Exploring the lived experiences of psychosocial support among internally displaced persons in Sebeta temporary shelter, Ethiopia: A phenomenological study

Abstract

This study explored the lived experiences of IDPs in Sebeta, one of the temporary shelters in Ethiopia. The qualitative approach that focused on exploring the detailed psychosocial support experiences of two IDPs who were selected purposively was used. Using a phenomenological interpretative approach, researchers focused on exploring the subjective nature of the participants’ perspectives and lived experiences in-depth. Because of the small number of participants, the researchers analyzed the data focusing on reflecting the essence of each participant’s psychosocial support lived experiences into narrative summaries instead of clustering the data into themes. The narrative summaries indicated the importance of formal and informal network of psychosocial support, the components of the psychosocial support, and the challenges. The participants experienced ranges of challenges including psychological, emotional, financial, employment difficulties and adjustment difficulties during the transition and resettlement. The study offers insights on the importance of providing continuous psychosocial support to overcome emotional and psychological challenges related to flashback of past events, hopelessness and uncertain future. The study also offers suggestions on the need for community networking and re-integration in the environment. The study indicates the implication for professionals to work in teams while integrating community values in the process of psychosocial support.