Transformation of Syrian Refugee Family Structures in Gaziantep Province

Helsa Nasution; M. Agung Rahmadi; Al Khawarizmi; Ririn Alvionita Sitio; Syifa Salsabila Barus; Luthfiah Mawar; Nurzahara Sihombing; Nadia Saphira

doi:10.55606/jig.v4i1.8400

Authors

Helsa Nasution Universitas Alwasliyah Medan
M. Agung Rahmadi Universitas Alwasliyah Medan
Al Khawarizmi Universitas Islam Negeri Sumatera Utara
Ririn Alvionita Sitio Universitas Islam Negeri Sumatera Utara
Syifa Salsabila Barus Universitas Islam Negeri Sumatera Utara
Luthfiah Mawar Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Kesehatan Sehati Medan
Nurzahara Sihombing SD Negeri 107396 Paluh Merbau
Nadia Saphira Universitas Islam Negeri Sumatera Utara

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55606/jig.v4i1.8400

Keywords:

Family Transformation, Gender Roles, Gaziantep, Resilience, Social Adaptation

Abstract

This study examines the transformation of family structures among Syrian refugees in Gaziantep, Turkey, using a meta-synthesis of 47 studies published between 2015 and 2024. The research focuses on changes in relational, economic, and normative aspects due to prolonged displacement. The findings reveal significant shifts in family dynamics, with 73.8% of families redefining traditional gender roles and 64.2% of women becoming the primary breadwinners. The divorce rate increased by 42.6%, with 38.7% of cases linked to economic pressures. Logistic regression shows a strong correlation (r = 0.78, p < 0.001) between displacement duration and family structure transformation. The study supports Heger, Boyle, and Ali’s (2010) argument about the fluidity of gender roles in forced migration but challenges Buscher’s (2011) view on the persistence of patriarchal structures. Additionally, 82.3% of families adopted more egalitarian parenting, and children's participation in education rose to 67.4%, reducing the gender gap to 8.2%. The study also identifies adaptive strategies, such as the use of communal support systems by 58.6% of families and the integration of local cultural values by 45.2%, offering insights into resilience and adaptive capacity in prolonged crises.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Acarturk, C., Cetinkaya, M., Senay, I., Gulen, B., Aker, T., & Hinton, D. (2022). Prevalence and predictors of posttraumatic stress and depression symptoms among Syrian refugees in Turkey. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 35(1), 220-230. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.22783

Acarturk, C., Konuk, E., Cetinkaya, M., Senay, I., Sijbrandij, M., Cuijpers, P., & Aker, T. (2015). EMDR for Syrian refugees with posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms: Results of a pilot randomized controlled trial. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 6(1), 27414. https://doi.org/10.3402/ejpt.v6.27414

Acarturk, C., McGrath, M., Roberts, B., Ilkkursun, Z., Sondorp, E., & Cuijpers, P. (2020). Prevalence and unmet need for mental health care among Syrian refugees in Turkey. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 11(1), 1709663. https://doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2019.1709663

Acarturk, C., Uygun, E., Ilkkursun, Z., Carswell, K., Tedeschi, F., Batu, M., ... & Barbui, C. (2022). Effectiveness of a WHO self‐help psychological intervention for preventing mental disorders among Syrian refugees in Turkey: A randomized controlled trial. World Psychiatry, 21(1), 88-95. https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.20939

Akhtar, A., Engels, M. H., Bawaneh, A., Bird, M., Bryant, R., Cuijpers, P., ... & STRENGTHS consortium. (2021). Cultural adaptation of a low-intensity group psychological intervention for Syrian refugees. Intervention Journal of Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Conflict Affected Areas, 19(1), 48-57. https://doi.org/10.4103/INTV.INTV_38_20

Antuña‐Camblor, C., & Hernández, V. T. (2025). EMDR interventions in refugees and asylum seekers: A systematic review and meta‐analysis. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 32(1), e70039. https://doi.org/10.1002/cpp.70039

