# Research Considerations for the Use of Publicly Available Documentary Films to Study Refugee Family Therapy

## TL;DR

This paper suggests using documentary films to study refugee family therapy, addressing research challenges like cultural barriers and unstable living conditions.

## Contribution

The paper introduces documentary films as a novel qualitative data source for studying refugee family therapy.

## Key findings

- Documentary films can help overcome recruitment and retention challenges in refugee family therapy research.
- Using documentary films allows for addressing data gaps in hard-to-reach populations.
- The paper outlines methodological strategies to ensure ethical and trustworthy research with displaced populations.

## Abstract

Scholars in family therapy are increasingly calling for family-centered interventions for trauma-affected refugees, as many trauma-informed therapies favor individual models of treatment. Research contributes to the study and implementation of family-centered care models. However, for methodological reasons, research on family therapy with displaced populations is limited. In response to scholars’ call, this paper argues for the use of documentary film as qualitative research data in refugee family therapy research. Documentary films have historically been used in the social sciences to examine people’s lived experiences and to address data gaps in hard-to-reach populations. This paper outlines key methodological considerations inherent in research with refugee populations, including challenges related to recruitment and retention, language and cultural barriers, insecure and unstable living conditions affecting participants, research design constraints, and ethical complexities. It then discusses how the use of documentary film can help mitigate these challenges through careful epistemological positioning, research design, data selection and analysis strategies, and attention to ethical and research trustworthiness considerations. By doing so, the paper contributes to the development of qualitative research skills necessary for studying refugee family well-being and supporting the growth of family-centered therapeutic approaches.