Psychosocial Wellness of Refugees

by Ahearn, Frederick L.

• ISBN13: 9781571812056
• ISBN10: 1571812059
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-08-01
• Publisher: Berghahn Books

Summary

In recent years, scholars in the fields of refugee studies and forced migration have extended their areas of interest and research into the phenomenon of displacement, human response to it, and ways to intervene to assist those affected, increasingly focusing on the emotional and social impact of displacement on refugees and their adjustment to the traumatic experiences. In the process, the positive concept of "psychosocial wellness" was developed as discussed in this volume. In it noted scholars address the strengths and limitations of their investigations, citing examples from their work with refugees from Afghanistan, Cambodia, Vietnam, Palestine, Cuba, Nicaragua, Haiti, Eastern Europe, Bosnia, and Chile. The authors discuss how they define "psychosocial wellness," as well as the issues of sample selection, measurement, reliability and validity, refugee narratives and "voices," and the ability to generalize findings and apply these to other populations. The key question that has guided many of these investigations and underlies the premise of this book is "what happens to an ordinary person who has experienced an extraordinary event?" This volume also highlights the fact that those involved in such research must also deal with their own emotional responses as they hear victims tell of killing, torture, humiliation, and dispossesion. The volume will therefore appeal to practitioners of psychology, psychiatry, social work, nursing, and anthropology. However, its breadth and the evaluation of the strengths and disadvantages of both qualitative and quantitative methods also make it an excellent text for students. Frederick L. Ahearn, Jr.was Dean and is now Ordinary Professor at the School of Social Service at the Catholic University of America and also has an appointment as Tutor at the Refugee Studies Programme, University of Oxford.

Table of Contents

List of Tables and Figures	vii
Acknowledgments	x
Foreword	xii
Barbara Harrell-Bond
Introduction	xv
Frederick L. Ahearn, Jr.
Part I: Theoretical Issues in Qualitative and Quantitative Research
Psychosocial Wellness: Methodological Approaches to the Study of Refuges	3	(21)
Frederick L. Ahearn, Jr.
Psychosocial Programs: Principles and Practice for Research and Evaluation	24	(17)
Alastair Ager
Part II: Case Studies of Refuge Psychosocial Wellness: Qualitative Approaches
Qualitative Measures and Refugee Research: The Case of Afghan Refugees	41	(26)
Patricia A. Omidian
Refugees and Health: Ethnographic Approaches	67	(21)
Marita Eastmond
The Autobiographical Method of Investigating the Psychosocial Wellness of Refugees	88	(17)
Didier Bertrand
Part III: Case Studies of Refugee Psychosocial Wellness: Quantitative Approaches
Measuring Suffering: Conflicts and Solution in Refugee Studies	105	(26)
Raija-Leena Punamaki
Use of Census Data for Research on Refugee Resettlement in the United States: Methodological Strengths and Limitations	131	(22)
Miriam Potocky-Tripodi
Returnees to Vietnam: The Well-being of Former Unaccompanied Minors	153	(26)
Maryanne Loughry
Nguyen Xuan Nghia
Part IV: Case Studies of Refugee Psychosocial Wellness: Mixed Approaches
Perceptions of Stress in Southeast Asian Refugee Youth: Implications for the Development of Culturally Appropriate Measures	179	(15)
Hene Hyman
Morton Bieser
Sam Noh
Nhi Vu
A Child-Centered Approach to Investigating Refugee Children's Concerns	194	(14)
Colin MacMullin
Maryanne Loughry
Qualitative and Quantitative Research among Hmong Refugees: An Analysis	208	(26)
Joseph Westermeyer
Conclusions and Implications for Future Research	234	(5)
Frederick L. Ahearn, Jr.
About the Contributors	239	(6)
Index	245