Family Against the Odds: The Psychological Impact of Family Separation on Refugee Men Living in the United Kingdom
Refugees face post-migration stressors during resettlement in host countries, including forced separation from loved ones. This qualitative study aimed to examine the impact of family separation on refugee men living in the United Kingdom. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and analysed...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Social Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/14/3/159 |
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| author | Dafni Katsampa Christina Curry Ella Weldon Haben Ghezai Patrick Nyikavaranda Vasiliki Stamatopoulou David Chapman |
| author_facet | Dafni Katsampa Christina Curry Ella Weldon Haben Ghezai Patrick Nyikavaranda Vasiliki Stamatopoulou David Chapman |
| author_sort | Dafni Katsampa |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Refugees face post-migration stressors during resettlement in host countries, including forced separation from loved ones. This qualitative study aimed to examine the impact of family separation on refugee men living in the United Kingdom. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and analysed following the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis framework. Participants described the emotional burden of family separation, alongside a perceived responsibility to support their families practically, emotionally, and financially. Men shared experiences of powerlessness, discrimination, and acculturation in the UK, and associated their experiences with time and context. Participants’ stories were embedded in their intersectional identities of masculinity, race, sexuality, religion, and migration status. Policymakers should consider the unique challenges male refugees separated from their families face in the UK in order to implement positive changes in the asylum system. Clinicians working with refugees and asylum-seekers should inform their assessment, formulation, and intervention approaches. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2c4348fe73154f92b44bfdcfd2129f36 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2076-0760 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Social Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-2c4348fe73154f92b44bfdcfd2129f362025-08-20T02:43:07ZengMDPI AGSocial Sciences2076-07602025-03-0114315910.3390/socsci14030159Family Against the Odds: The Psychological Impact of Family Separation on Refugee Men Living in the United KingdomDafni Katsampa0Christina Curry1Ella Weldon2Haben Ghezai3Patrick Nyikavaranda4Vasiliki Stamatopoulou5David Chapman6School of Life Sciences and Psychology, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield AL10 9AB, UKHelen Bamber Foundation, London N1 7JH, UKHelen Bamber Foundation, London N1 7JH, UKFreedom from Torture, London N7 7JW, UKBrighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Brighton, Brighton BN1 9PX, UKNELFT NHS Foundation Trust, Dagenham RM13 8GQ, UKCambridgeshire Partnership Foundation Trust, Cambridge CB1 3DF, UKRefugees face post-migration stressors during resettlement in host countries, including forced separation from loved ones. This qualitative study aimed to examine the impact of family separation on refugee men living in the United Kingdom. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and analysed following the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis framework. Participants described the emotional burden of family separation, alongside a perceived responsibility to support their families practically, emotionally, and financially. Men shared experiences of powerlessness, discrimination, and acculturation in the UK, and associated their experiences with time and context. Participants’ stories were embedded in their intersectional identities of masculinity, race, sexuality, religion, and migration status. Policymakers should consider the unique challenges male refugees separated from their families face in the UK in order to implement positive changes in the asylum system. Clinicians working with refugees and asylum-seekers should inform their assessment, formulation, and intervention approaches.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/14/3/159family separationtraumapost-migration stressorsforced displacementpost-traumatic stress |
| spellingShingle | Dafni Katsampa Christina Curry Ella Weldon Haben Ghezai Patrick Nyikavaranda Vasiliki Stamatopoulou David Chapman Family Against the Odds: The Psychological Impact of Family Separation on Refugee Men Living in the United Kingdom Social Sciences family separation trauma post-migration stressors forced displacement post-traumatic stress |
| title | Family Against the Odds: The Psychological Impact of Family Separation on Refugee Men Living in the United Kingdom |
| title_full | Family Against the Odds: The Psychological Impact of Family Separation on Refugee Men Living in the United Kingdom |
| title_fullStr | Family Against the Odds: The Psychological Impact of Family Separation on Refugee Men Living in the United Kingdom |
| title_full_unstemmed | Family Against the Odds: The Psychological Impact of Family Separation on Refugee Men Living in the United Kingdom |
| title_short | Family Against the Odds: The Psychological Impact of Family Separation on Refugee Men Living in the United Kingdom |
| title_sort | family against the odds the psychological impact of family separation on refugee men living in the united kingdom |
| topic | family separation trauma post-migration stressors forced displacement post-traumatic stress |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/14/3/159 |
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