Syrian refugees in Canada: a qualitative report of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on psychosocial adaptation

• Date: 17 September 2024
• Pages: 576-596
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJMHSC-03-2024-0026
• Published date: 17 September 2024
• Subject Matter: Health & social care,Vulnerable groups,Inequalities & diverse/minority groups,Sociology,Race & ethnic studies,Minorities,Multiculturalism,Racial identity,Work,economy & organizations,Labour movements
• Author: Chloe Devereux,Sophie Yohani,Melissa Tremblay,Joud Nour Eddin

Syrian refugees in Canada: a qualitative

report of the impact of the COVID-19

pandemic on psychosocial adaptation

Chloe Devereux, Sophie Yohani, Melissa Tremblay and Joud Nour Eddin

Abstract

Purpose –Since March2020, the global COVID-19 pandemichas disproportionately impactedrefugees

by compounding preexisting and systemic health, social and economic inequities. In Canada,

approximately 50,000 Syrian refugees arrived between 2015 and 2020 and were in the process of

rebuilding their liveswhen the pandemic started. This study aims to explore theimpact of the COVID-19

pandemicfor Syrian refugees in Canada and identify supportsneeded.

Design/methodology/approach –Drawing on frameworks for refugee psychosocial adaptation and

social integrationand a qualitative descriptivedesign, the study used thematic analysisto examine semi-

structuredinterviews with 10 Syrians.

Findings –Findings indicated four themes that provide a snapshot of impacts relatively early in the

pandemic: facing ongoing development, inequity and insecurity during integration; disruption of

settlement, integration and adaptation due to the pandemic;ongoing adaptation and resilience during

integrationin Canada; and ongoing needs and solutions forintegration and adaptation.

Originality/value –This study builds upon growing research concerning Syrian refugees and

psychosocial adaptation, particularly during the pandemic. The findings highlight the impacts of the

pandemic on a population already facing inequities in a resettlement country. While the findings

emphasize the resilience of the Syrian refugee community, the study also demonstrates the need for

ongoing supportsand justice-oriented action to fulfill resettlementcommitments, especially in the face of

additional stressors like the COVID-19 pandemic. Implications for policy, practice and future research

are discussed.

Keywords Psychosocial adaptation, Refugees, Social integration, Refugee health,

Community-based participatory research, COVID-19 pandemic

Paper type Research paper

Introduction

The civil war in Syria has had brutal consequences for residents, resulting in nearly seven

million people fleeing their homes to seek refuge around the globe (UNHCR, 2023). Over

40,000 Syrian refugees arrived in Canada between November 2015 and February 2017,

and approximately 4,700 more Syrians resettled to Canada between 2017 and 2020

(Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, 2021). This was an unprecedented

number of people during such a short time, which presented and illuminated limitations in

Canada’s refugee support initiatives (IRCC, 2016). The Canadian Government focused on

providing support to address immediate needs, including income support, housing,

language training, health and education (IRCC, 2016). Psychological and social needs,

however, have been relatively overlooked throughout the resettlement phase (Wilkinson

et al.,2017

;Wrzesnewskyj, 2016;Yohani et al., 2019a). Although resettlement and

integration have been ongoing for Syrians in Canada, most governmental supports ceased

after one year, resulting in refugees shouldering the demands of supporting themselves

Chloe Devereux, Sophie

Yohani, Melissa Tremblay

and Joud Nour Eddin are all

based at Faculty of

Education, University of

Alberta, Alberta, Canada.

Received 8 March 2024

Revised 18 June 2024

Accepted 6 August 2024

The authors wish to acknowledge

the invaluable contributions of

the partner organizations and

community members who

devoted many hours of their

valuable time to participate in this

research.

The authors wish to acknowledge

the support received by SSHRC

for this research project.

PAGE 576 jINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MIGRATION, HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE jVOL. 20 NO. 4 2024, pp. 576-596, ©EmeraldPublishing Limited, ISSN 1747-9894 DOI 10.1108/IJMHSC-03-2024-0026

(Foley et al.,2018). Structural, social and systemic inequities exist, which has resulted in

substantial barriers to integration,health and psychosocial adaptation for Syrian refugees in

the years following their arrivalto Canada (Oudshoorn et al.,2020).

Psychosocial adaptation refers to the characteristics, processes and outcomes associated

with an individual undergoing a change in their life circumstances, such as migrating to a

new country (Londono and McMillan, 2015). Psychosocial adaptation considers ways in

which individuals respond to their changing life circumstances, including intrapersonal

components (e.g. mental health) and interpersonal factors (e.g. social support). With

migration, the main aspects of psychosocial adaptation generally include psychological

outcomes including mental well-being, developing personal and cultural identity, life

satisfaction and sociocultural capacities to cope with family roles, work context and

education (Berry, 1997). Psychosocial adaptation is an important factor to consider in

settlement, with many different dimensions that may impact pathways to and indicators of

integration. Some critical barriers to psychosocial adaptation that have implications for

settlement have been reported for Syrian refugees including: mental health challenges

(Ahmed et al., 2017;Hassan et al.,2015;Soykoek et al.,2017); new cultural practices with

gender roles (Yohani et al., 2019b); experiences with discrimination impacting feelings of

safety, security and belonging (Briskman and Latham, 2017;Husain and Howard, 2017);

upheavals to social support networks and resources (Hassan et al., 2015); and unstable

housing, employment barriersand poverty (Oudshoorn et al., 2020).

In March 2020, only a few years following the mass migration of Syrians around the world,

the global COVID-19 pandemic was declared (Pinz

on-Espinosa et al., 2021). In Canada,

the pandemic has disproportionately impacted refugees by compounding preexisting and

systemic health, social and economic inequities (Hayward et al., 2021). For Syrians

resettling in Canada, their settlement in a new country with the hope for a safer and more

secure future converged with the global pandemic. Only a handful of studies in Canada

have explored Syrian refugees’ experiences during COVID-19 (see: Alzaghoul et al.,2023;

Environics Institute for Survey Research, 2022;O’Mahony et al.,2023;Rabiah-Mohammed

et al., 2022;Sharif-Esfahani et al.,2022;Stirling Cameron et al.,2021), but they begin to

reveal the health and socioeconomic impacts on this population.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of Syrian refugees in

Canada. Based upon the recognition of resilience, importance of empowerment and

inherent community knowledge, the study described the needs and solutions identified by

members of the Syrian refugee community in a Western Canadian city. This study

addressed the following researchquestions:

RQ1. What is the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on settlement, integration and

psychosocialadaptation in the Syrian refugee community?

RQ2. What are the identifiedpsychosocial needs of this community during and following

the COVID-19 pandemic?

Literature review

There is limited information regarding the physical health of resettled Syrian refugees,

including rates of COVID-19 infection, complications, mortality and related impacts on

health. Increased risk of infection because of inadequate housing conditions (i.e.

overcrowded housing) and employment where physical distancing was not possible was

noted for Syrian refugees in Canada (Rabiah-Mohammed et al.,2022). Other studies noted

barriers in accessing healthcare,service cancellations and difficulties accessing translators

in health settings (Ives et al.,2022;O’Mahony et al., 2023;StirlingCameron et al.,2021).

The pandemic exacerbated previous inequities faced by Syrian refugees, including

economic loss, housing instability and social isolation, with overall impacts on refugees’

VOL. 20 NO. 4 2024 jINTERNATIONALJOURNAL OF MIGRATION, HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE jPAGE 577