Understanding the effects of being separated from family on refugees in Australia: a qualitative study

To understand the impact of family separation on refugees living in Australia. Thirteen participants with a refugee background and experiencing separation from family participated in a semi‐structured qualitative interview. Interviews were coded and a thematic analysis was conducted using NVivo soft...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Australian and New Zealand journal of public health 2022-10, Vol.46 (5), p.647-653
Main Authors: Liddell, Belinda J., Batch, Nicole, Hellyer, Sarah, Bulnes‐Diez, Marta, Kamte, Anjali, Klassen, Christina, Wong, Joshua, Byrow, Yulisha, Nickerson, Angela
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Collectivism
Coping
Data analysis
Domains
Families & family life
family separation
Host country
Identity
Interviews
Mental depression
Mental health
Migration
missing family
Post traumatic stress disorder
Psychological aspects
psychological distress
Public health
Qualitative analysis
Qualitative research
refugee
Refugees
Separation
Separation (Psychology)
Social aspects
Software
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Summary:To understand the impact of family separation on refugees living in Australia. Thirteen participants with a refugee background and experiencing separation from family participated in a semi‐structured qualitative interview. Interviews were coded and a thematic analysis was conducted using NVivo software. Identified themes were organised under four domains. Domain 1 focused on the personal impact of family separation. Themes were the effects on mental health and functioning, driven by incessant worrying about the safety of family and the absence of key attachment figures, the specific effects of having missing family, alterations to self‐identity and family dynamics. Domain 2 focused on themes relating to actions taken to find missing family, connect or reunite with separated family. Domain 3 highlighted the coping strategies, support mechanisms and protective factors used by participants. Domain 4 identified core beliefs about the importance of family unity, focusing on security, settlement and a happy future. Family separation has an enduring effect on the wellbeing of refugees, with key pathways being ongoing fear and insecurity, disrupted social attachments and identity shifts in relation to the future self. Refugees separated from or missing family struggle with ongoing stress and adjustment issues.
ISSN:1326-0200
1753-6405
DOI:10.1111/1753-6405.13232