Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania.
Faculty of Nursing and Physiotherapy, University of Lleida, Lleida, Spain.
Front Public Health. 2024 Oct 21;12:1411738. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1411738. eCollection 2024.
The influx of Ukrainian refugees to Lithuania due to the ongoing conflict has created substantial challenges in healthcare and social services.
To identify the key challenges faced by Ukrainian refugees in accessing healthcare and social services in Lithuania.
A qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured interviews with 22 Russian-speaking female Ukrainian refugees residing in various regions of Lithuania. Data were collected between July and October 2022 and analyzed using inductive qualitative content analysis to identify key themes related to healthcare access, social services, and integration.
Refugees reported significant barriers, including language difficulties, long waiting times for healthcare services, and inconsistent access to social services, particularly in smaller municipalities. Despite access to free healthcare, the quality and timeliness of services were often inadequate, exacerbating challenges for those with pre-existing health conditions. Psychological support services were underutilized, and language barriers impeded access to both healthcare and employment opportunities. Coordination between social and healthcare services was lacking, creating further difficulties for refugees in navigating essential services.
While Lithuanian authorities have provided critical support, significant gaps remain in healthcare access and social service coordination. Urgent improvements are needed in language support, psychological care, and healthcare accessibility, particularly in smaller municipalities. These findings highlight the need for targeted policies to address these challenges and ensure equitable access to services for all refugees. Future research should include more diverse refugee populations to guide comprehensive policy development.
由于持续的冲突，大量乌克兰难民涌入立陶宛，这给立陶宛的医疗保健和社会服务带来了巨大挑战。
确定乌克兰难民在立陶宛获得医疗保健和社会服务方面面临的主要挑战。
采用半结构式访谈的定性研究方法，对 22 名居住在立陶宛不同地区的讲俄语的乌克兰女性难民进行了访谈。数据收集于 2022 年 7 月至 10 月之间，采用归纳定性内容分析法对数据进行分析，以确定与医疗保健的可及性、社会服务和融入相关的主要主题。
难民报告了重大障碍，包括语言困难、医疗服务的长时间等待以及社会服务的不一致可及性，特别是在较小的市镇。尽管可以获得免费医疗保健，但服务的质量和及时性往往不足，这加剧了那些有预先存在健康状况的人的挑战。心理支持服务的利用率较低，语言障碍阻碍了难民获得医疗保健和就业机会。社会和医疗保健服务之间的协调不足，进一步增加了难民在获取必要服务方面的困难。
尽管立陶宛当局提供了关键支持，但在医疗保健的可及性和社会服务协调方面仍存在重大差距。需要在语言支持、心理护理和医疗保健的可及性方面进行紧急改进，特别是在较小的市镇。这些发现强调需要制定有针对性的政策来解决这些挑战，确保所有难民都能公平地获得服务。未来的研究应包括更多不同的难民群体，以指导全面的政策制定。