Böge, K., Karnouk, C., Hoell, A., Tschorn, M., Kamp-Becker, I., Padberg, F., ... & Bajbouj, M. (2022). Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness for the treatment of depressive symptoms in refugees and asylum seekers: A multi-centred randomized controlled trial. The Lancet Regional Health-Europe, 19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanepe.2022.100413

Borenstein, M., Hedges, L. V., Higgins, J. P. T., & Rothstein, H. R. (2009). Introduction to meta-analysis. Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470743386

Bunn, M., Zolman, N., Smith, C. P., Khanna, D., Hanneke, R., Betancourt, T. S., & Weine, S. (2022). Family-based mental health interventions for refugees across the migration continuum: A systematic review. SSM-Mental Health, 2, 100153. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmmh.2022.100153

Burgund Isakov, A., & Markovic, V. (2024). Systematic review of trauma-informed approaches and trauma-informed care for forced migrant families: Concepts and contexts. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 25(5), 3999-4015. https://doi.org/10.1177/15248380241266161

Charlson, F., van Ommeren, M., Flaxman, A., Cornett, J., Whiteford, H., & Saxena, S. (2019). New WHO estimates of depression and anxiety in conflict-affected populations. The Lancet, 394(10194), 240-248. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(19)30934-1

Chipalo, E. (2021). Is trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) effective in reducing trauma symptoms among traumatized refugee children? A systematic review. Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma, 14(4), 545-558. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40653-021-00370-0

Cowling, M. M., & Anderson, J. R. (2023). The effectiveness of therapeutic interventions on psychological distress in refugee children: A systematic review. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 79(8), 1857-1874. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.23479

Egger, M., Smith, G. D., Schneider, M., & Minder, C. (1997). Bias in meta-analysis detected by a simple, graphical test. BMJ, 315(7109), 629-634. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.315.7109.629

Fazel, M., & Betancourt, T. S. (2018). Preventive mental health interventions for refugee children and adolescents in high-income settings. The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, 2(2), 121-132. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2352-4642(17)30147-5

Frounfelker, R. L., Miconi, D., Farrar, J., Brooks, M. A., Rousseau, C., & Betancourt, T. S. (2020). Mental health of refugee children and youth: Epidemiology, interventions, and future directions. Annual Review of Public Health, 41, 159-176. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-040119-094230

Gleeson, C., Frost, R., Sherwood, L., Shevlin, M., Hyland, P., Halpin, R., ... & Silove, D. (2020). Post-migration factors and mental health outcomes in asylum-seeking and refugee populations: A systematic review. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 11(1), 1793567. https://doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2020.1793567

Goodman, R., Tip, L., & Cavanagh, K. (2021). There's an app for that: Context, assumptions, possibilities and potential pitfalls in the use of digital technologies to address refugee mental health. Journal of Refugee Studies, 34(2), 2252-2274. https://doi.org/10.1093/jrs/feaa082

Gormez, V., Kılıç, H. N., Orengul, A. C., Demir, M. N., Mert, E. B., Makhlouta, B., ... & Semerci, B. (2017). Evaluation of a school-based, teacher-delivered psychological intervention group program for trauma-affected Syrian refugee children in Istanbul, Turkey. Psychiatry and Clinical Psychopharmacology, 27(2), 125-131. https://doi.org/10.1080/24750573.2017.1304748

Harris, S. M., Sandal, G. M., Bye, H. H., Palinkas, L. A., & Binder, P. E. (2021). Integration is correlated with mental health help-seeking from the general practitioner: Syrian refugees' preferences and perceived barriers. Frontiers in Public Health, 9, 777582. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2021.777582

Healey, P., Stager, M. L., Woodmass, K., Dettlaff, A. J., Vergara, A., Janke, R., & Wells, S. J. (2017). Cultural adaptations to augment health and mental health services: A systematic review. BMC Health Services Research, 17(1), 8. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-016-1953-x

Hodes, M., Anagnostopoulos, D., & Skokauskas, N. (2018). Challenges and opportunities in refugee mental health: Clinical, service, and research considerations. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 27(4), 385-388. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-018-1115-2

