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Though goals for integration drive resettlement policy and practice, the concept of integration from the perspectives of refugees is not sufficiently understood. This study examined meanings of integration among 88 refugee participants who lived in the U.S. for an average of eleven years. Thematic analysis generated themes reflective of the meaning participants made of integration as a concept as well as a lived experience: (1) voicing uncertainty, (2) social engagement, (3) expressions of welcome, (4) choosing "here," and (5) maintaining cultural identities. Findings emphasize the social aspects of integration, which can be further incorporated within policy and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose of reviewWe reviewed the studies published in 2012-2013 that focused on re-emerging and emerging injection and noninjection drug use trends driving HIV risk behaviors and transmission in some parts of the world.Recent findingsAlthough HIV incidence has declined in many countries, HIV epidemics remain at troubling levels among key drug-using populations, including females who inject drugs (FWIDs), FWIDs who trade sex, sex partners of people who inject drugs, young people who inject drugs, and people who use noninjection drugs in a number of low-income and middle-income countries such as in Central Asia, Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, and parts of Africa.SummaryHIV epidemics occur within the contexts of global economic and political forces, including poverty, human rights violations, discrimination, drug policies, trafficking, and other multilevel risk environments. Trends of injection and noninjection drug use and risk environments driving HIV epidemics in Central Asia, Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, and parts of Africa call for political will to improve HIV and substance use service delivery, access to combination HIV prevention, and harm reduction programs.

We reviewed papers published during the past 18 months (2012-2013) focusing on micro-social contexts of gender and power inequalities as drivers of HIV risks among people who inject drugs (PWID) in intimate heterosexual relationships. Although there has been a proliferation of social and behavioral research on the micro-social contexts of drug injection in heterosexual intimate relationships, there is still a gap in knowledge of these issues, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Research has identified couple-based approaches for PWID in intimate relationships as an effective HIV prevention strategy to address micro-social contexts driving HIV risks. While HIV incidence has declined in many countries, prevalence remains at troubling levels among PWID and transmission from PWID to their sex partners is increasing in many parts of the world. HIV prevention among drug-using couples must address the importance of the relationship dyad and micro-social contexts.

Background: Among refugees residing in countries of first asylum, such as Malaysia, high rates of psychological distress call for creative intervention responses. Aims: This study examines implementation of a Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) model promoting emotional well-being and access to services. Method: The one-session intervention was implemented in community settings by refugee facilitators during 2017 to 2020. 140 Participants including Afghan (n = 43), Rohingya (n = 41), and Somali (n = 56) refugees were randomized to receive either the intervention at baseline, or to a waitlist control group. At 30 days post-intervention, all participants completed a post-assessment. Additionally, after completing the intervention, participants provided feedback on SBIRT content and process. Results: Findings indicate the intervention was feasible to implement. Among the full sample, Refugee Health Screening-15 emotional distress scores reduced significantly among participants in the intervention group when compared to those in the waitlist control group. Examining findings by nationality, only Afghan and Rohingya participants in the intervention condition experienced significant reductions in distress scores compared to their counterparts in the control condition. Examining intervention effects on service access outcomes, only Somali participants in the intervention condition experienced significant increases in service access compared to the control condition. Conclusions: Findings indicate the potential value of this SBIRT intervention, warranting further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many refugee communities faced intensified economic and social challenges. This longitudinal study began three years prior to the COVID pandemic and examined the effects of COVID on refugee outcomes in the United States including employment, health insurance, safety, and discrimination. The study also examined participant perspectives on COVID-related challenges. Participants included 42 refugees who resettled approximately three years prior to the onset of the pandemic. Data were collected at six months, 12 months, two years, three years, and four years postarrival, with the pandemic beginning between years 3 and 4. Linear growth models examined how the pandemic impacted participant outcomes over time. Descriptive analyses examined perspectives regarding pandemic challenges. Results indicated that during the pandemic, employment and safety significantly decreased. Participant concerns regarding the pandemic centered on health, economic challenges, and isolation. Attention to refugee outcomes during the COVID pandemic highlight the need for social work practitioners to promote equitable access to information and social supports, particularly during times of uncertainty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The plight of Africa's AIDS orphans has reached crisis proportions, and the international community is beginning to mobilize at the family, community, national, and international levels. Despite these encouraging efforts, the response is inadequate, and increased attention and action are needed. The authors suggest that international adoption, although a small and temporary solution, may fit within the framework being used as a global working model. Issues surrounding adoption, such as racism, racial and cultural identity development, waiting children in the U.S. public child welfare system, and the potential legal risks, are delineated. The African perspective toward adoption is presented, although the response varies and is not collectively defined. The authors conclude that although international adoptions should be used as a last-resort solution, and with tight regulations, the potential benefits to some children merit the opening of a dialogue on the topic.

A community-based program in Uganda that supports and assists families raising orphaned and other disadvantaged children is examined in order to assess the effectiveness of the model created by the international child welfare community. The program was deemed to be effective in taking care of the households' needs as well as in nurturing the children's sense of belonging and permanency.

A study reported that HIV/AIDS education is not taught in most African schools. Students have hence reported informal ways that would be helpful in learning about AIDS, while also recommending changes in the schools' curriculum.

Refugee families experience uncertainty and stress when residing in countries of first asylum, such as Malaysia, and may benefit from supportive parenting interventions. In the greater Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia area we piloted an eight‐week parenting program with 79 Rohingya and Afghan mothers in nine separate groups. Participants were randomized to an intervention group or a waitlist control group and those in each arm completed a 3‐month follow‐up assessment. Program content addressed positive discipline, strengthening family relationships, adapting to a new environment, and improving health and emotional well‐being. Measures assessed included child intensity and parenting self‐efficacy from the Child Adjustment and Parent Efficacy Scale; positive parenting, inconsistent discipline, and poor supervision from the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire‐Short Form; family intimacy and family conflict from the Family Functioning Scale, and emotional well‐being from the Refugee Health Screening‐15. Participating in the intervention led to beneficial changes in child intensity, parenting self‐efficacy, family intimacy, family conflict, and emotional distress for the treatment group, and all changes except for emotional distress were maintained over time. However, the intervention did not lead to changes in positive parenting, inconsistent discipline, or poor supervision in the treatment group. Findings point to the potential benefits of parenting programs for refugee communities in transitory settings and contribute to the limited body of literature examining such programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent U.S. refugee policy and political rhetoric have sanctioned anti-refugee sentiment, fostering beliefs of refugees as other, threatening, or less than. Following the transition into the Trump administration, interviews with 88 refugees resettled long-term in the U.S. were conducted to examine the impact of the post-2016 political climate. Major themes included feelings of uncertainty regarding refugee status and stability, changes in perception of U.S. citizenship, and a sense of unwelcome. The harmful effects of political environments must be recognized in order to appropriately support refugee communities through social service programming and advocacy. Social workers can elevate refugee voices while working to improve resettlement services and enhance supportive social policy. Increased attention to refugee perspectives may facilitate understanding and decrease stigma moving forward in a new political era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study examined the measurement properties of parenting‐related measures among 140 Rohingya and Afghan refugee parents residing in Malaysia, then examined factors associated with these parenting outcomes. Background: Unprecedented numbers of forced migrant families reside in countries of first asylum with temporary status and limited legal rights. Limited research examines parenting experiences among these communities. Method: To examine construct validity and reliability of parenting‐related measures among this sample, we carried out confirmatory factor analysis to examine respectively the factor structure of scales measuring underlying latent constructs of Child Adjustment & Parent Efficacy, the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire, and the Family Functioning Scale. Their associations with individual (gender, age, ethnicity, education), social (marital status, number of children), and environmental factors (time in Malaysia, food insecurity, employment, and emotional distress) were examined using structural equation modeling. Results: Residing in Malaysia for a longer period of time was associated with higher child behavioral intensity, lower parent self‐efficacy, and higher family conflict. Food insecurity was associated with lower parent self‐efficacy, and being employed was associated with positive parenting as well as poor supervision. Higher levels of emotional distress were associated with higher child behavioral intensity, lower parent self‐efficacy, and lower levels of poor supervision. Conclusion: Displacement challenges negatively affect refugee parents and families. Implications: Solutions are needed that bolster the abilities of forced migrants to establish permanence and provide for their families. Additionally, attention toward the unique challenges of refugee families can guide service provision within countries of first asylum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]