The Experiences of Syrian Mothers Who Are Refugees in Canada: An Exploration of Emotion Work and Coping

Abstract

The refugee crisis is one of the worst humanitarian crises of the 21st century. Refugee mothers endure elevated rates of mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety, trauma, and suicidality. However, existing interventions for mothers who are refugees are scarce and rarely provide adequate support for their specific mental health needs and challenges. Thus, this study explores how Syrian refugee mothers’ transitions into Canada were affected by the experiences of emotion work and coping. The themes of emotion work as hiding negative affect, maneuvering new homes, overcompensating, language stressors, and religion as coping emerged from the semi-structured interviews. Religion and praying were found to be a coping mechanism for these mothers who are refugees from Syria. Implications and recommendations for therapy and future research and interventions are provided.