TY - JOUR
T1 - “I Talk to Myself”
T2 - Exploring the Mental and Emotional Health Experiences of Muslim Rohingya Refugee Adolescents
AU - Magan, Ifrah Mahamud
AU - Sanchez, Elizabeth
AU - Munson, Michelle R.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2022. Springer Nature or its licensor holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
PY - 2024/8
Y1 - 2024/8
N2 - There is limited research examining the mental and emotional challenges, social support systems, and coping strategies of Muslim Rohingya refugee adolescents in the United States. The Rohingya, a Muslim ethnic minority group from Myanmar are considered one of the world’s largest stateless populations. This in-depth qualitative study among Muslim Rohingya adolescents aged 12–17 who reside in Chicago, IL (N = 15) builds understanding of their lived experiences of mental and emotional health. Employing a thematic analysis approach and adopting elements of youth Participatory Action Research (yPAR), our findings illuminate: (1) how the US school environment impacts the mental and emotional health of Rohingya adolescents; (2) Rohingya adolescents’ self-reliance as a coping mechanism showcasing their resilience and self-empowerment, and finally (3) the critical role played by their family and their Islamic faith as social support. We argue for the need to develop culturally grounded interventions that center Rohingya adolescents’ collectivist culture, Islamic faith, and their own unique strategies of self-reliance. As such, it is imperative to engage with Rohingya adolescents, their parents and caregivers, as well as refugee community leadership in the creation of mental health programs and interventions. Implications for research, practice, and education are discussed.
AB - There is limited research examining the mental and emotional challenges, social support systems, and coping strategies of Muslim Rohingya refugee adolescents in the United States. The Rohingya, a Muslim ethnic minority group from Myanmar are considered one of the world’s largest stateless populations. This in-depth qualitative study among Muslim Rohingya adolescents aged 12–17 who reside in Chicago, IL (N = 15) builds understanding of their lived experiences of mental and emotional health. Employing a thematic analysis approach and adopting elements of youth Participatory Action Research (yPAR), our findings illuminate: (1) how the US school environment impacts the mental and emotional health of Rohingya adolescents; (2) Rohingya adolescents’ self-reliance as a coping mechanism showcasing their resilience and self-empowerment, and finally (3) the critical role played by their family and their Islamic faith as social support. We argue for the need to develop culturally grounded interventions that center Rohingya adolescents’ collectivist culture, Islamic faith, and their own unique strategies of self-reliance. As such, it is imperative to engage with Rohingya adolescents, their parents and caregivers, as well as refugee community leadership in the creation of mental health programs and interventions. Implications for research, practice, and education are discussed.
KW - Mental Health
KW - Muslim Adolescent
KW - Refugee Adolescent
KW - Rohingya
KW - Role of Family
KW - Schools
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U2 - 10.1007/s10560-022-00880-2
DO - 10.1007/s10560-022-00880-2
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85135923790
SN - 0738-0151
VL - 41
SP - 633
EP - 644
JO - Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal
JF - Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal
IS - 4
ER -