Psychological well-being, multiple identities, and discrimination among first and second generation immigrant Muslims

Abstract

Given the growing number of Muslim immigrants in Western countries, there is a need for research focusing on their psychological well-being and correlates. The present study investigated whether perceived discrimination is associated with depression and satisfaction with migration through the mediating role of several identity dimensions (ethnic, national, and religious) among 204 first and second generation adult Muslim immigrants living in Italy. They participated in structured interviews, and a multi-group path analysis model was conducted using Mplus. While the impact of perceived discrimination on psychological well-being was modest for first generation Muslims, in the case of second generation Muslims perceived discrimination was directly associated with lower psychological well-being (higher depression and lower satisfaction with the migration decision) and indirectly associated with satisfaction with migration through the mediation of national and religious identity. The higher the levels of discrimination that second generation Muslims perceived, the weaker their national (host country) identity and the greater their religious identification. In turn, national and religious identities were associated with respectively higher and lower levels of satisfaction regarding their migration decision. The findings showed clear differences between first and second generation immigrant groups, revealing that perceived discrimination represents an obstacle to integration processes more for second generation immigrants than for first generations.

Intersectionality and Youth Identity Development Research in Europe

“…Although Muslim men in Europe experience regular and systematic discrimination (Barkdull et al, 2011;Holtz et al, 2013;Connor and Koenig, 2015;Giuliani et al, 2018), the myriad laws regulating religious attire affect Muslim women in a way that differs from how they affect either Muslim men or non-Muslim women (Korteweg, 2013;Gohir, 2015). France forbids public school students from primary school through university from wearing any form of religious headscarf, whereas in Germany, many states ban teachers from doing so (Joppke, 2007).…”

Providing Care for Children in Immigrant Families

“…23,237,[268][269][270][271] Discrimination relating to immigration may intersect with religion (eg, Muslim immigrants) and race in complex ways. 264,[272][273][274] Discrimination and immigration enforcement policies may also create fear and uncertainty, which threaten the mental health of immigrant children 275 and their families. 19,236,264,276 Families living on the US-Mexico border face particular risk of mistreatment and victimization.…”

The dual path of the rejection (dis)identification model: A study on adolescents with a migrant background

“…Second, the second and third generations could have a varying degree of identification with the national and ethnic groups. For example, in the study by Giuliani, Tagliabue, and Regalia (2018), second‐generation immigrants (compared to first‐generation) showed lower levels of identification with the ethnic group and higher levels of identification with the national group. Finally, and most importantly, the second and third generations could perceive more permeable group borders.…”