Bosnian refugees and the stressors of exile: a narrative study

The authors used semistructured interviews to examine exile-related stressors affecting a sample of 28 adult Bosnian refugees in Chicago. The interviews covered 3 areas: life in prewar Bosnia, the journey of exile, and, most centrally, life in Chicago. Primary sources of exile-related distress included social isolation and the loss of community, separation from family members, the loss of important life projects, a lack of environmental mastery, poverty and related stressors such as inadequate housing, and the loss of valued social roles. The implications of these findings for mental health interventions with refugees are considered, and the value of narrative methods in research with refugee communities is discussed.