Health and Socio-cultural Needs of Iranian Asylum Seeker Women Living in Sydney, Australia

University of Technology Sydney. Faculty of Health.: Australia is known as a world leader for resettlement of asylum seekers and refugees; however, the country has recently introduced a number of legislative initiatives to deter illegal immigration, such as mandatory detention and temporary protection visas. Those who are released into the community remain in an insecure residency status for an undetermined period, often without permission to study and work. These legislations have affected Iranian asylum seekers who have entered Australia by boat since 13 August 2012, of which about half are women. Despite dramatic increase in the number of female asylum seekers in the recent years, they have remained understudied in health research. : This study aimed to explore health and socio-cultural needs of Iranian asylum seeker women living in Sydney, Australia and strategies that they develop to build resilience in the face of migration-related circumstances/stressors. : A narrative methodology was undertaken to explore experiences of 17 Iranian asylum seeker women who arrived in Australia by boat and were living in the community for two to three years awaiting a decision upon their refugee applications. The research methodology was informed by epistemology of constructivism and interpretivism. The resource-based model was used as the framework for designing the research including developing interview questions, data analysis, and discussion of the findings. The model provides an insight into the experiences of loss/gain of resources over forced migration and the impact of these losses/gains on the adaptation and wellbeing of refugees during pre-migration, transit, and post-migration phases. The participants shared their experiences of migration via in-depth semi-structured individual interviews. A thematic analysis was undertaken to construct meanings and knowledge out of the narratives. : Three main themes emerged from the experiences of the participants. These themes included: 1) embarking on the perilous journey, 2) arrived, yet living in-between, and 3) building resilience. Embarking on the perilous journey described experiences of the participants prior to migration and in transit, which included their reasons for leaving home and losses incurred during transit. From these experiences the following subthemes emerged: disempowerment of women, sacrifice for family, loss of safety/security, and loss of control over circumstances. Arrived, yet living in-between described their post-migration experiences, including time in detention and living in the community. Participants shared their mixed feelings of living in a prison; yet, a safe place during detention. Their experiences of living in the community included insecure residency, cultural incongruity, and utilising healthcare services. Participants developed a number of coping strategies to help them build resilience towards the migration difficulties. : Asylum seeker women are more likely to experience traumatic experiences pre-migration and during transit. Their post-migration experiences are impacted by resources they have lost pre-migration and during transit as well as adverse immigration policies, in particular insecure residency and unemployment, limiting asylum seekers’ capacity to invest on resources to prevent further loss, recover from lost resources and gain new resources. These traumatic experiences increase the risk of health issues, in particular mental health problems amongst this population, and their need for appropriate healthcare and supportive social services. Although these findings reflect the experiences of Iranian asylum seeker women, the results can be useful for similar populations. The women strived to build resilience and gain the control of their lives through adoption of emotion focused and problem solving coping strategies

Matrix Model for Methamphetamine Dependence Among Iranian Female Methadone Patients: The First Report From the Most Populated Persian Gulf Country

Objectives: Methamphetamine (MA) dependence is a new health problem among Iranian female methadone patients. In recent years, the Matrix Model (a sixteen-week psychosocial treatment) has been provided for treating MA dependence. However, the problems associated with this treatment in methadone services are not clear. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted to explore the problems associated with providing the Matrix Model in methadone clinics. Overall, 42 women were individually interviewed in 12 methadone clinics in Tehran in October 2015. All clinics provided the Matrix Model for MA dependence. Ten health professionals were also interviewed in three roundtable meetings. Data were analyzed using Atlas-ti software (version 9) based on the Grounded Theory of Strauss and Corbin. Results: The mean age of the women was 34 years old. All of them were MA-dependent on the methadone programme. The most important theme was that the Matrix Model was able to manage MA craving and relapse among women in methadone treatment services. However, the Matrix Model was long, expensive and needed intensive staff training. Furthermore, the coverage of the treatment was inadequate. Conducting brief psychosocial treatments was suggested to reduce these problems. Discussion: The results indicated that the Matrix Model is effective for treating MA dependence. However, the long length of the treatment, lack of cost-effectiveness, and intensive staff training are significant problems associated with providing MA treatment. Further studies are suggested to evaluate the role of brief interventions in reducing these problems in methadone treatment services

A survey of relationship between social support with quality of life as well as stress among pregnant women referred to Shahryar hospital affiliated to social security organization in 1391

AbstractBackground and aim:  Pregnancy is the most stressful event in every woman’s life. Stress during pregnancy, delivery and breastfeeding may contribute to poor pregnancy outcomes and post partum psychological disorders. Social support is the most powerful factor for easy and successful confronting with stressful situations(for instance pregnancy).Increasing of survival and life-quality promotion are the result of social support.This study was conducted to determine the relation between social support,quality of life and stress rate during pregnancy.Method:  This descriptive-correlational study was conducted in Shahryar hospital among 210 pregnant women who were selected by convenient sampling method.A demographic and obstetrical questionnaire, Vaux social support appraisal scale ,WHO quality of life and pregnancy stress questionnaire were used for data collection. Validity of questionnaires was assessed by face, content and construct methods, and reliability was assured by test re- test and conducting Alpha Cronbach’s reliability test. Statistical tests of Spearman and pearson correlation,T-test,One-way ANOVA and Tuckey were used for data analysis by SPSS package(version 19).Results:  The mean score of social support, life-quality and stress were 17.66 and 88 respectively. A significant correlation was found between social support and life-quality. While this relation was not seen between social support and pregnancy stress. Whereas, there was a significant correlation between life-quality and pregnancy stress.Discussion:  With respect to the results, samples enjoy of reasonable social support and life-quality while they suffered from moderate stress. Since social support lead to promotion of life-quality and this event could decrease the pregnant’sstress,it is necessary to design some solutions to increase the pregnant women’s social support.Key words: Social support, Quality of Life, Stress,Pregnancy

Arrived, Yet In-between: Experiences of Iranian Asylum-Seeker Women Living with Insecure Residency in Australia

The plight of asylum seekers is a politically contested issue in Australia. Iranian women have been the largest number of asylum-seekers/Many have bridging visas without secure residency status. Prolonged insecure residency may contribute to less integration and psychological dysfunction. This study aimed to better understand the psychosocial ramifications of living with insecure residency among Iranian asylum-seeker women in the Australian community. A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews was undertaken between February and December 2015, with Iranian asylum-seeker women who had been living in Australia for 2–3 years. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Seventeen participants described their experiences and perspectives describing socio-economic ramifications and fear of deportation and feelings of hopelessness associated with their insecure residency status. Poor integration into Australian communities and high levels of psychosocial burdens were commonly described. Protracted protection visa processing time has negative effects on asylum seekers’ health. Policymakers should consider the psychosocial impact of restrictions attached to bridging visas. In addition to lifting barriers that slow the protection visa process, identifying the pre-resettlement skills of asylum seekers may facilitate better settlement and mental well-being