Search Results (157)

Despite the increasing number of older Syrian refugees in Canada, little is known about how they manage their health care needs while contending with language barriers, cultural dissonance, and systemic inequities. This qualitative study explored how older Syrian refugees in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) navigate healthcare across Canadian and transnational contexts. The study was guided by the transnational circulation of care framework and used an interpretive descriptive design. Following research ethics approval, 20 older Syrian refugees were interviewed by bilingual research assistants. In-depth individual interviews were conducted in Arabic and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Four interrelated themes emerged: (1) Navigating a New System; (2) Living in Two Worlds; (3) Medication Portability, Herbal Practices, and Supplement Culture; and (4) Digital Health Across Borders. Findings demonstrate that older Syrian refugees actively construct hybrid care pathways that integrate biomedical, cultural, and transnational practices. These strategies reflect resilience and adaptability but also expose gaps in the healthcare system. The study underscores the need for culturally responsive and age-friendly healthcare practices that acknowledge transnational realities. By illuminating how care circulates across borders, this study provides actionable guidance for designing responsive health systems. Full article

Second language acquisition (SLA) is critical for refugee integration and a determinant of health and health care access. Although numerous studies have examined language barriers and health communication, the reciprocal relationship between health and second language acquisition remains underexplored in public health research. This qualitative study draws on interviews with twenty Syrian refugees (nine men and eleven women, aged 22–65) resettled in Norway. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Two overarching themes were identified: (1) Learning under strain: health problems and post-migratory stressors constrained SLA; and (2) Relational support: reciprocal interactions with neighbours, colleagues, and volunteers enabled both language learning and functional health. These social arenas acted as low-threshold, health-promoting settings that mitigated isolation and strengthened belonging. The study highlights that language operates as a social determinant of health: inclusive, relational spaces facilitate both SLA and health by enhancing communicative participation and access to care. Refugee integration policy should therefore support accessible community spaces outside formal education to strengthen social inclusion, health literacy and refugees’ ability to navigate health and welfare services. Full article

Background: Although Türkiye hosts the largest population of Syrian refugees in the world, research on the vulnerability factors contributing to food insecurity among Syrian refugee mothers remains scarce. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between maternal food insecurity, diet quality, and mental health outcomes among Syrian refugee mothers with young children living in Türkiye. Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 285 Syrian mothers living in Türkiye with children under five years of age. Maternal food insecurity was assessed via the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES), diet quality was evaluated via the Healthy Eating Index-2020 (HEI-2020), and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) was used to evaluate mental health conditions. Data were collected through face-to-face surveys conducted by two native Arabic translators, and the analyses included sociodemographic characteristics, anthropometric measurements, diet quality, food insecurity status, and mental health status. Results: The prevalence of moderate/severe food insecurity and poor diet quality among refugee mothers amounted to 30% and 59.3%, respectively. Mothers experiencing food insecurity presented significantly lower levels of mental health and diet quality (p < 0.05). A one-unit increase in the food insecurity score was associated with an increase of 1.031 units in the total Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) score. The model demonstrated that food insecurity accounted for 30.2% of the variance in PHQ scores (R² = 0.302). Low income, lack of institutional aid, short length of stay, and number of children significantly increase the likelihood of poor dietary quality among refugee mothers. Conclusions: Food insecurity was found to be a widespread problem for mothers who are refugees from Syria. It was significantly associated with poorer nutritional quality and mental health issues in mothers. These findings suggest the need for expanding social support programs, implementing effective public health interventions for food security, and securing an overall improvement of maternal health. Full article

