Researchers at the University of Liverpool are leading a new study to better understand the wellbeing of female refugees in the United Kingdom.
The stressful experiences that many asylum seekers and refugees are exposed to during forced migration, and during resettlement in host countries, can have a profound impact on their mental health and wellbeing, however there are still many gaps in the research in this area.
Project coordinator Catharina van der Boor explains: “Over the last three years, I have been working together with refugee women in the UK to develop a comprehensive outcome measure for the evaluation of wellbeing for this population. In order to make it available for broader use and research, we are currently in the process of piloting it, as part of which we are asking women who hold a refugee status to fill in an online survey.
“To date, the majority of research has focussed on mental ill-health rather than mental health and wellbeing. The unique context that female refugees find themselves in merits the need for a tailored assessment measure focused on positive mental health outcomes. This will be helpful in providing important insights for community-based sources of support, researchers and policy makers into how we can best promote mental wellbeing in this population, which in turn can help improve their quality of life in the UK.”
The researchers are looking to recruit roughly 300 adult refugee women, who live in the UK, speak English, and are able to fill in an online survey. The survey takes about 25 minutes to complete, and participants who complete the survey are given the option to enter a randomized draw with four prices – three Amazon vouchers worth £50 and one voucher worth £100.
For further information and to complete the survey please visit: https://livpsych.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9WXQ855a4Sicnzf