FORCED MIGRATION EXPERIENCE AMONG OLDER ADULTS AND ITS TRAUMATIC FEATURES

Forced migration is a disturbing experience that has challenged the lives of individuals. Nevertheless, the longstanding properties of the forced migration have been less examined in the literature. The aim of the research is to explore the nature of traumatic experiences among individuals exposed to forced migration. By considering the phenomenological approach, the common traumatic features among the older adults who have forced migration experiences are investigated. A total of 61 forced migrated victims were included in the present study. Semi-structured interviews analyzed through MAXQDA 12+ program and the data coding process was conducted. The findings reveal that the experience of forced migration does not only involve the elimination of the land, but also the traumatic loss of the loved ones. The findings will be discussed with the literature with some clinical implications.