Pre-settlement and Post-settlement Stressors and Mental Illness Among Immigrants from War-torn Countries in the Middle East: A Scoping Review
Type of Proposal
Visual Presentation (Poster, Installation, Demonstration)
Faculty
Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Proposal
Abstract Purpose — The purpose of this review to map the current studies and the range to which pre-settlement and post-settlement stressors impact the mental health of both immigrants and refugees from Middle Eastern war-torn countries. This will assist researchers in this field to first narrow the current gap of lacking proper studies around this topic. Secondly, establish some guidance in better understanding and discovering Middle Eastern immigrants’ issues and concerns around their mental health status. Design/Methodology/Approach — A germinal methodological framework to establish a scoping review (Arksey and O’Malley, 2005) was utilized in this study. The author launched a search for published and unpublished research in the last 25 years. The lead investigator retrieved ten eligible studies which the results were taken from to measure the impact of pre-settlement and post-settlement stressors on the mental health of Middle Eastern immigrants settling in North America, Australia, and Europe as well. Findings — Findings from this study showed that Middle Eastern immigrants from war-torn countries suffer from higher rates of mental health illnesses. Findings also found no association between the status of being either immigrant or refuge and having more pre-stressors or post-stressors as the migration process itself can negatively affect both immigrants and refugees. There was also a clear knowledge gap on both immigrants' experiences before their settlement and after settlement as well. The study highlights the absence of appropriate settlement programs that are directed to serve Middle Eastern immigrants. Conclusion — This scoping review is the beginning to an entire process of expanding the current knowledge gap and improving the existing services to accommodate Middle Eastern immigrants better. Researchers in the field need to conduct further interviews among Middle Eastern immigrants in those three continents to bring concrete knowledge, and evidence of the types of pre-settlement and post-settlement stressors immigrants are facing.
Location
Windsor
Grand Challenges
Viable, Healthy and Safe Communities
Special Considerations
This submission is part of my Ph.D. in Social Work program classes at the University of Windsor. I am currently in my second semester of doctorate studies at the School of Social Work.
Pre-settlement and Post-settlement Stressors and Mental Illness Among Immigrants from War-torn Countries in the Middle East: A Scoping Review
Windsor
Abstract Purpose — The purpose of this review to map the current studies and the range to which pre-settlement and post-settlement stressors impact the mental health of both immigrants and refugees from Middle Eastern war-torn countries. This will assist researchers in this field to first narrow the current gap of lacking proper studies around this topic. Secondly, establish some guidance in better understanding and discovering Middle Eastern immigrants’ issues and concerns around their mental health status. Design/Methodology/Approach — A germinal methodological framework to establish a scoping review (Arksey and O’Malley, 2005) was utilized in this study. The author launched a search for published and unpublished research in the last 25 years. The lead investigator retrieved ten eligible studies which the results were taken from to measure the impact of pre-settlement and post-settlement stressors on the mental health of Middle Eastern immigrants settling in North America, Australia, and Europe as well. Findings — Findings from this study showed that Middle Eastern immigrants from war-torn countries suffer from higher rates of mental health illnesses. Findings also found no association between the status of being either immigrant or refuge and having more pre-stressors or post-stressors as the migration process itself can negatively affect both immigrants and refugees. There was also a clear knowledge gap on both immigrants' experiences before their settlement and after settlement as well. The study highlights the absence of appropriate settlement programs that are directed to serve Middle Eastern immigrants. Conclusion — This scoping review is the beginning to an entire process of expanding the current knowledge gap and improving the existing services to accommodate Middle Eastern immigrants better. Researchers in the field need to conduct further interviews among Middle Eastern immigrants in those three continents to bring concrete knowledge, and evidence of the types of pre-settlement and post-settlement stressors immigrants are facing.