Understanding Refugees Health Experiences in Host Countries: Three Theoretical Perspectives.

Healthcare providers working with forcefully displaced populations often have limited knowledge and skills regarding the care of this population. The reasons are twofold. First, most of the research on refugee health does not consider refugees' adaptive skills, diversity of experiences, and daily life context. Second, healthcare providers' knowledge of how the sociopolitical environment shapes health research and practice in the context of refugee care is often limited. This work aims to specify gaps in refugee healthcare and research by applying a relational approach to three theoretical frameworks. The relational approach supports a pragmatic, in-depth understanding of healthcare practices by shifting the focus of the inquiry from description of social structures toward exploration of processes and relations that propagate and sustain such structures. The focus is on the threefold interaction between refugees, healthcare providers, and healthcare institutions. The three theoretical frameworks are as follows: First, using concepts from the Theory of Practice by Bourdieu, we examine how gaps in care can result from a mismatch between the dispositions and skills that refugees develop through life experience and the cultural-professional practices of healthcare providers in host countries. Second, the Cultural Determinants of Help Seeking by Saint Arnault is applied to posit that gaps in care can result from differences in the meanings that healthcare providers and refugees assign to their interactions. Finally, we use the concept of Othering as described in nursing by Canales to explain how power dynamics inherent in the interaction between refugees and healthcare systems can affect refugee healthcare and research. This relational approach helps to elucidate some of the culture-bound mechanisms of health maintenance and help-seeking and brings attention to the sociopolitical context that shapes the way we care to refugees.

Victim-Centered Care Among College Women of Color: A Qualitative Study.

AIMS: Women of color are disproportionally affected by intimate partner violence (IPV) and sexual assault (SA), and those on college campuses may have additional risk factors. The purpose of this study was to explore how college-affiliated women of color assign meaning to their interaction with individuals, authorities, and organizations tasked to help survivors of SA and IPV. METHODS: Semistructured focus group interviews ( N = 87) were transcribed and analyzed using Charmaz's constructivist grounded theory methodology. RESULTS: Three priority theoretical elements were identified: what hurts , namely, distrust, uncertain outcomes, and silencing of experiences; what helps , namely, support, autonomy, and safety; and desired outcomes , namely, academic progress, supportive social networks, and self-care. CONCLUSION: Participants were concerned about uncertain outcomes of their interaction with organizations and authorities that are set to help victims. Results can inform forensic nurses and other professionals about the care priorities and needs of college-affiliated women of color in the context of IPV and SA.

Kampo in women's health: Japan's traditional approach to premenstrual symptoms.

Kampo is Japan's traditional herbal medicine and it is an integral part of the official Westernized medical system in Japan. We describe the Kampo approach to premenstrual symptoms. We present 3 clinical cases of women treated for premenstrual discomforts in a Kampo clinic in Japan. Each of these women reported improvement in their conditions. We argue that Kampo is well-suited for treatment of premenstrual symptoms in Japan and deserves the attention of Western clinicians for three reasons: (1) patient-centered Kampo diagnosis allows physicians to handle subjective and culture-bound symptoms that are often ignored by Western medicine; (2) Kampo herbal formulas are regulated by the Japanese government, and are pure and of high quality; and (3) the settings in which Kampo is practiced set a stage for therapeutic collaboration between the doctor and the patient.