The Impact of Acculturation Style and Acculturative Hassles on the Mental Health of Somali Adolescent Refugees

Abstract

Refugee adolescents often immigrate to a new society because of experiences of persecution and trauma, which can have profound effects on their mental health. Once they immigrate, many refugees experience stressors related to resettlement and acculturation in the new society. The current study examined relationships among acculturation styles and hassles and the well-being of young refugees as well as the role of gender. Data were collected from 135 young refugees (Mage = 15.39, SD = 2.2; 62% male) from Somalia resettled in the United States The findings from our study indicate that in addition to trauma history, acculturative hassles and acculturation style impact the wellbeing of Somali refugee adolescents. These findings indicate the need to understand both past experiences as well as current challenges. Potential areas for intervention are discussed.

Psychological experiences of refugees and the response of the community in the Lake Chad region

“…Many refugees go through three transition phases in which each of them have impact on their psychosocial well-being. Different challenges are encountered during the war, in flight and arrival at new communities (Guajardo, Slwea-Youran, Santalucia & Jorm, 2016;Hirani, Payne, Mutah & Cherian, 2015;Lincoln et al 2016;Rask et al 2016;Shawyer et al 2017).…”

“We would never forget who we are”: resettlement, cultural negotiation, and family relationships among Somali Bantu refugees

“…Stress related to cultural adaptation has been associated with poor mental health outcomes of refugee and immigrant youth, including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) [19–21]. One hypothesized mechanism by which cultural adaptation leads to psychosocial distress is family conflict.…”

A Support Program for Somali-born Parents on Children’s Behavioral Problems

“…5 Transitioning to a new country may be beneficial for both parents and children, but it may render new and unexpected constraints in the parent-child relationship (eg, children tend to acculturate to the new country faster than their parents), cause disharmony and power conflicts, [6][7][8] and, subsequently, affect the child's mental health. 9 Parental mental health and positive parent-child relationships are protective factors for the mental health of adolescents and young children. 10 -12 Parenting support programs have repeatedly shown positive effects on children's emotional and behavioral problems.…”