Exploring the Health and Well-Being of the Refugee Population in the triangle area (2016)
Undergraduate: Luwam Debru
Faculty Advisor: Josh Hinson
Department: Psychology & Neuroscience
Every day across the world people making a difficult decision to leave their homes, families, and communities behind to an uncertain and frightening future elsewhere. Refugees leave their homes due to war, poverty, natural disasters, or political corruption in hopes of a better future. This long and often dangerous process has led to Refugees being one of the most vulnerable populations with many health implications as a result. The purpose of this research is to understand the processes of resettlement, the health implications that result, and the effectiveness of available resources. Through the refugee assistance programs, Church World Services and Refugee Health Initiative, interviews will be conducted with Refugees from various countries. Through these interviews physical well-being, mental health, and social health will be assessed. This research will also explore the services that the Refugee's are receiving and analyze the effectiveness of these services in the resettlement process. Lastly, this research aims to identify the factors that are hindering and promoting well being, as well as identifying ways to improve well-being in hopes to turn this research into a solution to possible unmet needs. This research will add to academic literature on the Refugee Resettlement Process and overall well-being of the Refugee Population.