Substance use and help-seeking barriers: a qualitative study of East African migrants’ experiences of access to Norwegian healthcare services
Abstract Background Migration to Norway has increased rapidly in recent decades. Migrants have a lower prevalence of substance use, but may have an elevated risk of developing mental health issues and substance use problems due to various migration and post-migration factors. Few studies have sought...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2023-02-01
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| Series: | BMC Health Services Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-023-09110-6 |
| _version_ | 1811171839851888640 |
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| author | Ruben Jervell Pettersen Jonas Debesay |
| author_facet | Ruben Jervell Pettersen Jonas Debesay |
| author_sort | Ruben Jervell Pettersen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Migration to Norway has increased rapidly in recent decades. Migrants have a lower prevalence of substance use, but may have an elevated risk of developing mental health issues and substance use problems due to various migration and post-migration factors. Few studies have sought to understand substance use problems among migrants in Norway. This study aimed to explore how people of East African background experience help-seeking for substance use problems in the Norwegian healthcare system. Methods Using an explorative approach, in-depth individual interviews were conducted with six adult participants from Somalia, Eritrea and Sudan who had been in contact with the Norwegian healthcare system. The goal of the interviews was to facilitate in-depth and nuanced descriptions of the participants’ lived experience of help-seeking for substance use problems. The data were analysed using interpretive phenomenological analysis. Results The analysis resulted in five themes in which participants described their help-seeking experiences for substance use problems as lack of knowledge and access to information, scepticism towards a ‘white system’, fear of exclusion from family and ethnic community, racism as a barrier to help-seeking, and positive experiences and ideas for future treatment practices. Conclusion This study provides an improved understanding of how migrants with substance use problems experience help-seeking in healthcare. The variety of barriers illustrates inequality in substance use care for East African migrants in Norway. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T17:20:51Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-adb68dc79db8465ca0b838873c4a6e13 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1472-6963 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T17:20:51Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Health Services Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-adb68dc79db8465ca0b838873c4a6e132023-02-05T12:07:44ZengBMCBMC Health Services Research1472-69632023-02-0123111410.1186/s12913-023-09110-6Substance use and help-seeking barriers: a qualitative study of East African migrants’ experiences of access to Norwegian healthcare servicesRuben Jervell Pettersen0Jonas Debesay1Faculty of Health, Department of Nursing, Oslo Metropolitan UniversityFaculty of Health, Department of Nursing, Oslo Metropolitan UniversityAbstract Background Migration to Norway has increased rapidly in recent decades. Migrants have a lower prevalence of substance use, but may have an elevated risk of developing mental health issues and substance use problems due to various migration and post-migration factors. Few studies have sought to understand substance use problems among migrants in Norway. This study aimed to explore how people of East African background experience help-seeking for substance use problems in the Norwegian healthcare system. Methods Using an explorative approach, in-depth individual interviews were conducted with six adult participants from Somalia, Eritrea and Sudan who had been in contact with the Norwegian healthcare system. The goal of the interviews was to facilitate in-depth and nuanced descriptions of the participants’ lived experience of help-seeking for substance use problems. The data were analysed using interpretive phenomenological analysis. Results The analysis resulted in five themes in which participants described their help-seeking experiences for substance use problems as lack of knowledge and access to information, scepticism towards a ‘white system’, fear of exclusion from family and ethnic community, racism as a barrier to help-seeking, and positive experiences and ideas for future treatment practices. Conclusion This study provides an improved understanding of how migrants with substance use problems experience help-seeking in healthcare. The variety of barriers illustrates inequality in substance use care for East African migrants in Norway.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-023-09110-6Health-seeking behaviorHealth disparitiesSubstance useMigration healthInterpretative phenomenological analysis |
| spellingShingle | Ruben Jervell Pettersen Jonas Debesay Substance use and help-seeking barriers: a qualitative study of East African migrants’ experiences of access to Norwegian healthcare services BMC Health Services Research Health-seeking behavior Health disparities Substance use Migration health Interpretative phenomenological analysis |
| title | Substance use and help-seeking barriers: a qualitative study of East African migrants’ experiences of access to Norwegian healthcare services |
| title_full | Substance use and help-seeking barriers: a qualitative study of East African migrants’ experiences of access to Norwegian healthcare services |
| title_fullStr | Substance use and help-seeking barriers: a qualitative study of East African migrants’ experiences of access to Norwegian healthcare services |
| title_full_unstemmed | Substance use and help-seeking barriers: a qualitative study of East African migrants’ experiences of access to Norwegian healthcare services |
| title_short | Substance use and help-seeking barriers: a qualitative study of East African migrants’ experiences of access to Norwegian healthcare services |
| title_sort | substance use and help seeking barriers a qualitative study of east african migrants experiences of access to norwegian healthcare services |
| topic | Health-seeking behavior Health disparities Substance use Migration health Interpretative phenomenological analysis |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-023-09110-6 |
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