Date Presented 03/23/24
We evaluated the perceptions of refugee caregivers on mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs), to inform OT’s role in mental health care for this population, as well as to expand on OT’s role in providing community-based services.
Primary Author and Speaker: Zeina Fayad
Contributing Authors: Alexandria Powers, Miranda Michele Mlincek, Diane L. Smith, Fatima Chehouri, Rawan Alheresh
PURPOSE: Refugees face numerous barriers to accessing health care; including occupational therapy. As a result, child refugees are especially vulnerable to developing dysfunctional coping skills, which leads to poor quality of life. This study suggests using mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) to support positive coping skills in refugee children.
DESIGN: This study utilized a qualitative phenomenological design to analyze the meaning of participants’ lived experiences. Caregivers were recruited using convenience sampling, through a database of clients from a community-based rehabilitation center in a refugee camp in Jordan. Caregivers were eligible for the study if they were above the age of 18 years old and identified as refugees with children.
METHOD: Open-ended questions asked about the child’s daily struggles, the supports they utilize, barriers to supports, as well as their perceptions on MBIs. Data were collected via short answer survey and translated from Arabic to English. Responses were coded using line-by-line analysis. Five qualitative themes were developed as a result.
RESULTS: The five themes that were developed are: ‘Daily Challenges’, ‘Supports and Strategies’, ‘Barriers to Accessing Supports’, ‘MBIs: Caregiver Perceptions’, ‘MBIs: Barriers.’ Participants identified behavioral, emotional, and other cognitive challenges that impact their child’s participation. Finances, environmental constraints, stigma and timing were among the reported barriers to services. Overall, participants felt positive about MBIs and their effect on their child’s well-being.
CONCLUSION: By considering caregiver responses, further research is needed towards transcending barriers and implementing MBI programs in the community and for caregivers’ carry-over to the home setting. Overall, this study obtained foundational knowledge that is crucial in understanding the role of occupational therapy in implementing accessible mental health programs for refugees.
References
Alzoubi, F. A., Al-Smadi, A. M., & Gougazeh, Y. M. (2019). Coping strategies used by syrian refugees in Jordan. Clinical Nursing Research, 28(4), 396–421. https://doi.org/10.1177/1054773817749724
Blankvoort, N., Arslan, M., Tonoyan, A., Damour, A. Q., & Mpabanzi, L. (2018). A new you: A collaborative exploration of occupational therapy’s role with refugees. World Federation of Occupational Therapists Bulletin, 74(2), 92–98. https://doi.org/10.1080/14473828.2018.1526560
Grasser, L. R., Al-Saghir, H., Wanna, C., Spinei, J., & Javanbakht, A. (2019). Moving through the trauma: Dance/movement therapy as a somatic-based intervention for addressing trauma and stress among Syrian refugee children. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 58(11), 1124–1126. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2019.07.007
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