Abstract:
The psychosocial vulnerabilities of refugees and significant need for mental health services in humanitarian settings have received increased attention in recent years. Based on qualitative research with Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and South Sudanese refugees in Uganda, and service providers in each context, this paper identifies hitherto underexplored factors that shape access to mental healthcare, as well as barriers and opportunities for improving mental health support. The paper finds multiple barriers that limit access to formal care, including distance, cost, lack of family support, poor health, communication challenges, perception of service propriety, and poor quality of services. Tensions between cultural understandings of mental health and shifting gender norms and roles in displacement also shape mental health vulnerability and service access in each setting. Gaps in existing services are identified, as are recommendations as to how community expertise and knowledge might be integrated within formal psychosocial support services for refugees.