Background: Displaced individuals endure challenges, including conflict, forced migration, family separation, human rights violations, limited access to essential services, and increased exposure to violence and abuse. These hardships significantly impact their mental health, often leading to heightened trauma-related symptoms. Methods: We used a cross-sectional correlational design in refugee camps, homes, and centers across Jordan and Spain. 200 refugees with confirmed status in the past ten years were recruited. Demographic data were collected via a demographic form, the PTSD-8 Inventory assessed traumatic symptoms, and data analysis included descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and Chi-square tests. Results: Most participants had a secondary education, were unemployed, and had low incomes. PTSD symptoms were prevalent, with rates of recurrent thoughts (63.5%), re-experiencing events (57.5%), nightmares (50.5%), sudden reactions (56.5%), activity avoidance (53.5%), avoidance of specific thoughts or feelings (56.5%), jumpiness (53.5%), hypervigilance (53.5%), feeling on guard (41.5%), and general avoidance (43.5%) rated from rarely to most of the time. All symptoms were significantly more frequent among refugees in Jordan than in Spain. Conclusions and Recommendations: Intrusive thoughts were more frequent among females, urban residents, and unemployed individuals. Avoidance behaviors were higher in married and unemployed individuals. Hypervigilance was more prevalent among females, married individuals, and those with lower incomes. Regionally, females and married individuals in Jordan exhibited more intrusive thoughts and avoidance. In Spain, intrusive thoughts and hypervigilance were more common among females and the unemployed. The findings highlight the urgent need for targeted mental health interventions, particularly in refugee camps like those in Jordan, where PTSD symptom rates were significantly higher. Programs should prioritize trauma-focused therapies, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, while adopting gender-sensitive approaches to address the heightened vulnerability of women and unemployed individuals. Given the strong link between unemployment and symptom severity, livelihood support and vocational training should be integrated into psychosocial care. Policymakers in host countries like Jordan could benefit from adopting integration strategies similar to Spain’s, which may contribute to lower PTSD prevalence. Additionally, community-based awareness initiatives could improve early symptom recognition and access to care. Future research should explore longitudinal outcomes to assess the long-term impact of displacement and resettlement conditions on mental health. Full article

The global population of older adults is growing rapidly, and refugees are now a significant proportion of the older adult population in Canada. Transnational healthcare practices (THPs)—seeking health information or services from the country of origin—may be an essential strategy used by refugee older adults in Canada, but few studies have explored this phenomenon. This is a protocol for a study, which is aimed at developing a comprehensive understanding of the role THPs play in the lives of older adults from three refugee groups (Afghan, Syrian and Ukrainian) (re)settled in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), Canada. It will be informed by Constructivist Grounded Theory and will consist of three phases. Phase 1 will involve semi-structured individual interviews with Afghan, Syrian, and Ukrainian refugee older adults living in the GTA (n = 75–90) to explore their perspectives and experiences with various types of THP. Phase 2 will also involve semi-structured interviews with 75–90 refugee older adults from the three communities to examine the role of THP in stress, coping, and resilience in the context of health promotion, illness diagnosis, and disease management as well as the individual and contextual factors driving the use of THPs. Phase 3 will involve six focus groups (n = 36–48) with refugee older adults from these communities to explore what information, care, supports, technology, and services are needed to manage their health and illnesses locally. This project will advance knowledge in the areas of (re)settlement and integration, aging, local healthcare access, and THPs among refugee older adults in Canada. The findings will inform more effective integration policies and the delivery of efficient and equitable health information, care, support, technology, and services that address the healthcare needs of refugee older adults, enabling them to age well and age in place. Full article

This study investigates how differing educational frameworks across Lebanon, Turkey, and Australia influence the perceived educational performance of Syrian refugee children. The legal status granted to refugees in each country fundamentally shapes their respective education systems’ responses. In Lebanon, refugees are generally classified as temporarily displaced persons, resulting in an emergency-based approach to education for the approximately 500,000 Syrian children present. By contrast, Australia has offered permanent resettlement opportunities to selected Syrian refugees, integrating them directly into mainstream schools. Turkey, meanwhile, has progressively shifted from emergency-based measures to policies oriented toward long-term integration. This research is based on survey data from 1298 Syrian refugee children across the three contexts. Findings from ordered probit regression analyses indicate that, beyond the legal duration of residency and the prevailing educational policy model (emergency versus long-term integration), variables such as the extent of educational segregation, the availability of preparatory and language support programmes, and the socioeconomic status of families are also pivotal in shaping students’ self-perceived academic performance. Full article

Although the experiences of forced migration among refugees have been widely studied, the relationships between occupational balance, well-being, participation, and perceived discrimination remain poorly understood. This study aimed to examine these interrelationships and to explore the predictive role of occupational balance in each domain. Data were collected between February and March 2025 from 260 Syrian refugees aged 18–65 using validated instruments: the Occupational Balance Questionnaire, Personal Well-Being Index–Adult, Participation Scale, and Perceived Discrimination Scale. Occupational balance was significantly correlated with well-being, participation, and perceived discrimination (all p < 0.001). However, regression analyses revealed that only well-being (β = 0.114, p < 0.001) and participation (β = −0.107, p = 0.002) significantly predicted occupational balance; perceived discrimination had no direct effect. These findings highlight the critical role of occupational balance in fostering psychosocial integration. Enhancing refugees’ well-being and participation may support their adaptation processes. Community-based, culturally responsive interventions that target these domains could promote social inclusion, continuity of roles, and long-term psychosocial stability among displaced populations in host societies. Full article

