A content analysis of oral narratives exploring factors which impact on, and contribute to, the mental ill health of the Ethiopian diaspora in London, UK

Abstract

This paper reports on a content analysis undertaken on oral history narratives with Ethiopian forced migrants residing in London. The study adopted a grounded theory approach to examine factors which impacted on, and contributed to, mental ill health for those forced migrants who participated. This research suggests that the issues and impact of deprivation, combined with the complex interaction of social and psychosocial factors, are crucial in impacting on mental ill health. It is apparent for those participants that economic deprivation, poor housing conditions and the immigration asylum process can exacerbate existing, as well as creating new, psychological stressors and in many cases has acted as a barrier to integration. This analysis identified themes and concepts and developed an integrated approach which acknowledged the multitude of social, political and administration factors which can significantly improve quality of life for Ethiopian forced migrants.