Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

FACILITATING A HEALTHY TRANSITION for involuntary migrant families within Primary Health Care

Samarasinghe, Kerstin LU (2007)
Abstract
The refugee families face a complex transition due to the nature of the migration. This exposes them to vulnerability in cohesion and family function. Primary Health Care Nurses (PHCN) and Interpreters in Primary Health Care (PHC) play a vital role in their promotion of health because migrant health care is mainly carried out within PHC. The overall aim of this thesis was to reach a comprehensive understanding of involuntary migrant family health in order to facilitate a healthy transition for the aforementioned families in Sweden from a systems perspective. These findings are based on interviews representing 16 members from ten families from the Balkans, Kurdistan and Africa (study I), 34 PHCNs (studyII & III) and ten Interpreters... (More)
The refugee families face a complex transition due to the nature of the migration. This exposes them to vulnerability in cohesion and family function. Primary Health Care Nurses (PHCN) and Interpreters in Primary Health Care (PHC) play a vital role in their promotion of health because migrant health care is mainly carried out within PHC. The overall aim of this thesis was to reach a comprehensive understanding of involuntary migrant family health in order to facilitate a healthy transition for the aforementioned families in Sweden from a systems perspective. These findings are based on interviews representing 16 members from ten families from the Balkans, Kurdistan and Africa (study I), 34 PHCNs (studyII & III) and ten Interpreters working within PHC and originating from the same countries as the families (study IV). This study was carried out in two municipalities in Sweden. Contextual analysis with reference to phenomenography was used in interpreting the data in studies I-III. A qualitative method and contextual analysis was used in study IV. The Neuman Systems Model was used to unravel environmental influences in all the four studies.

The findings of study I & II illustrate the families? transition experience through four different family profiles respectively describing the families? wellbeing: A distressed family living under prolonged tension; a contented family who leads a satisfactory life; a frustrated family who cannot lead a fully satisfactory life and a dejected family who feels deserted (study I). Further, a mentally distressed family within the asylum-seeking process; an insecure family with immigrant status; a family with internal instability and being segregated from society; and a stable and well functioning family integrated in society (study II). Stress factors such as living in uncertainty, having traumas, change in family roles, frequent negative attitudes of the host country and social segregation was detrimental to the wellbeing of the family. In promoting their health, PHCNs approached the families through: an ethnocentric approach, an empathic and culturally relative approach, and a holistic approach (study III). From the Interpreters? perspective, promoting health was to improve psychological wellbeing by: promoting positive thoughts of a future, promoting consideration of one's worth and promoting stability of the family unit.

