Abstract
BackgroundBecause refugees face significant adversities before, during, and after resettlement, resilience is of central importance to this population. However, strengths-based research on post-migration refugee experiences is sparse.MethodsWe conducted semi-structured interviews with 54 adult refugee participants who arrived in Germany between 2013 and 2018 in their preferred language. We analyzed different aspects of resilience in these interviews using thematic analysis.ResultsNine themes were identified. Four themes manifest resilience in different ways and encompass cognitive as well as behavioral strategies for facing adversity, self-ascriptions of resilience as a personal trait or lasting characteristic, and the role of volunteering, work, and activism for refugee causes. Five themes capture factors that facilitate resilience: social support, experiencing migration as an opportunity generally and for women in particular, being a parent, and being young.ConclusionsThis study adds to a growing body of knowledge about resilience among adult refugees. It may support clinicians working with refugees by making them aware of specific manifestations of resilience and factors promoting positive adaptation specific to this client group. It also contributes to a more strengths-based view on refugee mental health and processes of integration.
Highlights
IntroductionRefugees and asylum seekers ( referred to as “refugees”) face a range of adversities prior to, during, and after migration
Refugees and asylum seekers face a range of adversities prior to, during, and after migration
Without any intention to de-politicize the topic of refugee well-being [20], the present study focuses on psychological resilience in order to inform clinical practice and our understanding at an individual psychological level
Summary
Refugees and asylum seekers ( referred to as “refugees”) face a range of adversities prior to, during, and after migration. Following exposure to various types of violence, loss, and life-threatening circumstances in their country of origin and during flight, refugees experience a multitude of challenges in receiving countries. These include protracted periods of uncertainty regarding prospects of staying in the receiving country, struggles with learning a new language and joining the labor market, stretches of involuntary inactivity and boredom, social isolation and discrimination [1]. The need for research and clinical practice to incorporate a strengthsrather than deficits-based view on refugee experiences in Walther et al BMC Public Health (2021) 21:828 order to reflect this reality and avoid pathologization has been increasingly recognized [5,6,7,8,9]. Strengths-based research on post-migration refugee experiences is sparse
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