Research Considerations for the Use of Publicly Available Documentary Films to Study Refugee Family Therapy
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 15499783 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Charity M Somo (0000-0003-1282-1431, University of South Africa, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 23 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 265-265 |
| Publication date | 2026-02-20 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1661-7827 • E-ISSN: 1660-4601 |
| Publisher | Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (PUBLISHER • CH) |
| DOI | 10.3390/ijerph23020265 |
| PMID | 41752347 |
| OpenAlex | W7130644441 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 27 |
Scholars in family therapy are increasingly calling for family-centered interventions for trauma-affected refugees, as many trauma-informed therapies favor individual models of treatment. Research contributes to the study and implementation of family-centered care models. However, for methodological reasons, research on family therapy with displaced populations is limited. In response to scholars' call, this paper argues for the use of documentary film as qualitative research data in refugee family therapy research. Documentary films have historically been used in the social sciences to examine people's lived experiences and to address data gaps in hard-to-reach populations. This paper outlines key methodological considerations inherent in research with refugee populations, including challenges related to recruitment and retention, language and cultural barriers, insecure and unstable living conditions affecting participants, research design constraints, and ethical complexities. It then discusses how the use of documentary film can help mitigate these challenges through careful epistemological positioning, research design, data selection and analysis strategies, and attention to ethical and research trustworthiness considerations. By doing so, the paper contributes to the development of qualitative research skills necessary for studying refugee family well-being and supporting the growth of family-centered therapeutic approaches
Documentary film · Ethical issues · Psychological intervention · Qualitative research · Refugee · Research design · Research ethics · Trustworthiness · Counseling, Therapy, and Family Dynamics · Film in Education and Therapy · Migration, Health and Trauma
The prevalence of mental illness in refugees and asylum seekers
Conducting qualitative research in mental health
Qualitative Rigor or Research Validity in Qualitative Research
Conducting Video Research in the Learning Sciences
The use of film documentary in social science research
Understanding the migration experience of unaccompanied youth
Documentary Film
Uses of video in social research
We left one war and came to another
Three Approaches to Qualitative Content Analysis
Moving images, Moving Methods
Acknowledging Documentary Filmmaking as not Only an Output but a Research Process
Visual Methodologies in Qualitative Research
Predictors of positive mental health among refugees
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |