Aid from without, healing from within : an examination of the use of target population cultural knowledge of mental health and healing in refugee camp mental health programs

Author

Madeline Erin Kilpatrick, Smith College

Publication Date

2011

Document Type

Masters Thesis

Department

School for Social Work

Keywords

Refugees-Mental health services-Evaluation, Cultural competency, Psychiatry, Transcultural, Cross-cultural counseling, Cultural psychiatry, Refugee, International, Survey of reports

Abstract

This qualitative survey of reports is an examination of the use of target population cultural knowledge of mental health and healing in refugee camp mental health programs. The data for this study came from a survey of reports from completed refugee camp mental health programs. The survey was designed to examine how refugee camp mental health workers use the target refugee population's cultural knowledge of mental health and healing throughout the process of needs assessment, program implementation and evaluation and how the use of the target population's cultural knowledge coincides with UNHCR and affiliated NGO operating procedures regarding the participation of refugees and incorporation of target population cultural knowledge in all stages of operations. Fifteen reports from refugee camp mental health programs in eleven countries were surveyed and analyzed for content. In addition, an extensive review of literature was conducted on the topics of refugee mental health theory and practice and UNHCR and affiliated NGO operating procedures with regard to refugee involvement and cultural integration in refugee camp programming. The major findings of this study were that target population cultural knowledge of mental health and healing in refugee camp mental health programs is often present but is piecemeal, not present throughout programs and inconsistent across programs. I also discovered that there is no connection between UNHCR and affiliated NGO policy on cultural integration and ground level operations. The final section of this report examines this discrepancy. Recommendations for future studies and implications for social work are discussed.

Language

English

Comments

iv, 110 p. Thesis-(M.S.W.)-Smith College School for Social Work, Northampton, Mass., 2011. Includes bibliographical references (p. 86-98, 104-105)

Recommended Citation

Kilpatrick, Madeline Erin, "Aid from without, healing from within : an examination of the use of target population cultural knowledge of mental health and healing in refugee camp mental health programs" (2011). Masters Thesis, Smith College, Northampton, MA.
https://scholarworks.smith.edu/theses/1066