Partner selection is a complex process shaped by structural, social, and personal factors. For refugees and forced migrants, displacement and adaptation add further challenges, with families—even from far away—playing a crucial role in shaping expectations and influencing partnership decisions. This influence can be direct—through arranged marriages or introductions—or indirect, by setting expectations based on ethnicity, religion, or social status. Family endorsement is often crucial in reinforcing ethnic, religious, or language group continuity and community acceptance. This study examines the role of family in partner selection among refugees who arrived in Germany largely during the 2015–2016 period, a group characterized by a high proportion of unmarried men with limited family support. This group is compared to the German resident population, both with and without a migration background. For the descriptive analyses, we draw on two data sources: the PARFORM dataset, collected in 2022–2023, which covers male Syrian and Afghan refugees who arrived between 2014 and 2018; and the ninth wave of the CILS4EU-DE, collected in 2022. The multivariate analyses rely exclusively on the PARFORM dataset and utilize linear probability models with selection correction. We contribute to the literature in three key ways: identifying mechanisms of family influence despite physical distance; introducing a multidimensional framework to measure partnership outcomes based on ethnic, religious, and linguistic endogamy; and providing new insights into the underexplored partnership formation of this refugee cohort. Full article

This article investigates the employment conditions of Syrian refugee workers in the clothing industry in Istanbul, as well as its consequences on their socio-emotional well-being and life plans. 62 interviews in the form of life stories were conducted with these workers from workspaces of varying sizes. The research identifies ambiguity, hyper-precarity, institutional violence, and segregation (refugees mostly work in small workshops) as the main concepts for understanding these conditions. The dimensions of socio-emotional well-being are dominated by depression and loss of control over life. However, the personal (self) dimension (proud, optimistic, and staying positive with oneself) remains high. As a result, migration outside of Turkey emerges as as ongoing hope in the pursuit of stability and control over the future. Full article

This article showcases Syrian refugees’ narratives of trauma and survival, through a phenomenological approach to in-depth research, with refugees who have resettled in Australia. It explores their journey towards resettlement, highlighting the nexus between displacement in the home–transit–host countries and the biopsychosocial determinants of mental health. Since the 2011 uprising, over 12 million Syrians have been displaced, both internally and worldwide. A refugee’s journey to safety often involves multiple displacements and exposure to dangerous, life-threatening, and dehumanising experiences. We have therefore adopted a qualitative approach that counters this dehumanisation by honouring the unique humanity in the voice of each of our research participants. This article aims to portray the nuanced interdependence between the individual, social, and political contexts of seven Syrian refugees’ lived experiences through an in-depth consideration of what they have told us, how they narrate their stories, and the meanings they ascribe to what they have experienced. The findings of this small yet eloquent study reinforce the insight that the journey to resettlement is far from linear and that resettlement itself is a process marked by recurrent and persistent complexities. The article suggests that the resilience of these refugees is best understood as an ethical and altruistic commitment to collective well-being, transcending notions of individual fortitude. Full article

Historically, research on video games has centred on their potentially adverse effects, though more recently, work has started to explore the benefits. Here, we investigate whether playing a video game portraying a refugee’s plight in escaping war-torn Syria could affect implicit and explicit attitudes towards that social group. We show that after 30 min of game play embodying a Syrian refugee, participants showed reduced prejudicial attitudes and increased empathy towards Syrian refugees compared to those playing a mechanically similar but contextually unrelated game. While implicit attitudes followed the same direction, this difference was not statistically significant. Potential theoretical underpinnings of these findings, including perspective taking, embodiment, and contact perspectives for prejudice reduction, are discussed. Full article

The Zaatari Camp in Jordan exemplifies how Syrian refugees transform a planned grid settlement into an organic urban environment through socio-spatial adaptation, reflecting their cultural identity and territorial practices. This study investigates the camp’s morphological evolution, analyzing how refugees reconfigure public and private spaces to prioritize privacy, security, and community cohesion. Using qualitative methods—including archival maps, photographs, and field observations—the research reveals how formal public areas are repurposed into private shelter extensions, creating zones of influence that mirror traditional Arab-Islamic urban patterns. Key elements such as mosques, markets, and hierarchical street networks emerge as cultural anchors, shaped by refugees’ prior urban experiences. However, this organic growth introduces challenges, such as blocked streets and undefined spaces, which hinder safety and service delivery, underscoring tensions between informal urbanization and structured planning. The findings advocate urban resilience and participatory planning frameworks that integrate socio-cultural values, emphasizing defensible boundaries, interdependence, and adaptable design. Refugees’ territorial behaviors—such as creating diagonal streets and expanding shelters—highlight their agency in reshaping urban systems, challenging conventional top-down approaches. This research focuses on land-use dynamics, sustainable cities, and adaptive urban systems in crisis contexts. By bridging gaps between displacement studies and urban theory, the study offers insights into fostering social inclusion and equitable infrastructure in transient settlements. Future research directions, including comparative analyses of refugee camps and cognitive mapping, aim to deepen understanding of socio-spatial resilience. Ultimately, this work contributes to global dialogues on informal urbanization and culturally responsive design, advocating for policies that align with the Sustainable Development Goals to rebuild cohesive, resilient urban environments in displacement settings. Full article

