Factors that contribute to the emotional wellbeing, educational success and social connectedness

407 Pages·2014·2.71 MB·English

by  Joanna Farmbrough

FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE EMOTIONAL
WELLBEING, EDUCATIONAL SUCCESS AND SOCIAL
CONNECTEDNESS OF THOSE ARRIVING IN ONE LOCAL
AUTHORITY AS UNACCOMPANIED ASYLUM SEEKING
CHILDREN.

By

JOANNA FARMBROUGH

A thesis submitted to the
University of Birmingham
In part fulfilment of the degree
EdPsychD
Professional Doctorate in Educational Psychology

School of Education
The University of Birmingham
January 2014
University of Birmingham Research Archive

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Abstract

Building on research with unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and young
people (UASC) from a resilience perspective, this study investigates the
protective mechanisms that support UASC in adapting to life in the UK.
‘Positive adaptation’ is framed as: emotional wellbeing, educational success
and social connectedness. Two strands of research are carried out: 1) focus
groups that investigate views of key adults (foster carers and social care staff)
working with UASC, in order to understand how they frame UASC’s positive
adaptation; the protective mechanisms they have experienced to promote
emotional wellbeing; and approaches they have found successful in
addressing mental health difficulties; and 2) individual interviews, using an
Interpretative Phenomenological Analytical approach, with five UASC who
were considered resilient. Interviews investigated how individual UASC felt
that they had coped with their experiences.
I relate findings to resilience frameworks that recognise a complex matrix of
risk factors, vulnerability and protective mechanisms operating for each
individual at the individual, the family and community/societal level.
Findings provide a strong argument for a psycho-social approach to mental
health with UASC, establishing stability, whilst building on personal coping
strategies, personal strengths and sense of autonomy and competence.
Implications for services and interventions are discussed.
Dedication

In memory of John and Celia
Acknowledgements

Sue Morris for her unswerving support and encouragement
My colleagues for their immense patience
Nicky and Bill for their belief and understanding
Contents

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1

1.1.0. Context for the research 1
1.1.1. Definition 1
1.1.2. UASC population in the UK 2
1.1.3. Legislative context 3
1.2.0. Local context 8
1.3.0. Role of Social Workers working with UASC 11
1.4.0. Role of foster carers with UASC 12
1.5.0. Rationale for the study 13

CHAPTER TWO: UASC COPING IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY 15

2.1.0. Introduction 15
2.2.0. Overview of research with UASC 15
2.3.0. Resilience theory 23
2.4.0. Relating resilience theory to UASC 27
2.5.0. Engagement in education as a protective mechanism for UASC 33
2.6.0. Social connectedness as a protective mechanism for UASC 35
2.7.0. Conclusion 41

CHAPTER THREE: MODELS FOR UNDERSTANDING THE MENTAL
HEALTH NEEDS OF UASC 44

3.1.0. Introduction 44
3.2.0. Exploring emotional wellbeing of UASC from a psycho-social
perspective. 45
3.2.1 Individual coping mechanisms 52
3.2.2. A psycho-social approach to meeting mental health needs of
UASC 53
3.3.0. A clinical approach to understanding and meeting mental health
needs of UASC 56
3.4.0. The recovery paradigm as a psycho-social approach 63
3.5.0. Conclusion 66
CHAPTER FOUR: THE CONTRIBUTION OF SELF DETERMINATION
AND ATTACHMENT THEORY TO UNDERSTANDING ADAPTATION IN
THE FACE OF ADVERSITY 69

4.1.0. Introduction 69
4.2.0. Self-determination Theory 70
4.2.1. The Relevance of Self determination Theory to Research
with UASC 78
4.3.0. Mastery orientation 82
4.4.0. Attachment Theories 84
4.4.1. Relating DMM to UASC experiences 88
4.5.0. Summary 89
CHAPTER FIVE: METHODOLOGY AND DESIGN 91

5.1.0. Introduction to the methodology 91
5.2.0. Ontological and epistemological position 93
5.3 Methodology and research questions 96
5.4.0. Design 106
5.4.1. Semi-structured Interviews with young people 106
5.4.2. Constructing the Interview Schedule 108
5.4.3. Designing the focus group schedule 111
5.5.0. Summary 113

