Disabled and immigrant, a double minority challenge: A qualitative study about the experiences of immigrant parents of children with disabilities navigating health and rehabilitation services in Norway.

Abstract

• Background: Immigrants and their Norwegian-born children make up approximately 18% of the total population in Norway. While several studies have been conducted on immigrants’ utilization of healthcare services, immigrant families are systematically underrepresented in international studies of children with disabilities. By focusing on experiences of immigrant parents of children with disabilities navigating health and rehabilitation services in Norway, this study generated knowledge of how accessible and tailored the services were from their point of view. Methods: This study took a qualitative approach, using semi-structured interviews to explore the experiences of immigrant parents of children with disabilities from non-Western countries. The interviews were transcribed, coded, and analyzed via an inductive thematic analytic approach. Results: The findings show how the “immigrant experience” influenced the way the parents looked at, experienced, and even praised the services. The parents appreciated the follow-up services provided by the pediatric rehabilitation centers, which they experienced as predictable and well-organized. While navigating the services, they experienced several challenges, including the need for information, support, and timely help. They felt exhausted because of years of struggle in the healthcare system to access the help and services they needed. They expressed how this struggle had affected their own health. The feeling of being treated differently from the majority was another challenge they experienced while navigating the services. The findings also show how parents’ experiences of communication with healthcare providers were influenced not only by their own language and communication skills but also by the healthcare providers’ intercultural communication skills and dominant organizational culture. Conclusions: The parents’ experiences show that there is still a gap between the public ideal of equal healthcare services and the reality of the everyday lives of immigrant families of children with disabilities. By exploring immigrant parents’ experiences, this study highlights the importance of mobilization at both the individual and systemic levels to fill the current gap and provide tailored and accessible services to the entire population.

A qualitative study on the experiences of southern European immigrant parents navigating the Norwegian healthcare system

“…The participants perceived that health providers underestimated their concerns about their and their children’s health because they expressed those concerns in a way that was influenced by their culture, which is consistent with previous literature [ 55 , 56 ]. They also stated that Norwegian health providers categorized them as ‘overdramatic’ and held stereotypes about immigrants that made it difficult for them to express themselves freely [ 13 , 57 ].…”

“…On the other hand, the participants highly valued being regarded as competent informants who could identify signs of disease and who could give an opinion about suitable treatment. Welcoming the opportunity to participate in decision-making is common among immigrants coming from countries where health providers have more authority [ 13 ]. Likewise, the informants appreciated that health providers explained the reasons for the diagnostic and treatment practices offered in Norway instead of just criticizing other approaches.…”

The missing link to sustainable participation in community-based physical activity after rehabilitation: a qualitative study about experiences of immigrant parents and their children with disabilities

“…Providing follow-up services and partnering with families after the rehabilitation program are also recommended through the process of changing behavior and achieving long-term maintenance of an active lifestyle (20,31). Although maintaining behavior change is often di cult for any family (34), certain challenges that are unique to immigrant families, such as the lack of a social network and support, may exacerbate these di culties (35). Resources available to these families, therefore, play an important role for maintaining new health behaviors and not reverting to old habits (34).…”

“…For instance, some families explained how di cult it was to nd information about local facilities and available activities after rehabilitation. Although needs for services and information may affect participation among all families (36,37), language di culties make it more challenging for immigrants to nd services and information (35,38). Therefore, to follow up and support families, local and rehabilitation professionals need to familiarize themselves with the leisure activity options available in the local community, as parents continuously need to access the information about activity opportunities (13,18,32,39).…”

The urgency of mitigating the psychological impacts of COVID-19 lockdowns on parents of mentally disabled children

“…Another hurdle was also present if healthcare professionals did not possess sufficient intercultural communication skills. The parents felt treated differently from the majority, and this struggle affected their own health as well ( Arfa et al, 2020 ).…”