Refugee camps are typically designed as temporary sustainable settlements, prioritizing logistics over cultural considerations, which can lead to environments being misaligned with the lived experiences of displaced populations. This study addresses the challenge of traditional humanitarian camp designs that prioritize logistical efficiency over cultural and socio-cultural needs, leading to environments that do not align with the lived experiences of displaced populations. Focusing on the Zaatari Syrian Refugee Camp in Jordan, the research employs a structured questionnaire distributed among 102 households to investigate how refugees have reconfigured the camp’s original grid layout into more cohesive clustered patterns, informed by the principles of defensible space theory. Key findings reveal that refugees actively transform public courtyards into semi-private spaces, driven by cultural imperatives and safety needs. Statistical analyses confirm significant correlations between clustering behaviors and the attributes of defensible space, particularly the zones of influence and boundary demarcation, enhancing community resilience and accessibility. However, the study finds a limited predictive power overall, indicating that while these adaptations are significant, factors such as natural surveillance and territorial behavior do not exhibit strong influences on clustering dynamics. These findings have important implications for humanitarian planning and design. They highlight the necessity for more culturally sensitive and flexible approaches that prioritize refugee agencies and communal identity in camp layouts. This research advocates for a hybrid planning approach that integrates socio-cultural values, promoting resilience and quality of life among refugees. By aligning spatial designs with the social and cultural realities of refugee communities, humanitarian actors can enhance the effectiveness of their interventions, ultimately contributing to more sustainable and inclusive urban environments as part of broader goals related to urban planning and development. Future research is encouraged to explore these practices in diverse refugee contexts, providing further validation of these findings and enhancing the applicability of these design principles in global humanitarian efforts. Full article

To monitor progress in including persons with disabilities, including in interventions which can improve their health and quality of life, it is crucial to collect data on their participation. However, there are many different ways of defining disability and thus categorising individuals as disabled/not disabled, which may impact measures of participation. This study aims to assess the relationship between three different measures of disability and the level of participation of persons with disabilities. We analysed data from a population-based survey of disability amongst Syrian refugees in Istanbul, which collected data on disability using the Washington Group enhanced set of disability questions as well a two-question set asking about perceived activity limitations due to disability. The prevalence of disability ranged from 13.5 to 22.4% depending on the measure used. The group of people that are categorised as disabled also differs, indicating who is being seen as disabled changes when a different measure is used. Levels of participation, with regards to paid work, education and being partnered, also varied by measure, for example, being in paid work ranged from 26% to 38%. These findings underscore the importance of carefully selecting and clearly defining disability measures in studies, (health) interventions and policy contexts. Full article

The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted vulnerable populations, such as internally displaced Syrians and Syrian refugees (SSRs) in Middle Eastern host countries, through a syndemic interplay of health, social, and economic challenges. Movement restrictions disrupted their livelihoods resulting in increased food insecurity. A mixed-methods approach was used to address the research question: “What is the relationship between Food Insecurity (FI), Mental Health (MH), and COVID-19 among displaced SSRs working in agriculture”? One hundred SSR participants working in agriculture were recruited from northern Syria and neighbouring countries to participate in a Household Survey. The survey data were analysed using correlation and regression analysis. Additionally, interviews with Household Survey researchers were conducted and thematically analysed. Increasing food insecurity was significantly correlated with worse mental health outcomes among SSR participants (r_s = −0.24, p = 0.018). No moderation effects were found with COVID-19 measures or household responses to the pandemic. However, smaller food portions and storing food were positively correlated with poor mental health and food insecurity. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated food insecurity and mental health challenges among displaced Syrians and refugees, particularly during Ramadan in 2020, highlighting the compounded effects of overlapping crises and the need for further research into resilience strategies. Full article