Structural and socio-cultural barriers to accessing mental healthcare among Syrian refugees and asylum seekers in Switzerland
Background: Due to their experiences of major stressful life events, including post-displacement stressors, refugees and asylum seekers are vulnerable to developing mental health problems. Yet, despite the availability of specialized mental health services in Western European host countries, refugee...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Taylor & Francis Group
2020-12-01
|
| Series: | European Journal of Psychotraumatology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2020.1717825 |
| _version_ | 1797954551327752192 |
|---|---|
| author | Nikolai Kiselev Monique Pfaltz Florence Haas Matthis Schick Marie Kappen Marit Sijbrandij Anne M. De Graaff Martha Bird Pernille Hansen Peter Ventevogel Daniela C Fuhr Ulrich Schnyder Naser Morina |
| author_facet | Nikolai Kiselev Monique Pfaltz Florence Haas Matthis Schick Marie Kappen Marit Sijbrandij Anne M. De Graaff Martha Bird Pernille Hansen Peter Ventevogel Daniela C Fuhr Ulrich Schnyder Naser Morina |
| author_sort | Nikolai Kiselev |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Due to their experiences of major stressful life events, including post-displacement stressors, refugees and asylum seekers are vulnerable to developing mental health problems. Yet, despite the availability of specialized mental health services in Western European host countries, refugees and asylum seekers display low mental healthcare utilization. Objective: The aim of this study was to explore structural and socio-cultural barriers to accessing mental healthcare among Syrian refugees and asylum seekers in Switzerland. Method: In this qualitative study, key-informant (KI) interviews with Syrian refugees and asylum seekers, Swiss healthcare providers and other stakeholders (e.g. refugee coordinators or leaders) were conducted in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. Participants were recruited using snowball sampling. Interviews were audiotaped and transcribed, and then analysed using thematic analysis, combining deductive and inductive coding. Results: Findings show that Syrian refugees and asylum seekers face multiple structural and socio-cultural barriers, with socio-cultural barriers being perceived as more pronounced. Syrian key informants, healthcare providers, and other stakeholders identified language, gatekeeper-associated problems, lack of resources, lack of awareness, fear of stigma and a mismatch between the local health system and perceived needs of Syrian refugees and asylum seekers as key barriers to accessing care. Conclusions: The results show that for Syrian refugees and asylum seekers in Switzerland several barriers exist. This is in line with previous findings. A possible solution for the current situation might be to increase the agility of the service system in general and to improve the willingness to embrace innovative paths, rather than adapting mental healthcare services regarding single barriers and needs of a new target population. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T23:19:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e59a356a0efc4e82a867156fd61e556c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2000-8066 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T23:19:14Z |
| publishDate | 2020-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Journal of Psychotraumatology |
| spelling | doaj.art-e59a356a0efc4e82a867156fd61e556c2023-01-12T15:31:32ZengTaylor & Francis GroupEuropean Journal of Psychotraumatology2000-80662020-12-0111110.1080/20008198.2020.17178251717825Structural and socio-cultural barriers to accessing mental healthcare among Syrian refugees and asylum seekers in SwitzerlandNikolai Kiselev0Monique Pfaltz1Florence Haas2Matthis Schick3Marie Kappen4Marit Sijbrandij5Anne M. De Graaff6Martha Bird7Pernille Hansen8Peter Ventevogel9Daniela C Fuhr10Ulrich Schnyder11Naser Morina12University Hospital ZurichUniversity Hospital ZurichUniversity Hospital ZurichUniversity Hospital ZurichUniversity Hospital ZurichVrije Universiteit Amsterdam and Amsterdam Public Health InstituteVrije Universiteit Amsterdam and Amsterdam Public Health InstituteInternational Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent SocietiesInternational Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent SocietiesUnited Nations High Commissioner for RefugeesLondon School of Hygiene & Tropical MedicineUniversity of ZurichUniversity Hospital ZurichBackground: Due to their experiences of major stressful life events, including post-displacement stressors, refugees and asylum seekers are vulnerable to developing mental health problems. Yet, despite the availability of specialized mental health services in Western European host countries, refugees and asylum seekers display low mental healthcare utilization. Objective: The aim of this study was to explore