Exploration of the Quality of Life and the Impact of Settlement Experiences of Adult Male Syrian Refugees Living in Jordan: Focusing on the Mental Health

Jawasreh, Mousa (2021) Exploration of the Quality of Life and the Impact of Settlement Experiences of Adult Male Syrian Refugees Living in Jordan: Focusing on the Mental Health. Doctoral thesis (PhD), Manchester Metropolitan University.

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Abstract

By the end of 2019 the global number of refugees reached 79.5 million; the top source country being Syria with 6.6 million in total (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 2020). This research aimed to understand the impact of displacement on the quality of life of Syrian refugees settling in Jordan, with a specific focus on mental health. The focus on mental health shed light on the impact of torture and trauma experiences and subsequent mental health conditions. The study sought to investigate the perspectives and worldviews of the adult male Syrian refugees in one specific refugee camp and employed a generic qualitative design. Qualitative data was collected from seventeen adult male participants in the form of semi-structured interviews conducted face-to-face in Jordan. The research explored the lifestyle and circumstances of adult male Syrian refugees and how this affected their quality of life and mental health. The participants reported the impact of changes in culture, education and work since they arrived in the refugee camps, and the effect on their mental health throughout the years they had spent as refugees (2011-2019). This study reviewed the effect of the services that adult male Syrian refugees obtained via the Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) throughout the years of being asylum seekers and identified positive interventions for the adult male Syrian refugees. Analysis of the responses demonstrated the harsh reality of camp life and the difficulties involved in trying to meet basic daily needs. The refugees were worried about securing jobs and did not feel that they could rely on the services provided by NGOs. They were worried about the future and the ongoing uncertainty, as well as feeling a loss of control and sense of helplessness due to being unable to change their current situation. Whilst some of the interviewees reported trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), the majority disclosed no serious diagnosable mental illnesses. In conclusion, this study found that the refugees want to change their current life conditions by working and having an income and to have a sense of purpose in life. The mental health problems they reported were more a reflection of their current situation, the settings and circumstances, than markers of serious mental illness. These findings can inform our interventions with future groups of refugees and other cases of forced migration. The conclusion offers recommendations for the NGOs, hosting communities and decision makers regarding the refugees in Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa (MENA). On this basis, it is recommended that the authorities and the NGOs reform their vision of care and aid towards the refugees, focusing more on improving their sense of control and working with them to find possible solutions that would empower them and give them productive and meaningful lives.