CHAPTER SIX: IMPLEMENTATION AND ANALYSIS 115
6.1.0. Introduction: Steps taken to ensure defensible research procedures 115
6.2.0. Ethical considerations 116
6.3.0. Procedures 118
6.3.1. Focus groups – recruitment and procedure followed 118
6.3.2. Interviews with young people - sampling and data base 120
6.3.3. Interviews with young people – procedures followed 127
6.4.0. Procedures for analysing focus groups 130
6.4.1: Phase 5 - defining and naming themes 133
6.4.2 Construction of thematic networks 135
6.5.0. Procedure for analysing the interviews with young people using IPA 138
6.5.1. Step 1 – Reading and re-reading 139
6.5.2. Step 2 – initial noting 139
6.5.3. Step 3 – developing emergent themes 141
6.5.4. Step 4 – searching for connections across emergent themes 141
6.5.5. Step 5 – looking for patterns across cases 142
6.6.0. Responding to threats to validity in data collection and analysis 143

CHAPTER SEVEN: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION OF 147
FOCUS GROUPS

7.1.0. Overview of the analysis of the two focus groups 147
7.2.0. Thematic Network 1 - ‘Mechanisms that support UASC in
doing well and promote emotional wellbeing’ 150
7.2.1 : Organising Theme – ’What doing well looks like’ 152
7.2.1 (i) What UASC want 152
7.2.1 (ii) Integration and settling 153
7.2.1 (iii) Success through education 155
7.2.1. (iv) Gaining refugee status 156
7.2.1. (v) Summary of ‘What doing well looks like’ 157

7.2.2: Organising Theme – Building supportive and consistent
relationships 158
7.2.2. (i): Supportive family approach from foster carers 158
7.2.2. (ii) Friendship networks 160
7.2.2. (iii) Relationship with social care staff can be key. 161
7.2.2. (iv) A consistent, supportive relationship is key 162
7.2.2. (v) Being able to trust in order to build relationships 163
7.2.2. (vi) Summary of ‘Building supportive and consistent
relationships’ 163

7.2.3: Organising Theme – Links to home culture 166
7.2.3. (I) Role of religion in supporting emotional wellbeing 166
7.2.3 (ii) Links to home culture 168
7.2.3. (iii) Summary of ‘Links to the home culture’ 169

7.2.4: Organising Theme – Benefitting from the Education System 170
7.2.4 (i) Young person’s motivation 170
7.2.4 (ii) Education facilitates young person in doing well 171
7.2.4. (iii) Summary of ‘Education facilitates doing well’ 173

7.2.5: Summary and discussion of ‘Mechanisms that support UASC in
doing well and promote emotional wellbeing’ 175

7.3.0: Thematic network 2 – ‘Mental Distress’ 177

7.3.1: Organising Theme – ‘Indicators of mental distress’ 177
7.3.1 (i): Sleep disturbances 179
7.3.1 (ii): Not engaging with life 179
7.3.1 (iii): Flashbacks and hallucinations 180
7.3.1 (iv): Self harm and suicidal ideation 181
7.3.1 (v): Drug use 181
7.3.1 (vi): Weight loss / Not eating 181
7.3.1 (vii): Behaviours indicating distress 182
7.3.1. (vii) Summary of ‘Indicators of mental distress’ 182

7.3.2: Organising Theme – Risk factors 183
7.3.2 (i) Grief/lost relationships 183
7.3.2 (ii) Difficulty trusting impacts on building relationships 184
7.3.2 (iii) Drug use as a risk factor 185
7.3.2 (iv) Traumatic experiences before arrival linked to mental
distress 185
7.3.2 (v) Feelings of Guilt 186
7.3.2.(vi) Summary of ‘Risk factors’ 187

7.3.3: Organising Theme - Risky processes 188
7.3.3 (i) Insecure future 189
7.3.3. (ii) Moving into independent living 191
7.3.3. (iii) Age assessment 193
7.3.3. (iv) Use of Interpreters 194
7.3.3 (vi) Summary of ‘Risky processes’

