Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Faculty Publications Article Faculty Publications -Articles Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Riswana, B.; Gopal, Baiju Title A name given to the resource Navigating Hope and Despair: The Agonizing Boat Journeys of the Sri Lankan Tamil Refugees Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 01-01-2025 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Culture, Medicine and Psychiatry;Volume;49;Issue;4;pp.1324-1348 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11013-025-09952-1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://doi.org/10.1007/s11013-025-09952-1</a> <br /><br /><a href="https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105018827687?origin=resultslist" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105018827687?origin=resultslist</a> Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Riswana B., Research Scholar, School of Psychological Sciences, Christ University, Karnataka, Bengaluru, India, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Government Arts and Science College Nadapuram, Kerala, Kozhikode, India; Gopal B., Professor, School of Psychological Sciences, Christ University, Karnataka, Bengaluru, India Description An account of the resource This study investigates the psychological experiences of Sri Lankan Tamil Refugees (SLTRs) involving boat journeys and the refugee lives that follow. Thirty participants from rehabilitation camps in Tamil Nadu, India, were interviewed. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyze the responses. The two overarching themes were 'the motives and consequences of exile' and 'the complexities of refugee life.' The findings reveal that the participants experienced psychosomatic symptoms immediately upon arrival, reflecting the inner conflicts resulting from war trauma and boat crossings. They reported serious bouts of trauma during and after their crossing. The first- and second-generation participants recounted nightmares pertaining to boat journeys which contributed to hauntedness, which is a state of emotional or mental disturbance often attributed to past trauma. Refugee life is complex, encompassing hopelessness and haunted memories which are passed down to subsequent generations, leading to intergenerational trauma. The boat journey in itself is an ambivalent phenomenon blending hope and profound agony. This study is a novel attempt to gain coherent insights into the boat travel experiences of the SLTR, the dynamics of the interplay of collective unconscious mechanisms, and anxieties in exile. These insights can play a seminal role in facilitating psychological reconstruction and developing effective coping strategies. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2025. Subject The topic of the resource Boat journey; Collective unconscious; Exile; Hauntedness; Life in transit; Sri Lankan Tamil refugees Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Springer Relation A related resource ISSN: 0165005X; CODEN: CMPSD Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Article Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Restricted Access; Hardcopy may be available in the library Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource online