Download Reciprocal Parent, Child, and Familial Stressors/Barriers in the

Reciprocal Parent, Child & Familial Stressors/Barriers in
the Integration of Afghan Refugees
Dr. Farah Merali
University of Alberta
Presentation Overview
I.
Background
II. Purpose of the Study
III. Method
IV. Results
V.
Programming Implications
Afghan Refugees
UNHCR (2008) Global Trends Report:
• Largest and most widely dispersed refugee group
worldwide
• Most long-standing political conflict situation
• Up to 17 years of internment in refugee camps
• Pre-migration trauma & marked life disruption
Migration Trajectories
AFGHANISTAN
Russia
Pakistan
Canada
Germany
Subgroups
Afghan Refugees
Hazaras
Jalalabadis Badakshanis
Sayyids
Community Sponsorship of Afghan Refugees
• Began in 1992 with Quebec as first receiving province as a
pilot
• Proceeded in multiple waves across provinces
• Community sponsorship followed by sponsorship under
the “Group of Five” Arrangement
• Currently numbers 10,000, including all 4 clans = 15% of
overall cultural community in the Canadian population
• Receiving Programs/Services
Purpose of the Study
• Two-Fold:
 Needs Assessment (most recent wave)
 Barrier Analysis
 Aim:
 To generate recommendations for institutional
service delivery/programming improvements
Method
• Participatory Community Development
Approach
• 3600 Feedback Process
• Holistic family focus
Three Part Study Conducted between 2007 & 2009
Part I: Extraction and Aggregation of Help-Seeking
and Problem Statistics + Community
Demographic Data
Part II: Interviews
 Settlement Workers/Chairs in each province
 Social Service/Mental Health Workers
 Medical Advisory/Health Services
 Afghan Social Workers
Part III: Focus groups with Afghan refugees across
subgroups, using segment-based approach in
first languages - Farsi, Pashto, & Dari
Interview Topics
• Anonymous case descriptions of settlement/integration
challenges across regions + social service/health cases
• Key problem areas based on service provider perspectives in
each region and intersections between child/adolescent issues,
parental issues, and family level stressors/barriers
• Challenges of existing programs/boards in meeting the needs of
the refugees, and ways to overcome these
• Key successes or unique outcomes in each region
Focus Group Areas of Coverage
A. Major life stressors
B. Integration challenges based on pre-migration,
transit, and resettlement experiences
C. Internal/External Service Access Barriers
 Linguistic, cultural (beliefs/stigma), situational, lack
of awareness of program existence, mode of service
delivery, availability of child care, etc.
Data Analysis Approach
• Consolidation and triangulation of data across 3
study parts
• Combination of statistical data and thematically
analyzed data from interviews and focus groups
• Pattern analysis across provinces/regions and
across subgroups, as well as family members
within subgroups
Key Findings Related to Reciprocality
of Stressors/Barriers & Implications
• Parental early health decline & youth
educational/vocational development and social
isolation
• Pressure for early marriage/childbearing and relation
to depression and child health/behaviour problems
• Traumatic bereavement, domestic violence, and
disability
Self-Perpetuating Cycle of Family Health Deterioration &
Integration Barriers
Parental Early
Health Decline
Youth/Young
Adult Care-giving
Educational
Challenges &
Social Isolation
Mental Health
Impacts
Sponsorship of
Siblings/Relatives
Employment
Programming Implications
• Expansion of Community Seniors Programming to Afghan
Pre-Senior category – utilization of leadership capacity and
language capacities of already established Afghan population
• Reframing/labeling Quality of Life Improvement Program to
Community Empowerment Program
• Social integration programming at JK or Mosque level &
within community at large
• Educational assistance coordinated with prayer times and
employment commitments
Impact of Pressure for Early Marriage & Large Families
Family Pressure
for Having
Children
Post-Partum
Depression
Child
Health/Behaviour
Problems
Educational
Interruptions
Employment Seeking Out of
Necessity
Parenting Stress
Social Isolation
Programming Implications
• Need for education targeting young girls/women to increase
their reproductive health knowledge in first language
• Counselling balancing love of children in the Afghan culture
with realities of material sustenance
• Parenting skills training (child health/nutrition, positive
discipline, etc.), perhaps after prayer times when family has
come to place of worship together
• Family financial planning and assistance
The Family Trauma Cycle
Unemployment
/Mental Health
Disability
Traumatic
Bereavement
Domestic
Violence
Outbreak
Family
Breakdown
Police &
Legal
System
Interface
Programming Implications
• Training in Basic Mental Health Screening for
Volunteers conducting funeral rights/ceremonies
• Domestic violence crisis protocols for community
social service workers
• Connection to mainstream mental health services
for mental health disability and eventual return to
work planning
QUESTIONS/COMMENTS
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