7.3.4: Organising Theme – Triggers for mental distress 195

7.4.0: Organising Theme - Addressing mental distress 195
7.4.1: Accessing mental health interventions 196
7.4.1 (i) Positive outcomes of Mental Health Intervention 197
7.4.1 (ii) Barriers to accessing mental health interventions 199
7.4.1.(iii) Barriers experienced by the Young Person 200
7.4.2: Sub theme - Emotional support through the foster carer 201
7.4.3. Subtheme - Young people’s coping strategies 202
7.4.4: Summary and discussion of organising theme addressing mental
distress 203

7.5.0 Relating the thematic networks to the research questions 204

CHAPTER EIGHT: RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS OF INTERVIEWS
WITH YOUNG PEOPLE 207

8.1.0. Introduction 206

8.2.0: Meeting basic physiological and safety needs 210
8.2.1.i Physiological needs 210
8.2.1.ii Need for safety/freedom from fear 210
8.2.1.iii Summary for meeting basic physiological and safety
needs 211

8.3.0: Protective mechanisms through relationships 211
8.3.1: Importance of a friendship support network and sociability to
facilitate access 213
8.3.1.i: Importance of a friendship support network 214
8.3.1.ii Sociability 218
8.3.1.iii Summary of friendship networks 220
8.3.2: Role of religion and cultural identity 220
8.3.2.i Summary of the role of religious and cultural identity 222
8.3.3 The experience of positive attachment relationships 223
8.3.3.i: Experience of positive attachments in home country 223
8.3.3.ii: Development of key (attachment-like) relationships in UK 225
8.3.3.iii: Role of social workers and foster carers 229
8.3.3.iv Summary of findings with regard to attachment
relationships acting as a protective mechanism 231

8.4.0: Primary importance of Education 232
8.4.1: As a protective mechanism 234
8.4.2: As a route to a better future 236
8.4.3: Facilitating engagement in education 237
8.4.4: Negative view of ESOL 237
8.4.5 Summary of education as a protective mechanism 238

8.5.0: Risk factors and vulnerabilities 239
8.5.1: Risk factors 239
8.5.1.i: Leaving home and arrival in the UK 240
8.5.1.ii Risk factors associated with legislative processes 247
8.5.2 Vulnerability factors 251
8.5.2. i: Personal attributes that have a vulnerability effect 251
8.5.2.ii: Vulnerability in social relationships 253
8.5.3 Summary of risk and vulnerability factors 254

8.6.0: Internalised protective mechanisms 257
8.6.1 Sense of autonomy alongside a mastery orientation as a protective
mechanism 257
8.6.2: Individual coping mechanisms 262
8.6.3 Summary of internal protective mechanisms 265

8.7.0: Life trajectory 266
8.7.1: Maturation process - N Y A Z 266
8.7.2 Summary of life trajectory 268

8.8.0 Relating the analysis to a resiliency framework 269

CHAPTER NINE: CONCLUSIONS 273

9.1.0. Introduction 273
9.2.0. Contribution of this research to existing understanding 276
9.3.0. Implications for practice 281
9.4.0. Evaluation of this study 284
9.5.0. Conclusion 286

References 287

Appendices 319

APPENDIX 1: Interview schedule used with young people. 319

APPENDIX 2: Outline of the Focus Group structure to be
held with members of the social work team/foster carers
working with UASC. 323

APPENDIX 3: Copy of the EC2 submitted to the University of
Birmingham Ethics Board. 327

APPENDIX 4: Information sheet and Statement of Informed 341
Consent to take part in a Focus Group Interview adapted for
use with both social work staff and foster carers.

APPENDIX 5: Meeting with UASC social work team
11th September 2012. 344

APPENDIX 6: Initial information to be shared by social worker
with young people who arrived as unaccompanied asylum seeking
children in Sun-hill who might be interested in taking part in the
study. 350

APPENDIX 7: informed consent form for UASC participants. 353