'It is a different war to fight here in Sweden'- the impact of involuntary migration on the health of refugee families in transition

• Published in: Scandinavian journal of caring sciences Vol. 16; no. 3; pp. 292 - 301
• Main Authors: Samarasinghe, Kerstin, Arvidsson, Barbro
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Science Ltd 01-09-2002
• Subjects: Adult; Caring sciences; Cultural adjustment; Emigration and Immigration; Evaluation Studies as Topic; Family - psychology; Female; Folkhälsomedicinska forskningsområden; Forced; Health; Health Sciences; Health Status; Humans; Hälsovetenskap; Hälsovetenskaper; INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH AREAS; involuntary migration; Male; Medical and Health Sciences; MEDICIN; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; MEDICINE; Migration; Needs assessment; Nurses; Nursing; Omvårdnad; phenomenography; Public health medicine research areas; refugee families; Refugees; Social medicine; Socialmedicin; Sweden; Transition; TVÄRVETENSKAPLIGA FORSKNINGSOMRÅDEN; Vårdvetenskap; Sweden
• ISSN: 0283-9318; 1471-6712; 1471-6712
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1471-6712.2002.00089.x

‘It is a different war to fight here in Sweden’– the impact of involuntary migration on the health of refugee families in transition
Involuntary migration and adaptation to a new cultural environment is known to be a stress factor. The aim of the study was to explore the impact of involuntary migration on the family health in order to identify specific health care issues related to refugee families in transition living in Sweden. Data was collected through interviews with 16 members of 10 different refugee families from Balkan countries, Kurdistan and Africa for which permission was obtained from the chairman of the local ethnic organizations in a municipality in the southern part of Sweden. In interpreting the material, analysis was made using a contextual approach with reference to phenomenography. The analysis resulted in four qualitatively different descriptive categories characterizing the health of the families: a distressed family living under prolonged tension; a contented family who leads a satisfactory life; a frustrated family who cannot lead a fully satisfactory life and a dejected family who feels deserted. Stressors seeking asylum, facing unemployment and changed roles, interacted negatively within the family. A friendly and understanding attitude from the host country was the main factor in promoting the health of the refugee families. Nursing interventions should therefore assist the families accordingly in order to promote the stability of the family system.