Date
2-28-2025
Department
School of Behavioral Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Education in Community Care and Counseling (EdD)
Chair
Scott Edgar
Keywords
Syrian, refugee, mental health, Lebanon, mental health care access, ongoing traumatic stress, community workers, transdiagnostic protocol
Disciplines
Counseling | Psychiatry and Psychology
Recommended Citation
Todd, Mark Christopher, "A Phenomenological Study of Syrian Refugees’ Experiences Seeking Mental Health Care in Lebanon" (2025). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 6535.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/6535
Abstract
The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the lived experience of Syrian refugees living in Tyre, Lebanon as it related to seeking mental health care. The theory guiding this study is the phenomenological approach of Moustakas (1994) as informed by the transcendental phenomenology of Husserl (Moustakas, 1994) in that it seeks to describe the essence of the phenomenon by putting aside all preconceptions and looking anew at the phenomenon through the lens of human experience. This study was also strongly influenced by transformative frameworks (Creswell & Poth, 2019) and decolonization theory (Smith, 2021) as it looked for answers to replace colonial mental health solutions with culturally appropriate solutions. Data was collected through initial screening interviews of participants followed by in depth interviews, Pictor Interviews, and a focus group. Data analysis began with bracketing and horizontalization of the data, followed by clustering of statements into units to allow identification of themes, which were categorized as (a) attitudes toward mental health care, (b) family relationships, (c) Healing Path, (d) need for mental healthcare, and (e) ongoing traumatic stress.
