“I go up to the edge of the valley, and i talk to god”: using mixed methods to understand the relationship between gender-based violence and mental health among Lebanese and Syrian refugee women engaged in psychosocial programming
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Authors
Barada, Rassil
Potts, Alina
Bourassa, Angela
Contreras-Urbina, Manuel
Nasr, Krystel
Issue Date
2021-04-23
Type
Article
Language
en_US
Keywords
Gender-Based Violence , Intimate Partner Violence , Mental Health , Humanitarian , Lebanon , Syrian Refugees , Gender , LMICs
Alternative Title
Abstract
Lebanon’s intersecting economic and political crises exacerbate complex public health issues among both host and refugee populations. This mixed-methods study by a Lebanese service provider, in partnership with an international research institute, seeks to better understand how experiences of gender-based violence (GBV) and mental health intersect in the lives of Syrian and Lebanese women, and how to better meet these needs. It employs a randomized cross-sectional survey of 969 Abaad service users and focus groups with community members and service providers. There were significant associations between GBV and ill mental health; notably, respondents reporting transactional sex had 4 times the likelihood of severe distress (aOR 4.2; 95% CI 1.2–14.8; p ≤ 0.05). Focus groups emphasized less-visible forms of violence, such as emotional violence, and the importance of environmental factors in one’s ability to cope, noting “it always came back to the economy”. Recommendations include providing a more holistic and coordinated approach between GBV, mental health, livelihood, and basic assistance sectors; and sensitive, accessible, and higher-quality mental health services informed by GBV response actors’ experience putting in place survivor-centered programming and made available to both host and refugee community members.
Description
Citation
Barada, R., Potts, A., Bourassa, A., Contreras-Urbina, M., & Nasr, K. (2021). "I Go up to the Edge of the Valley, and I Talk to God": Using Mixed Methods to Understand the Relationship between Gender-Based Violence and Mental Health among Lebanese and Syrian Refugee Women Engaged in Psychosocial Programming. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(9), 4500. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18094500
Publisher
International Journal of Environmental Research And Public Health