The Mental Health and Wellbeing of Hazara Refugees in Australia
A Scoping Review
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19521752 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Grace Sultani (0000-0002-9403-9541, University of Newcastle Australia, corresponding author), Milena Heinsch (0000-0002-8014-9475, University of Tasmania), Kate Vincent (0000-0003-0211-1890, University of Tasmania), Caragh Brosnan (0000-0003-2104-4937, University of Newcastle Australia) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 27 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 461-474 |
| Publication date | 2026-04-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Trauma Violence & Abuse (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1524-8380 • E-ISSN: 1552-8324 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/15248380251316905 |
| PMID | 39943864 |
| OpenAlex | W4407426002 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 55 |
Hazara refugees are highly vulnerable to trauma and other mental health challenges due to sustained ethnic and religious persecution. The post-migration difficulties experienced in Australia significantly heighten the risk of exacerbating these outcomes, while also highlighting the importance of identifying the various strengths and strategies that foster wellbeing. We conducted a scoping review to explore the mental health and wellbeing of Hazara refugees in Australia. A systematic database search was conducted across CINAHL Complete, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Scopus, and Web of Science. Twenty-one articles met the eligibility criteria and were included in this review. Our findings draw attention to the distinct gendered mental health and wellbeing experiences of Hazara refugees. We highlight the emotional and psychological harm caused by visa insecurity and restrictions post-migration, as well as the detrimental impacts of racism and discrimination. We also discuss barriers to accessing support services, and identify key strategies used by Hazara refugees to promote their wellbeing in Australia. Lastly, findings highlight the collective experiences of suffering and growth experienced by Hazara refugees, and the cumulative impacts that all stages of forced migration may have on post-migration outcomes. In doing so, this review provides a critical overview of the mental health and wellbeing experiences of Hazara refugees in Australia and provides important recommendations for researchers and practitioners working with this population
CINAHL · Environmental health · Ethnic group · MEDLINE · Mental health · Persecution · Political science · Politics · Population · Psychiatry · Psychological intervention · PsycINFO · Refugee · Employment and Welfare Studies · Medicine · Migration, Health and Trauma · Psychology · Racial and Ethnic Identity Research
Posttraumatic Growth
The Relationship Between Post-Migration Stress and Psychological Disorders in Refugees and Asylum Seekers
Sex and Gender Equity in Research
Psychological Distress in Afghan Refugees
The Social Determinants of Refugee Mental Health in the Post-Migration Context
Cultural Diversity and Mental Health
Refugees, trauma and Adversity-Activated Development
Scoping studies
Methods for the thematic synthesis of qualitative research in systematic reviews
Trauma and Transformation
Thematic Analysis
‘Now I Have Dreams in Place of the Nightmares’
Gender differences in Syrian refugees in Jordan
The refugee post-migration stress scale (RPMS) – development and validation among refugees from Syria recently resettled in Sweden
Discrimination
An Integrative Review of Community-Based Mental Health Interventions Among Resettled Refugees from Muslim-Majority Countries
Family reunion policy for resettled refugees
Rites of passage
Wounded Memory of Hazara Refugees from Afghanistan Remembering and Forgetting Persecution
Building a Life in Australia
Suffering to Save Lives
The right of minority-refugees to preserve their cultural identity
Burmese Refugee Women in the Midwest
Still Stood Adamant and Strong to Chase My Dream
Talking to water
Scoping studies
Mental Health Services for Syrian Refugees in Lebanon
Informal sport and (non)belonging among Hazara migrants in Australia
Afghan-Hazara Migration and Relocation in a Globalised Australia
Aussies? Afghans? Hazara refugees and migrants negotiating multiple identities and belonging in Australia
The melancholic torturer
Everything was stuck in my inside and I just wanted to get it out
An exploration of the Adaptation and Development after Persecution (Adapt) model with young adult Hazaras from refugee backgrounds in Australia
Gender and Refugee Integration
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |