“Solving Tension”: coping among Bhutanese refugees in Nepal

Abstract

Purpose

The Bhutanese refugee camps of eastern Nepal are home to a mass resettlement operation; over half the population has been relocated within the past five years. While recent research suggests Bhutanese refugees are experiencing degradation of social networks and rising suicide rates, little is known about ethnocultural pathways to coping and resilience in this population.

Design/methodology/approach

A common coping measure (Brief COPE) was adapted to the linguistic and cultural context of the refugee camps and administered to a representative sample of 193 Bhutanese refugees as part of a broader ten‐month ethnographic study of resilience.

Findings

Active coping, planning, and positive reframing were the most frequently utilized strategies, followed by acceptance, religion, and seeking emotional support. Exploratory factor analysis resulted in five factors: humor, denial, behavioral disengagement; positive reframing, planning, active coping; emotional support, instrumental support; interpersonal (a new sub‐scale), acceptance, self‐blame; and venting, religion.

Research implications

Data support the relevance of some dimensions of coping while revealing particularities of this population.

Practical implications

Findings can inform future research and intervention efforts aimed at reducing suicide and promoting mental health across the Bhutanese refugee diaspora.

Originality/value

This is the first mixed‐methods study of coping in the Bhutanese refugee camp population since the start of a mass resettlement exercise. Qualitative data and ethnography were used to illuminate measured trends in local coping behavior.

Citation

Chase, L.E., Welton‐Mitchell, C. and Bhattarai, S. (2013), "“Solving Tension”: coping among Bhutanese refugees in Nepal", International Journal of Migration, Health and Social Care, Vol. 9 No. 2, pp. 71-83. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJMHSC-05-2013-0001