0.78]) decreased odds of suicidal behaviors. No associations between the number of postmigration stressors and suicidal behaviors were found. Lastly, results from Turkey emphasizes the importance of focusing on service providers wellbeing. I hypothesize that greater exposure to traumatic material, in addition to having a greater support system, and having greater years of professional experience is associated with higher levels of VPTG. Among service providers recruited 44.66% reported moderate-to-high levels of VPTG. My initial hypothesis was partially supported. Moderate/high/severe secondary traumatic stress (aOR:3.98, 95% CI:[1.26, 12.59]), greater social support (aOR:1.05, 95% CI:[1.00, 1.10]), and greater organizational support (OR:1.11, 95% CI:[1.02, 1.20]) was associated with moderate-to-high VPTG. Proportion of clients who disclose trauma, and years in profession did not show significant associations. Mental health utilization, suicidal behaviors, and the well-being of service providers are issues that have all been linked to the mental health and well-being of refugees and asylum-seekers. These topics have been minimally examined among forcibly displaced people living in LMICs. Clinicians and organizations must promote greater awareness of and screening for mental health conditions. Additionally, mental health and suicidal behaviors is often associated with stigma and discrimination, which means that providing basic psychoeducation surrounding mental health, its impact, as well as awareness of services available, and normalizing treatment at the individual and clinic level is essential for increasing engagement of mental health services. To further reduce global mental health disparities and provide equity in mental health care and treatment, future research and psychosocial interventions must prioritize and focus on the well-being of refugees and asylum-seekers living in LMICs.

Introduction. Humanity is now witnessing one of the highest rates of displacement since the beginning of its history, with an unprecedented 79.5 million people around the world being forced to leave their homes; among whom are 26 million refugees. Since 2011, the protracted Syrian war has threatened the stability and well-being of all persons affected by the war. In these complex emergencies, regular access to resources, pathways to building social ties, and utilization of existing service networks (such as education, healthcare, and protection) are disrupted. Method. Nine Syrian refugees and Lebanese host currently living in Lebanon screened positive for clinical depression and receiving interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) by Lebanese providers were recruited for the study. A novel social network assessment tool using a dynamic network framework was designed and preliminarily tested to explore social support and conflict in the sample during IPT. Changes in social support and conflict resolution were assessed pre-and post-IPT in the depressed selection. Results. To our knowledge, this is the first-of-its-kind study to adopt a dynamic, multiplex, open-system approach to identifying, classifying, and exploring temporal changes in the social network roles in both refugees and host population(s) with specific goal orientation. This is also the first to study these in the context of individuals with a mental health problem receiving IPT for depression treatment. Outcomes indicate promise of the use of the dynamic network theory’s survey approach (aka network goal analysis) among depressed participants and provides important insights about pathways through which persons activate social support and resolve conflict in a humanitarian emergency setting. Discussion. Amidst war, economic downturn, COVID-19 pandemic, and recent bomb blasts, communities have been fragmented and their social ties, severed. Increasing rates of common mental disorders have worsened peoples’ capabilities for survival. This novel dynamic network approach to the study of social support and conflict resolution brings into focus pathways and social roles among depressed individuals crucial for social support, with implications for policy makers and mental health practitioners. Keywords. Dynamic networks, Interpersonal psychotherapy, Social support, Conflict, Cohesion

This thesis focuses on the challenges posed by the refugees from the Great Lakes Region to the ministry of the Anglican Cathedral of the Holy Nativity in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. It intends to inform the Christian world in general and specifically the Anglican Cathedral of the Holy Nativity of the current refugee situation and its causes. Furthermore, this study shows that understanding the refugees' livelihood strategies is a prerequisite to improved interventions. Using the Sustainable Livelihood Framework, this study describes some of the positive and negative outcomes from the mechanisms and strategies developed by refugees in order to stabilize and enhance their situation. Looking at the livelihood challenges faced by the Great Lakes Region refugees, this study shows how UNHCR (United Nations High Commission for Refugees) has been in a weak position to challenge the policies of its funders and host governments even when those policies fail to respond adequately to refugee problems. / Thesis (M.Th.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2007.

This work addresses the experiences of female asylum seekers from Central and Mexico currently living in Dallas, TX. The main purpose is to analyze how these women engage in the gendered processes of both migrating to and accessing legal resources and protection within the United States. As the women move through male-dominated spaces in their home country, the borderlands, and the asylum court they must challenge the patriarchal institutions that attempt to silence their narratives and criminalize their bodies. Their physical wounds become evidence in the courtroom, while outside of the courtroom their movements are monitored and tracked through multiple mechanisms of state control: ankle monitors, detention centers, ICE check-ins. They face intersectional discrimination as they are targeted as both women and immigrants. However, these female asylum seekers are not victims. They constantly display agency as they represent themselves in court, find solace in their faith, and form community with each other.