Health promotion for refugees: Needs from the perspective of people concerned

Abstract

Background: Millions of people worldwide are on the run due to persecution, political discrimination or war. Refugees belong to a vulnerable and health-disadvantaged population group, which in Germany has at the same time only limited access to medical care and preventive measures. Thus, they need special attention in health promotion. Objectives: Refugees living in Germany were interviewed about their experiences and needs. Methods: In all, 13 guideline-based interviews were conducted with a total of 30 refugees from Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia and Syria, who either live in refugee accommodations or in their own apartments. Families were interviewed in a group interview as well as men and women individually on their experiences in everyday life and while they were fleeing their country of origin and on the subject of health. Results: Refugees have invested significant resources to get to Germany and are investing a lot of resources in order to get closer to their goal of self-determination over their lives. Their residence status, unrecognized qualifications and lack of job opportunities, the perception of mistrust, arbitrariness and exclusion, language barriers, health impairments and restricted access to the health system make it difficult to achieve their goals. Conclusions: Due to the loss of self-determination and a lack of experience in participating in socially recognized activities in the new country where they have settled, there may be a decrease in health resources. Therefore, there is a need for constant support to help refugees to maintain or develop a sense of coherence.