Peterson, C., Poudel-Tandukar, K., Sanger, K., & Jacelon, C. S. (2020). Improving mental health in refugee populations: A review of intervention studies conducted in the United States. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 41(4), 271-282. https://doi.org/10.1080/01612840.2019.1669748

Porter, M., & Haslam, N. (2005). Predisplacement and postdisplacement factors associated with mental health of refugees and internally displaced persons: A meta-analysis. JAMA, 294(5), 602-612. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.294.5.602

Seagle, E. E., Dam, A. J., Shah, P. P., Webster, J. L., Barrett, D. H., Ortmann, L. W., ... & Marano, N. N. (2020). Research ethics and refugee health: A review of reported considerations and applications in published refugee health literature, 2015-2018. Conflict and Health, 14(1), 39. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13031-020-00283-z

Shea, B. J., Reeves, B. C., Wells, G., Thuku, M., Hamel, C., Moran, J., … Henry, D. A. (2017). AMSTAR 2: A critical appraisal tool for systematic reviews that include randomised or non-randomised studies of healthcare interventions. BMJ, 358, j4008. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.j4008

Shehadeh, M. H., Heim, E., Chowdhary, N., Maercker, A., & Albanese, E. (2016). Cultural adaptation of minimally guided interventions for common mental disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis. JMIR Mental Health, 3(3), e5776. https://doi.org/10.2196/mental.5776

Small, E., Kim, Y. K., Praetorius, R. T., & Mitschke, D. B. (2016). Mental health treatment for resettled refugees: A comparison of three approaches. Social Work in Mental Health, 14(4), 342-359. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332985.2015.1080205

Thompson, C. T., Vidgen, A., & Roberts, N. P. (2018). Psychological interventions for post-traumatic stress disorder in refugees and asylum seekers: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review, 63, 66-79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2018.06.006

Turrini, G., Purgato, M., Acarturk, C., Anttila, M., Au, T., Ballette, F., ... & Barbui, C. (2019). Efficacy and acceptability of psychosocial interventions in asylum seekers and refugees: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 28(4), 376-388. https://doi.org/10.1017/S2045796019000027

Turrini, G., Tedeschi, F., Cuijpers, P., Del Giovane, C., Kip, A., Morina, N., ... & Barbui, C. (2021). A network meta-analysis of psychosocial interventions for refugees and asylum seekers with PTSD. BMJ Global Health, 6(6). https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2021-005029

Tyrer, R. A., & Fazel, M. (2014). School and community-based interventions for refugee and asylum seeking children: A systematic review. PloS One, 9(2), e89359. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0089359

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. (2023). Türkiye: Factsheet and operational update. UNHCR. https://www.unhcr.org/tr/en/syria-refugees-in-turkey

Van Sloten, L. (2024). A meta-analysis: Building an evidence base for culturally adapted cognitive behavior therapy (CA-CBT) with refugees (Doctoral dissertation, D'Youville College).

Verhagen, I. L., Noom, M. J., Lindauer, R. J., Daams, J. G., & Hein, I. M. (2022). Mental health screening and assessment tools for forcibly displaced children: A systematic review. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 13(2), 2126468. https://doi.org/10.1080/20008066.2022.2126468

Westby, C. (2024). Post-traumatic stress, autobiographical memory, and cultural neuroscience: Implications for migrants and refugees. In Language research in post-traumatic stress (pp. 37-67). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003225270-4

Williams, M. E., & Thompson, S. C. (2011). The use of community-based interventions in reducing morbidity from the psychological impact of conflict-related trauma among refugee populations: A systematic review of the literature. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 13(4), 780-794. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-010-9417-6

Wilson, J. P., & Tang, C. C. S. K. (Eds.). (2007). Cross-cultural assessment of psychological trauma and PTSD. Springer Science & Business Media. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-70990-1

World Health Organization. (2022). Mental health of refugees and migrants: Risk and protective factors and access to care. WHO.