Analysis of Occupational Needs in Refugees and Applicants for International Protection: Scoping Review

María Carmen Rodríguez-Martínez (), Fabiana Correia and Patricia García-Pérez
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María Carmen Rodríguez-Martínez: Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Malaga, 29071 Málaga, Spain
Fabiana Correia: Lightburn Hospital, NHS Greater of Glasgow and Clyde, Glasgow G32 6NB, UK
Patricia García-Pérez: Área de Gestión Sanitaria Este de Málaga-Axarquía, Servicio Andaluz de Salud, 29700 Vélez-Málaga, Spain

Societies, 2025, vol. 15, issue 12, 1-18

Abstract: The rising rates of immigration have resulted in challenges to both physical and mental health, primarily stemming from the circumstances of social isolation experienced by individuals compelled to leave their homes. This study aims to identify the occupational needs and experiences of refugees and applicants for international protection in different studies. The search strategy was carried out in the PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, LILACS, ScieLO, and Dialnet databases. The studies were selected without temporal restriction up to December 2024 and included populations aged 18 years and older. A total of 654 articles were identified, of which 26 met the inclusion criteria for analysis in this review. Of these, 18 were qualitative studies, while the remaining ones were meta-ethnography, scoping, narrative, or literature reviews, case studies, or quantitative studies. Occupational therapy adopts a holistic approach that seeks to address both occupational needs and rights. The included studies underscore the significance of occupational therapy interventions for refugee populations, highlighting and clarifying the occupational deprivations and unmet needs experienced by this group.

Keywords: refugees; immigration; occupational justice; social marginalization (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A13 A14 P P0 P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 Z1 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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