"I don't think marijuana counts as a drug": Drug & alcohol use amongst South Sudanese youth in Australia.

AIMS: To understand alcohol and other drug (AOD) use and its impact among South Sudanese youth in Melbourne, Australia. METHODS: This qualitative exploratory study was underpinned by the psychosocial conceptual framework. We undertook semi-structured interviews with 23 South Sudanese youth aged 14-21 years to explore attitudes and potential harms of AOD use. We also undertook focus groups with these participants and a focus group of 11 South Sudanese community elders and parents. Feedback on results was obtained through two forums with community members. The data collected were analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: The participants revealed that AOD use was common, specifically the use of cannabis. The participants believed that there was a lack of basic understanding of the potential harm of cannabis use. The results also highlighted that the community was unaware how the use of drugs and alcohol can contribute and exacerbate poor mental health. Cannabis was a regular drug of choice used by young South Sudanese in this study. It was used daily as a coping mechanism both for stress and for undiagnosed mental health. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate increased potential harm for South Sudanese youth from AOD use. Of concern was a lack of diagnosis and treatment for mental health wellbeing due to the beliefs around AOD use. Without targeted interventions this has significant implications for the South Sudanese community and the young people affected. The significance of these findings may assist in the delivery of AOD treatment and improve health education for refugee youth.

Intergenerational conflict among resettled South Sudanese in Australia.

South Sudanese families have faced many hardships in the process of acculturation to Australian society. This has led to rapid family breakdown amongst refugees from South Sudan who live in Melbourne, Australia, and has created tension between families, the wider South Sudanese community, and authorities. This qualitative study explores how shifting dynamics of religious faith, the concept of family and cultural values impacts South Sudanese families and young people. The study consisted of 23 semi-structured interviews, three focus groups and two feedback forums, gathering data from South Sudanese youth aged 14 to 21 years, social workers, elders and parents from the South Sudanese community. Several themes were identified including the impact of intergenerational conflict, coping with new freedoms in Australia, the associated tensions these freedoms create within the South Sudanese community, and young people's conflict with religion. The patriarchal system that underpins the family structure of the South Sudanese culture is under significant strain as women and children are becoming aware of their rights, resulting in friction between men and women, parents and children. Male elders believed the embracing of freedom by women and children was at the core of family breakdown, leading to cultural erosion, and was the root of the problems experienced by the youth. The church as a traditional meeting place and a centre point for social inclusion within the South Sudanese community remains relevant as an important factor in social networking for parents and elders but lacks relevance for many South Sudanese youth.

The role of sport in coping and resilience amongst resettled South Sudanese youth in Australia.

In this article, the use of sport as a coping strategy by South Sudanese youth who have suffered the trauma of forced migration is examined. This article explores the relationship that has emerged between the young people and sport, in particular basketball, and how they use their participation in basketball and sports to cope with the stressors of their lives. The research intended to explore to what degree sport can play in improving mental health and what mental health interventions, in general, were being sought by this marginalized demographic. This qualitative study was underpinned by the psychosocial conceptual framework. We undertook semi-structured interviews with 23 South Sudanese youth aged 14-21 years, we also conducted focus groups of 11 South Sudanese elders and parents. The results of this research were feed back to the wider South Sudanese community through two forums. The data collected were analyzed using thematic analysis. The results of the study identified sport as an important coping strategy for the participants, both as a diversion from drug and alcohol misuse, potential criminal activity and as a way to self-manage the symptoms of anxiety and depression they were experiencing, and a mechanism to enhance self-worth. The study also indicated there was a lack of mental health interventions for these young people and that they had shown a great deal of resilience to develop their own ways to deal with the trauma they had experienced. The research reported positive associations of wellbeing and participation in sport, however more research needs to be conducted to ascertain the extent to which sport impacts mental health and how this can be incorporated into interventions for Sudanese youth and young people from similar forced migration and resettlement backgrounds. This study suggested that sport can be a driving force of good for many of the young people's lives, worthy of further research.

This article examined the use of sport as a coping strategy by South Sudanese youth in Melbourne, Australia who have suffered the trauma of forced migration. The study also explored the relationship between sport in particular basketball and how the youth use participation in sport as a strategy to cope with the stressors of their lives. The research used qualitative methods of in-depth semi-structured interviews, focus groups and community forums and was underpinned by the psychosocial conceptual framework. The data collected was analysed using thematic analysis. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with youth aged 14 to 21 years and focus groups conducted with parents and community elders. The results from interview analysis were shared with the wider South Sudanese community through two community forums. Some themes drawn from the analysis included living with trauma, mental health and culture, racial discrimination and use of sport as a coping strategy. The findings also highlighted sport as a diversion from drug and alcohol misuse, potential criminal activity and as a mechanism to enhance self-worth. The study also indicated there was a lack of culturally appropriate mental health interventions for these young people and that they display a great deal of resilience to develop their own ways to deal with the trauma they had experienced. The research recommends further research to be conducted to identify the impacts of sport on mental health and how this can be incorporated into interventions for South Sudanese youth and young people from similar forced migration backgrounds.