Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Challenges Faced by Refugee New Parents from Africa in Canada

  • Published:
Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study examines challenges faced by refugee new parents from Africa in Canada. Refugee new parents from Zimbabwe (n = 36) and Sudan (n = 36) were interviewed individually about challenges of coping concurrently with migration and new parenthood and completed loneliness and trauma/stress measures. Four group interviews with refugee new parents (n = 30) were subsequently conducted. Participants reported isolation, loneliness, and stress linked to migration and new parenthood. New gender roles evoked marital discord. Barriers to health-related services included language. Compounding challenges included discrimination, time restrictions for financial support, prolonged immigration and family reunification processes, uncoordinated government services, and culturally insensitive policies. The results reinforce the need for research on influences of refugees’ stressful experiences on parenting and potential role of social support in mitigating effects of stress among refugee new parents. Language services should be integrated within health systems to facilitate provision of information, affirmation, and emotional support to refugee new parents. Our study reinforces the need for culturally appropriate services that mobilize and sustain support in health and health related (e.g., education, employment, immigration) policies.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Karunakara UK, Neuner F, Schauer M, Singh K, Hill K, Elbert T, Burnha G. Traumatic events and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder amongst Sudanese Nationals, refugees and Ugandans in the West Nile. Afr Health Sci. 2004;4(2):83–93.

    PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Carroll J, Eptein R, Fiscella K, Volpe E, Diaz K, Omar S. Knowledge and beliefs about health promotions and preventive health care among Somali women in the United States. Health Care Women Int. 2007;28:360–80.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Drummond PD, Mizan A, Brocx K, Wright B. Barriers to accessing health care services for West African refugee women living in Western Australia. Health Care Women Int. 2011;32(3):206–24.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Ahmed A, Stewart DE, Teng Wahoush O, Gagnon JA. Experiences of immigrant new mothers with symptoms of depression. Women’s Mental Health. 2008;11:295–303.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Bhatia R, Wallace P. Experiences of refugees and asylum seekers in general practice: a qualitative study. BMC Fam Pract. 2007;8:1–9.

  6. Bandyopadhyay M, Small R, Watson LF, Brown S. Life with a new baby: how do immigrant and Australian-born women’s experiences compare? Aust N Z J Public Health. 2010;34(4):412–21.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Murray L, Windsor C, Parker E. The experiences of African women hiving birth in Brisbane, Australia. Health Care Women Int. 2010;31:458–72.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Grewal SK, Bhagat R, Balneaves LG. Perinatal beliefs and practices of immigrant Punjabi women living in Canada. J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs. 2008;37(3):290–300.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Foss GF, Chantal AW, Hendrickson S. Maternal depression and anxiety and infant development: a comparison of foreign-born and native-born mothers. Public Health Nurs. 2004;21(3):237–46.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Ahmed SM, Beck B, Maurana CA, Newton G. Overcoming barriers to effective community-based participatory research in US medical schools. Educ Health. 2004;17(2):141–51.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Stewart DE, Gagnon A, Sauchier JF, Wahoush O, Dougherty G. Postpartum depression symptoms in newcomers. Can J Psychol. 2008;53:121–4.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Lewig K, Arney F, Salveron M. Challenges to parenting in a new culture: implications for child and family welfare. Eval Program Plan. 2010;33(3):324–32.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Pumariega AJ, Rothe E, Pumariega JB. Mental health of immigrants and refugees. Commun Mental Health J. 2005;41(5):581–97.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Citizenship and Immigration Canada. Retrieved April 2, 2013 from http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/times/temp.asp (2013).

  15. The Mosaic Institute. Profile of a community: a “smart map” of the Sudanese diaspora in Canada. Report prepared for the Sudan task force, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) The Mosaic Institute; 2009.

