Ukrainian refugees’ wellbeing and adaptation in Denmark

In Denmark - 28 765 individuals from Ukraine have been granted residency under the Danish Special Act. While Ukrainians share the war exposure with other groups of refugees in Denmark, they differ in many aspects. For example, the special act has allowed Ukrainians access to the welfare state benefits (including healthcare) relatively fast and they have been accommodated outside of asylum centers. In addition, the political climate in the reception of Ukrainians has been rather favorable compared to the last refugee crisis. Yet, we know very little about their health needs and access to care. The aim of our project is to identify and understand the health needs of Ukrainian refugees and how they access healthcare in Denmark in order to inform the development of strategies that help them cope with postmigration stress and improve their quality of life. We have developed a survey, in collaboration with a group of experts by experience (Ukrainian refugees). The survey combines validated tools and self-developed questions and includes several themes: i) factors influencing adaptation of Ukrainian refugees; ii) individual sociodemographic characteristics; iii) trauma/war exposure; iv) living and housing conditions in Denmark; v) experiences in access to Danish healthcare system; and vi) health needs and well-being including symptoms of trauma. The target population is Ukrainian refugees in Copenhagen aged 18 and above. Currently, there are 2916 refugees living across the city. The aim is to recruit at least half of them, located in three municipalities: Copenhagen Municipality, Frederiksberg Municipality and Gentofte Municipality. The survey has been launched May 2023, and by November 2023, we expect to have collected and analyzed all data, which we are going to present at workshop. Our participatory research methods involving Ukrainian refugees throughout the process include their engagement in intervention and policy suggestions based on the survey.