Refugee parents’ experiences of coming to Sweden: A qualitative study

Each year, millions of people worldwide are forced to leave their homes. Many those affected families. There already a considerable number initiatives designed support refugees who resettling in new countries and cultures. However, few promotive interventions aiming parents thereby children through the extraordinary challenges they face. To develop culturally adaptive intervention, more knowledge about how refugee from different perceive handle these is needed. This study explores parents’ own perspectives on obstacles, opportunities faced during first years Sweden guide future development for parents. Interviews were conducted with Arabic, Kurdish, Somali-speaking (n = 28; 19 mothers, 9 fathers). The interviews examined using content analysis. One overarching theme emerged; “The language key entering social networks society, helping your child country”. was viewed as integration, mastering parenthood context. consisted four categories; “parents’ motivation hope driving forces,” “navigating among past present culture values”, “loneliness risk factor” “a way being parent relating an acculturation gap”. These findings may help parenting refugees, promote integration well-being children.