  16. Gillam S, Khanchandani R, Ndebele M. Health needs of Zimbabweans are poorly recognised in UK. BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.). 2004;329(7472):979.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Beiser M, Zilber N, Simich L, Youngmann R, Zohar AH, Taa B, et al. Regional effects on the mental health of immigrant children: results from the new Canadian children and youth study (NCCYS). Health Place. 2011;17(3):822–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Oxman-Martinez J, Rummens AJ, Moreau J, Choi YR, Beiser M, Ogilvie L, et al. Perceived ethnic discrimination and social exclusion: newcomer immigrant children in Canada. Am J Orthopsychiatry. 2012;82(3):376–88.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Simich L, Beiser M, Stewart M, Makwarimba E. Providing social support for immigrants and refugees in Canada: challenges and directions. J Immigr Health. 2005;7(4):259–68.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Yarcheski A, Mahon NE, Yarcheski TJ. Stress, hope, and loneliness in young adolescents. Pschol Rep. 2011;108(3):919–22.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Doan LD, Adam EK. Loneliness and cortisol: momentary, day-to-day, and trait associations. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2010;35(3):430–41.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Qualter P, Brown SL, Munn P, Rotenberg KJ. Childhood loneliness as a predictor of adolescent depressive symptoms: an 8-year longitudinal study. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2010;19(6):493–501.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. O’Donovan A, Hughes B. Social support and loneliness in college students: effects on pulse pressure reactivity to acute stress. Int J Adolesc Med Health. 2007;19(4):523–8.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Ponizovsky AM, Ritsner MS. Patterns of loneliness in an immigrant population. Compr Psychiatry. 2004;45(5):408–14.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Braveman PA, Egerter SA, Woolf SH, Marks JS. When do we know enough to recommend action on the social determinants of health? Am J Prev Med. 2011;40(1 SUPPL. 1):S58–66.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Koh HK, Piotrowski JJ, Kumanyika SM, Fielding JE. Healthy people: a 2020 vision for the social determinants approach. Health Educ Behav. 2011;38(6):551–7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Braveman PA, Egerter SA, Mockenhaupt RE. Broadening the focus: the need to address the social determinants of health. Am J Prev Med. 2011;40(1 SUPPL. 1):S4–18.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Milgrom J, Westley DT, Gemmill AW. The mediating role of maternal responsiveness in some longer term effects of postnatal depression on infant development. Infant Behav Dev. 2004;27(4):443–54.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Simich L, Mawani F, Wu F, Noor A. Meanings of social support, coping and help-seeking strategies among immigrants and refugees in Toronto. CERIS workshop paper, No. 31; 2004.

  30. Lev-Wiesel R, Kaufman R. Personal characteristics, unemployment, and anxiety among highly educated immigrants. Int Migr. 2004;42(3):57–75.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Quell C. Official languages and immigration: obstacles and opportunities for immigrants and communities. Ottawa: Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages; 2002.

    Google Scholar 

  32. Population 5 years and over by mobility status, by census metropolitan area (2006 census) [Internet]: 2007. http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/101/est01/demo57a-eng.htm.

  33. Warren BJ. Explaining social isolation through concept analysis. Arch Psychiatr Nurs. 1993;7:270–6.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Schulze S. Views on the combination of quantitative and qualitative research approaches. Progress Newsl Teach Dev. 2003;25(2):8–20.

    Google Scholar 

  35. Tashakkori A, Teddlie C, editors. Handbook of mixed methods in the social and behavioral research. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications; 2003.

    Google Scholar 

  36. Israel B, Eng E, Schultz AC, Parker E. Methods in community based participatory research for health. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass; 2005.

    Google Scholar 

  37. Hammersley M. Reading ethnographic research. 2nd ed. New York: Longman; 1998.

    Google Scholar 

  38. Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs Science and Technology. Out of the shadows at last: Transforming mental health, mental illness and addiction services in Canada. Ottawa 2006.

  39. Russell DW. UCLA loneliness scale (version 3): reliability, validity, and factor structure. J Pers Assess. 1996;66(1):20–40.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Ozben S. Social skills, life satisfaction, and loneliness in Turkish university students. Soc Behav Personal. 2013;41(2):203–14.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  41. Chen LJ, Chung SK. Loneliness, social connectedness and income among undergraduate females and males in Taiwan. Soc Behav Personal. 2007;35(10):1353–64.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. Wilson D, Cutts J, Lees I, Mapungwana S, Maunganidze L. Psychometric properties of the revised UCLA Loneliness Scale and two short-form measures of loneliness in Zimbabwe. J Personal Assess. 1992;59(1):72–81.

  43. Blake DD, Weathers FW, Nagy LM, Kaloupek DG, Gusman FD, Charney DS, Keane TM. The development of a clinician-administered PTSD scale. J Trauma Stress. 1995;8:75–90.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  44. Charney ME, Keane TM. Psychometric analyses of the Clinicaian-Adminstered PTSD Scale (CAPS)—Bosnian translation. Cult Divers Ethnic Minor Psychol. 2007;13(2):161–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  45. Hinton DE, Chlean D, Pich V, Pollack MH, Orr SP, Pitman RK. Assessment of posttraumatic stress disorder in Cambodian refugees using Clinician-Administered PTSD scale: psychometric properties and symptom severity. J Trauma Stress. 2006;19(3):405–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  46. Nishi D, Noguchi H, Yonemoto N, Nakajima S, Kim Y, Matsuoka Y. Incidence and prediction of post-traumatic stress disorder at 6 months after motor vehicle accidents in Japan. Psychosomatics. 2013;54(3):263–71.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  47. Simons L, Lathlean J, Squire C. Shifting the focus: sequential methods of analysis with qualitative data. Qual Health Res. 2008;18(1):120–32.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  48. Hoffmann RG, Rodrigue JR, Andres JM, Novak DA. Moderating effects of family functioning on the social adjustment of children with liver disease. Children’s Health Care. 1995;24:107–17.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  49. Lambert EY, Ashery RS, Needle RH editors. Qualitative methods in drug abuse and HIV research. NIDA Research Monograph 157, Rockville, MD: National Institute of Drug Abuse; 1995.