structural and socio-cultural barriers to accessing mental healthcare among Syrian refugees and asylum seekers in Switzerland. Method: In this qualitative study, key-informant (KI) interviews with Syrian refugees and asylum seekers, Swiss healthcare providers and other stakeholders (e.g. refugee coordinators or leaders) were conducted in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. Participants were recruited using snowball sampling. Interviews were audiotaped and transcribed, and then analysed using thematic analysis, combining deductive and inductive coding. Results: Findings show that Syrian refugees and asylum seekers face multiple structural and socio-cultural barriers, with socio-cultural barriers being perceived as more pronounced. Syrian key informants, healthcare providers, and other stakeholders identified language, gatekeeper-associated problems, lack of resources, lack of awareness, fear of stigma and a mismatch between the local health system and perceived needs of Syrian refugees and asylum seekers as key barriers to accessing care. Conclusions: The results show that for Syrian refugees and asylum seekers in Switzerland several barriers exist. This is in line with previous findings. A possible solution for the current situation might be to increase the agility of the service system in general and to improve the willingness to embrace innovative paths, rather than adapting mental healthcare services regarding single barriers and needs of a new target population.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2020.1717825mental healthcare servicesrefugee mental healthsyrian refugees and asylum seekersbarriersswitzerlandqualitative study |
| spellingShingle | Nikolai Kiselev Monique Pfaltz Florence Haas Matthis Schick Marie Kappen Marit Sijbrandij Anne M. De Graaff Martha Bird Pernille Hansen Peter Ventevogel Daniela C Fuhr Ulrich Schnyder Naser Morina Structural and socio-cultural barriers to accessing mental healthcare among Syrian refugees and asylum seekers in Switzerland European Journal of Psychotraumatology mental healthcare services refugee mental health syrian refugees and asylum seekers barriers switzerland qualitative study |
| title | Structural and socio-cultural barriers to accessing mental healthcare among Syrian refugees and asylum seekers in Switzerland |
| title_full | Structural and socio-cultural barriers to accessing mental healthcare among Syrian refugees and asylum seekers in Switzerland |
| title_fullStr | Structural and socio-cultural barriers to accessing mental healthcare among Syrian refugees and asylum seekers in Switzerland |
| title_full_unstemmed | Structural and socio-cultural barriers to accessing mental healthcare among Syrian refugees and asylum seekers in Switzerland |
| title_short | Structural and socio-cultural barriers to accessing mental healthcare among Syrian refugees and asylum seekers in Switzerland |
| title_sort | structural and socio cultural barriers to accessing mental healthcare among syrian refugees and asylum seekers in switzerland |
| topic | mental healthcare services refugee mental health syrian refugees and asylum seekers barriers switzerland qualitative study |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2020.1717825 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT nikolaikiselev structuralandsocioculturalbarrierstoaccessingmentalhealthcareamongsyrianrefugeesandasylumseekersinswitzerland AT moniquepfaltz structuralandsocioculturalbarrierstoaccessingmentalhealthcareamongsyrianrefugeesandasylumseekersinswitzerland AT florencehaas structuralandsocioculturalbarrierstoaccessingmentalhealthcareamongsyrianrefugeesandasylumseekersinswitzerland AT matthisschick structuralandsocioculturalbarrierstoaccessingmentalhealthcareamongsyrianrefugeesandasylumseekersinswitzerland AT mariekappen structuralandsocioculturalbarrierstoaccessingmentalhealthcareamongsyrianrefugeesandasylumseekersinswitzerland AT maritsijbrandij structuralandsocioculturalbarrierstoaccessingmentalhealthcareamongsyrianrefugeesandasylumseekersinswitzerland AT annemdegraaff structuralandsocioculturalbarrierstoaccessingmentalhealthcareamongsyrianrefugeesandasylumseekersinswitzerland AT marthabird structuralandsocioculturalbarrierstoaccessingmentalhealthcareamongsyrianrefugeesandasylumseekersinswitzerland AT pernillehansen structuralandsocioculturalbarrierstoaccessingmentalhealthcareamongsyrianrefugeesandasylumseekersinswitzerland AT peterventevogel structuralandsocioculturalbarrierstoaccessingmentalhealthcareamongsyrianrefugeesandasylumseekersinswitzerland AT danielacfuhr structuralandsocioculturalbarrierstoaccessingmentalhealthcareamongsyrianrefugeesandasylumseekersinswitzerland AT ulrichschnyder structuralandsocioculturalbarrierstoaccessingmentalhealthcareamongsyrianrefugeesandasylumseekersinswitzerland AT nasermorina structuralandsocioculturalbarrierstoaccessingmentalhealthcareamongsyrianrefugeesandasylumseekersinswitzerland |