Coping Processes of Congolese Refugee Women Newly Resettled in the United States: A Qualitative Exploration

Na’Tasha Evans (), Kamesha Spates, Cedric Mubikayi Kabasele and Chelsey Kirkland
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Na’Tasha Evans: Department of Behavioral Science, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA
Kamesha Spates: Department of Africana Studies, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
Cedric Mubikayi Kabasele: Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, Kent State University, 800 Hilltop Dr., Kent, OH 44242, USA
Chelsey Kirkland: Center for Public Health Systems, University of Minnesota School of Public Health, 420 Delaware St SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA

IJERPH, 2025, vol. 22, issue 8, 1-12

Abstract: The present study aimed to provide Congolese refugee women with an opportunity to narrate firsthand experiences coping with resettlement challenges in the United States. Translator-assisted, face-to-face semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with newly resettled Congolese refugee women (n = 20) aged 18 and older who arrived in the United States between 2011 and 2018. All participants were receiving assistance from a resettlement agency, located in the Midwestern US, at the time of the study. Data were analyzed using descriptive coding and thematic analysis. Three overarching themes were developed, indicating that Congolese refugee women adopt three main coping mechanisms to deal with challenges they face after resettling in the United States: (1) use of social support, (2) acceptance of the situation, and (3) spirituality. Resettlement support services, such as those provided by resettlement agencies, mental health providers, and community-based organizations, should integrate both economic and cultural dimensions into their services to address the complex physiological, mental, and emotional impacts of resettlement. These services should prioritize culturally and spiritually sensitive techniques that are linguistically accessible.

Keywords: refugees; Congolese; women; coping; resettlement (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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