  50. Keen SM, Kutter CJ, Niles BL, Krinsley KE. Psychometric properties of PTSD Checklist in sample of male veterans. J Rehabil Res Dev. 2008;45(3):465–74.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  51. Marshall C, Rossman GB. Designing Qualitative Research (2nd ed). Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications 1995.

  52. Fox B. When couples become parents: the creation of gender in the transition to parenthood. Toronto: Toronto University Press; 2009.

    Google Scholar 

  53. McMichael C, Manderson L. Somali women and well-being: social networks and social capital among immigrant women in Australia. Human Organization 2004. http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3800/is_200404/ai_n9392916.

  54. Young D, Spitzer DL, Pang F. Understanding the health care needs of Canadian immigrants. Report prepared for the Prairie Centre of Excellence for Research on Immigration and Integration, Edmonton 1999.

  55. Neufeld A, Harrison MJ, Stewart MJ, Hughes KD, Spitzer D. Immigrant women: making connections to community resources for support in family care giving. Qual Health Res. 2002;12:751–68.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  56. Quell C. Official languages and immigration: obstacles and opportunities for immigrants and communities. Ottawa: Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages; 2002.

    Google Scholar 

  57. Davies MM, Bath PA. The maternity information concerns of Somali women in the United Kingdom. J Adv Nurs. 2001;36(2):237–45.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  58. Stewart M, Anderson J, Beiser M, Makwarimba E, Neufeld A, Simich L, Spitzer S. Multicultural meanings of social support among immigrants and refugees. Int Migr. 2008;46(3):123–59.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  59. Morrison V. Contraceptive need among Cambodian refugees in Khao Phlu Camp. Int Fam Plan Perspect. 2000;26(4):188–92.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  60. Barnes DM, Harrison CL. Refugee women’s reproductive health in early resettlement. J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs. 2004;33(6):723–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  61. Stewart M, Simich L, Shizha E, Makumbe K, Makwarimba E. Supporting African refugees in Canada: insights from a support intervention. Health Soc Care Community. 2012;20(5):516–27.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  62. Warner FR. Social support and distress among Q’eqchi refugee women in Maya Tecun, Mexico. Med Anthropol Q. 2007;21(2):193–217.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  63. Beiser M. Strangers at the gate: a 10 year study of refugee settlement in Canada. Toronto: University of Toronto Press; 1999.

    Google Scholar 

  64. Jaranson J, Butcher J, Halcon L, et al. Somali and Oromo refugees: correlates of torture and trauma history. Am J Public Health. 2004;94(4):591–8.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  65. McMichael C. Manderson L. Somali women and well-being: Social networks and social capital among immigrant women in Australia. Human Organization 2004. http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3800/is_200404/ai_n9392916.

  66. Goodman JH. Coping with trauma and hardship among unaccompanied refugee youths from Sudan. Qual Health Res. 2004;14(9):1177–96.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  67. Schweitzer R, Melville F, Lacherez P, Steel Z. Trauma, post migration living difficulties, and social support as predictors of psychological adjustment in resettled Sudanese refugees. Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 2006;40:179–87.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study was funded by the Alberta Centre for Child, Family and Community Research.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Nursing, Level 3, Edmonton Clinic Health Academy, University of Alberta, 11405 – 87 Ave, Edmonton, AB, T6G 1C9, Canada

    M. Stewart, M. Kariwo, K. E. Kushner & K. Makumbe

  2. Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    C. L. Dennis

  3. Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada

    N. Letourneau

  4. Alberta Health Services, Edmonton, AB, Canada

    E. Makwarimba

  5. Contemporary Studies, Wilfred Laurier University, Waterloo, ON, Canada

    E. Shizha

Authors
  1. M. Stewart
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. C. L. Dennis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. M. Kariwo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. K. E. Kushner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. N. Letourneau
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. K. Makumbe
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. E. Makwarimba
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. E. Shizha
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to K. E. Kushner.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Stewart, M., Dennis, C.L., Kariwo, M. et al. Challenges Faced by Refugee New Parents from Africa in Canada. J Immigrant Minority Health 17, 1146–1156 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-014-0062-3

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-014-0062-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation