Resiliency with Forced Migrants: A Qualitative Study of Providers and Forced Migrants through a Resilience Perspective

Abstract

In the last ten years, the world has experienced unprecedented, forced migration due to civil unrest, political persecution, and the ever-growing climate crisis. This is a qualitative study of the professional experiences of social workers (n = 73) working with forced migrants (n = 34) and the lived experiences of forced migrants in several countries: Germany, Greece, Iceland, Mexico, Switzerland, and the United States. Social workers reported that most of their interventions involved short-term case management that focused on securing initial housing and healthcare. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) was the primary intervention for behavioral health issues. The recipients of these services were appreciative of the pragmatic approach of case management as it helped them meet concrete needs. When resiliency enhancing interventions were used, recipients reported a greater sense of self-control, greater optimism for the future, and less anxious symptoms. The resiliency model used is discussed. This is a possible universal approach to working with forced migrants.

Keywords

• DACA
• ecological theory
• resettlement
• resilience
• forced migration
• social work