Children of the Windrush Generation: Exploring the Psychological Consequences of Serial Migration through the Narratives of Older-Adult Caribbean “Left Behind” Children

Abstract

Background: Black-Caribbean older-adults in the UK statistically have poorer mental health outcomes and are unlikely to seek help from mental health services, than their racial counterparts. Childhood serial migration, including children who were left-behind in the Windrush migration, is a key context that shapes the identity of some Black-Caribbean older-adults in the UK. Critical Race Theory (CRT) provides a useful framework to explore the broader historical, social and cultural contexts of serial migration. The study aimed to explore how left-behind Children of the Windrush Generation (CoWG) understand their identity in relation to serial migration, and whether or how this influences the navigation of psychological challenges and help-seeking behaviours. Methodology: The study employed a qualitative design using Narrative Analysis (NA), and is underpinned by a social constructionist epistemological stance, to explore the stories of serial migration. Eight left-behind CoWG were recruited through purposive and snowball sampling from local Black-Caribbean community spaces and charities. All participants underwent an open-style, semi-structured interview to address the research questions. Analysis: Interviews were analysed through Riessman’s (2008) framework, which looked at the content, structure and dialogical/performance aspects of participants’ narratives. Links to broader historical, social and cultural contexts, CRT and empirical literature were made. Individual narratives are presented for each participant, to honour their individual stories. Discussion and conclusions: Convergences and divergences across the individual narratives are presented, which highlighted three stories in relation to identity: stories of separation/left-behind, surrogate-care and racism as key contexts. Four main stories highlighted psychological coping and help-seeking: stories of strength, self-sufficiency and survival, stories of silence, stories of perseverance, stories of assimilation and proving capability. The findings have important implications across the individual, family, community and institutional and structural levels, in considering practices outside of a Eurocentric framework. Directions for future research are suggested.