Gendering Resilience: Mental Health and Psychosocial Wellbeing of Women Refugees
Yüksel, Hülya (2020)
2020
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2020121829461
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2020121829461
Tiivistelmä
This study explored the role of resilience in maintaining mental health and psychosocial wellbeing of women refugees and asylum seekers. It did so by conducting an integrative review of scientific publications between the years 2010-2020 relevant to resilience and resilience factors for women refugees. The review critically appraised, analyzed, and finally, synthesized findings related to the role of resilience, contributing factors, and obstacles to resilience. Based on these findings, it proposed interventions from a mental health care perspective to help build and enhance resilience. Finally, it highlighted gaps for further research.
After problem identification, the review process involved a database search where a total of 236 records were identified. This led to 142 potential references after removing the duplicates. Potential references were further screened for eligibility according to inclusion and exclusion criteria, first relying on the titles and the abstracts, and then on the full text. A total of 17 full-text, peer-reviewed scientific articles with various designs were included in the present study. The quality of the studies was assessed using the CASP tool for qualitative studies, PRISMA for systematic and integrative reviews, and STROBE for observational studies. A five-step approach was used to gather, evaluate, analyze, and present the findings of the integrative review.
As a result of the analysis, three interrelated roles of resilience were identified from a gender perspective: (1) survival, (2) positive adaptation, and (3) participation and empowerment. Contributing factors were (1) religion, (2) hope and positivity, (3) social connection, as well as (4) support and participation. Obstacles to resilience were identified to be (1) gendered vulnerabilities, (2) language barriers, (3) lack of or limited support, (4) family separation, as well as (5) discrimination and racism. The review concluded that an awareness of the role of resilience from a gender perspective would provide a useful starting point to developing holistic, strengths-based interventions which can help build and enhance women refugees’ resilience. In addition to the provision of services with deepened insights, health professionals were also recommended to advocate for changes at the systemic level to ensure women refugees’ full participation and empowerment.
Keywords: Keywords: Resilience, mental health and psychosocial wellbeing, gender, women refugees
After problem identification, the review process involved a database search where a total of 236 records were identified. This led to 142 potential references after removing the duplicates. Potential references were further screened for eligibility according to inclusion and exclusion criteria, first relying on the titles and the abstracts, and then on the full text. A total of 17 full-text, peer-reviewed scientific articles with various designs were included in the present study. The quality of the studies was assessed using the CASP tool for qualitative studies, PRISMA for systematic and integrative reviews, and STROBE for observational studies. A five-step approach was used to gather, evaluate, analyze, and present the findings of the integrative review.
As a result of the analysis, three interrelated roles of resilience were identified from a gender perspective: (1) survival, (2) positive adaptation, and (3) participation and empowerment. Contributing factors were (1) religion, (2) hope and positivity, (3) social connection, as well as (4) support and participation. Obstacles to resilience were identified to be (1) gendered vulnerabilities, (2) language barriers, (3) lack of or limited support, (4) family separation, as well as (5) discrimination and racism. The review concluded that an awareness of the role of resilience from a gender perspective would provide a useful starting point to developing holistic, strengths-based interventions which can help build and enhance women refugees’ resilience. In addition to the provision of services with deepened insights, health professionals were also recommended to advocate for changes at the systemic level to ensure women refugees’ full participation and empowerment.
Keywords: Keywords: Resilience, mental health and psychosocial wellbeing, gender, women refugees