Social interactions within the host country, recognition and appreciation of families? cultural values, beliefs and competence and proper and elucidative information regarding the functioning of the host country was necessary. Facilitating a healthy transition for involuntary migrant families is possible within PHC. This can be done through cooperation of the family, with other health professionals, community and ethnic organizations. A model was developed in order to help the aforementioned. Competence in intercultural communication and family focused nursing is required. Adequate skills ought to be included in the education of nurses. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
supervisor
opponent
  • Docent Benzein, Eva, Högskolan i Kalmar
organization
publishing date
type
Thesis
publication status
published
subject
keywords
samhällsmedicin, culture, Primary Health Care, family, transition, Medicine (human and vertebrates), Medicin (människa och djur), Social medicine, Socialmedicin, involuntary migration
pages
130 pages
publisher
Distribution by Kerstin Samarasinghe Lund University, Department of Health Sciences, Box 157, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden
defense location
Hörsal 1, Vårdvetenskapens hus, Baravägen 3, Lund
defense date
2007-03-30 09:00:00
ISBN
978-91-85559-28-2
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Kerstin Samarasinghe and Barbro Arvidsson. 2002. 'It is a different war to fight here in Sweden'- the impact of involuntary migration on the health of refugee families in transition Scandinavian Journal of Caring Science, pp 292-301.
Kerstin Samarasinghe, Bengt Fridlund and Barbro Arvidsson. 2006. Primary Health Care Nurses' conceptions of involuntarily migrated families health pp 301-307.
Kerstin Samarasinghe, Bengt Fridlund and Barbro Arvidsson. . Primary Health Care Nurses' approaches in promoting the health of involuntarily migrated families in cultural transition in Sweden (submitted)
Kerstin Samarasinghe, Barbro Arvidsson and Bengt Fridlund. . Promoting health in involuntarily migrated families in cultural transition from the perspective of interpreters working within Primary Health Care (manuscript)
The information about affiliations in this record was updated in December 2015. The record was previously connected to the following departments: Division of Nursing (Closed 2012) (013065000)
id
7181d7b1-08f7-4edb-9561-c2daf43f6f6f (old id 548268)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 15:23:50
date last changed
2023-05-29 09:15:18
@phdthesis{7181d7b1-08f7-4edb-9561-c2daf43f6f6f,
  abstract     = {{The refugee families face a complex transition due to the nature of the migration. This exposes them to vulnerability in cohesion and family function. Primary Health Care Nurses (PHCN) and Interpreters in Primary Health Care (PHC) play a vital role in their promotion of health because migrant health care is mainly carried out within PHC. The overall aim of this thesis was to reach a comprehensive understanding of involuntary migrant family health in order to facilitate a healthy transition for the aforementioned families in Sweden from a systems perspective. These findings are based on interviews representing 16 members from ten families from the Balkans, Kurdistan and Africa (study I), 34 PHCNs (studyII &amp; III) and ten Interpreters working within PHC and originating from the same countries as the families (study IV). This study was carried out in two municipalities in Sweden. Contextual analysis with reference to phenomenography was used in interpreting the data in studies I-III. A qualitative method and contextual analysis was used in study IV. The Neuman Systems Model was used to unravel environmental influences in all the four studies.<br/><br/>The findings of study I &amp; II illustrate the families? transition experience through four different family profiles respectively describing the families? wellbeing: A distressed family living under prolonged tension; a contented family who leads a satisfactory life; a frustrated family who cannot lead a fully satisfactory life and a dejected family who feels deserted (study I). Further, a mentally distressed family within the asylum-seeking process; an insecure family with immigrant status; a family with internal instability and being segregated from society; and a stable and well functioning family integrated in society (study II). Stress factors such as living in uncertainty, having traumas, change in family roles, frequent negative attitudes of the host country and social segregation was detrimental to the wellbeing of the family. In promoting their health, PHCNs approached the families through: an ethnocentric approach, an empathic and culturally relative approach, and a holistic approach (study III). From the Interpreters? perspective, promoting health was to improve psychological wellbeing by: promoting positive thoughts of a future, promoting consideration of one's worth and promoting stability of the family unit.<br/><br/>Social interactions within the host country, recognition and appreciation of families? cultural values, beliefs and competence and proper and elucidative information regarding the functioning of the host country was necessary. Facilitating a healthy transition for involuntary migrant families is possible within PHC. This can be done through cooperation of the family, with other health professionals, community and ethnic organizations. A model was developed in order to help the aforementioned. Competence in intercultural communication and family focused nursing is required. Adequate skills ought to be included in the education of nurses.}},
  author       = {{Samarasinghe, Kerstin}},
  isbn         = {{978-91-85559-28-2}},
  keywords     = {{samhällsmedicin; culture; Primary Health Care; family; transition; Medicine (human and vertebrates); Medicin (människa och djur); Social medicine; Socialmedicin; involuntary migration}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Distribution by Kerstin Samarasinghe Lund University, Department of Health Sciences, Box 157, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden}},
  school       = {{Lund University}},
  title        = {{FACILITATING A HEALTHY TRANSITION for involuntary migrant families within Primary Health Care}},
  year         = {{2007}},
}