Short communicationThe persistence of predictors of wellbeing among refugee youth eight years after resettlement in Melbourne, Australia
Introduction
In 2010, the predictors of wellbeing among a cohort of refugee youth (aged 11–19) over their first three years of settlement in Melbourne, Australia were reported (Correa-Velez et al., 2010). The authors concluded that predictors of wellbeing were “those that can be understood to promote a sense of belonging, becoming at home, being able to flourish and become part of the new host society” (Correa-Velez et al., 2010) (p.1406). The report stated, “settlement specific policies and programs can ultimately only be effective if embedded within a broader socially inclusive society ( … ) And this requires broader social reform relating to tackling issues of racism, discrimination, bullying, and increased flexibility in the ways these youth can access the social goods to which they are entitled” (p.1407).
Two additional waves of data collection were conducted in 2007–08 (wave four) and 2012–13 (wave five). Further analysis of the predictors of wellbeing is of value given the scarcity of research examining the longer term settlement experiences of refugees (RCOA, 2010, Smyth et al., 2010). International evidence on predictors of migrant health, including refugees, shows a strong and consistent association between social exclusion and poor mental health, subjective health and wellbeing (Beiser et al., 2015, Lecerof et al., 2015, Montgomery and Foldspang, 2008). Conversely, indicators of social inclusion and social participation are consistently associated with positive health and wellbeing (Edge et al., 2014, Lecerof et al., 2015, Sleijpen et al., 2015).
This short report asks whether the factors that predict wellbeing in the short term persist over time as these adolescents transition to young adults. It contributes to the evidence that social exclusion, including discrimination, has an adverse impact on the wellbeing of refugee youth not only in the early settlement period but over time.
Section snippets
Sampling
Immigrant youth typically spend 6–12 months at an English Language School (ELS) during their first year in Australia before entering mainstream schools. Participants were recruited through three ELSs that had high numbers of refugee students. 120 young people (55 female, 65 male) were recruited. Ethical clearance was obtained from La Trobe University and from partner organizations.
Data collection
Four annual waves of data collection were conducted between 2004 and 2008. The first three involved completion of a
Participants' characteristics
Participants' characteristics at each wave are shown in Table 2. When comparing wave one data between respondents to wave five (n = 51) and those lost to follow-up (n = 69), there were no statistically significant differences in terms of gender (p = 0.547), region of birth (p = 0.146), age (p = 0.705), previous schooling (p = 0.550), time in Australia (p = 0.052), and English language proficiency (p = 0.552). Similarly, no statistically significant differences in demographic and pre-migration
Discussion
This analysis of the longitudinal predictors of wellbeing among a cohort of refugee youth over their first eight years in Australia has found that a longer period of schooling prior to arriving in Australia, greater self-esteem and a supportive social environment were positively associated with subjective health status; moving house over the previous year had a negative impact on subjective health status. Stronger ethnic identity was positively associated with levels of happiness. Experiences
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the young people who participated in this study, the staff from the English Language Schools, and the research team. We also acknowledge the valuable comments provided by the anonymous reviewers. Funding for the different stages of this study was provided by VicHealth, Foundation House (VFST), Sydney Myer Fund, William Buckland Foundation, Mrs and Mr Spitzer, La Trobe University, and the Australian Research Council (DP 120101579).
References (41)
- et al.
Ethnic identity, resettlement stress and depressive affect among Southeast Asian refugees in Canada
Soc. Sci. Med.
(2006) - et al.
Longing to belong: social inclusion and wellbeing among youth with refugee backgrounds in the first three years in Melbourne, Australia
Soc. Sci. Med.
(2010) - et al.
Exploring socio-cultural factors that mediate, facilitate and constrain the health and empowerment of refugee youth
Soc. Sci. Med.
(2014) - et al.
Mental health of displaced and refugee children resettled in high-income countries: risk and protective factors
Lancet
(2012) - et al.
Experiences of discrimination: validity and reliability of a self-report measure of population health research on racism and health
Soc. Sci. Med.
(2005) - et al.
A systematic review of studies examining the relationship between reported racism and health and wellbeing for children and young people
Soc. Sci. Med.
(2013) 2006 Census Dictionary
(2006)- et al.
A formal assessment of resilience: the Baruth protective factors
J. Individ. Psychol.
(2002) - et al.
Predictors of the integration of Sri Lankan tamil refugees in Canada: pre-migration adversity, mental health, personal attributes, and post-migration experience
Int. J. Migr. Health Soc. Care
(2015) - et al.
Perceiving pervasive discrimination among African Americans: implications for group identification and well-being
J. Personal. Soc. Psychol.
(1999)
Settlement Reporting Facility
Analysis of Longitudinal Data
Mental health of Somali adolescent refugees: the role of trauma, stress, and perceived discrimination
J. Consult. Clin. Psychol.
Advances in analysis of longitudinal data
Annu. Rev. Clin. Psychol.
Meaning or measurement? Researching the social contexts of health and settlement among newly-arrived refugee youth in Melbourne, Australia
J. Refug. Stud.
Adolescents' perceptions of social status: development and evaluation of a new indicator
Pediatrics
The Social and Emotional Wellbeing of Indigenous Youth: Reviewing and Extending the Evidence and Examining its Implications for Policy and Practice
Cultural identity and experiences of prejudice and discrimination of Afghan and Iranian immigrant youth
Int. J. Ment. Health Addict.
Does social capital protect mental health among migrants in Sweden?
Health Promot. Int.
Self-esteem in a broad-spectrum approach for mental health promotion
Health Educ. Res.
Cited by (89)
A benchmark model for the process of post-migration social adjustment: exploring the views of young people from forced-migration backgrounds in Australia
2024, International Journal of Migration, Health and Social Care“God was with me”: A qualitative study of Christian meaning-making among refugees
2024, Journal of Traumatic StressResettlement Factors Associated with Subjective Well-Being among Refugees in Australia: Findings from a Service Evaluation
2024, Journal of Immigrant and Refugee StudiesPromoting positive development among refugee adolescents
2023, Journal of Research on Adolescence