Migration Stress-Related Challenges Associated with Perceived Quality of Life: A Qualitative Analysis of Iranian Refugees and Swedish Patients

Abstract

The question of how quality of life is expressed and perceived by refugee patients seeking health care has been neglected in the literature. This pilot study examined perceptions of quality of life among Iranian refugees in Sweden. Fourteen Iranian refugees and eight Swedish primary health care patients were interviewed using a qualitative method focusing on perceived quality of life. Among patients seeking health care, Iranians with war-related experiences, migration stress and refugee status perceived quality of life differently than Swedish patients. Of the six World Health Organization quality of life domains, three were mentioned by both study groups, although with different content. The observed differences may reflect narrative structures linking trauma, culture and quality of life at the individual level.