Factors Shaping Occupational Injustice among Resettled Syrian Refugees in the United States

BACKGROUND: There have been a limited number of studies that have focused on factors which shape the experiences of resettlement and occupational injustice among refugee populations. PURPOSE: To explore the factors that shape the living difficulties of Syrian refugees who were lawfully admitted into the United States and ways whereby they might interfere with shaping occupational injustice. METHOD: Mixed methodologies were incorporated. The living difficulty scale for refugees (LDSR) was disseminated. Semistructured interviews were conducted, and fieldnotes were collected as sources of qualitative data. RESULTS: 254 participants (mean age 36.2 ± 9.6 yrs; 159 females and 95 males) completed the survey, and nine of them participated in the semistructured interviews. Age (p < 0.01), region (p < 0.001), and time in the United States (p < 0.05) had significant effects on the experiences of the participants, but not gender (p = 0.308). Occupational injustice is an outcome of an interaction between interpersonal and contextual factors. Practice Implications. Occupational therapists need to assume a vital role in maximizing opportunities of engagement in meaningful occupations for Syrian refugees to counteract occupational injustice and difficulties associated with resettlement.