The Role of Place Attachment in Promoting Refugees’ Well-Being and Resettlement: A Literature Review

Abstract

Refugees are at great risk of developing mental health problems. Yet, little is known about how to optimally help this vulnerable group as there is a lack of evaluated refugee mental health interventions. The current article presents the results of a literature review which investigates the importance of place attachment for the promotion of refugees’ well-being in the resettlement process. This review concentrated on the most recent and current literature regarding the potential role, importance, and relevance of people–place bonds in the dynamic process of refugee resettlement. It examines literature from the field of positive and environmental psychology, highlighting key theoretical concepts and research findings as well as gaps in research. The review revealed that little is known about the dynamics of place bonding, while the debate rages on about the geometry of the psychological constructs of person–place relationships. Yet, knowing more about which needs should be satisfied for easing place bonding could be of crucial importance for facilitating refugee well-being. Ultimately, improving the knowledge and understanding of the phases of this dynamic process could be useful for a more successful implementation of refugee resettlement practices and activities.

Choosing to Stay: Understanding Immigrant Retention in Four Non-metropolitan Counties in Southern Ontario

“…Immigrants’ decisions to stay are not based only on what communities can offer them in concrete terms by way of housing, work opportunities, and services, but also how they feel about these places over time. For this reason, the literature on immigrants’ place-based attachment is also relevant to studies of retention (Albers et al, 2021 ). This literature considers what inspires people to identify with a place and consider it home (Le Tourneau, 2022 ).…”

The role of temporality in adolescent refugees' sense of well‐being

“…Although refugees' life experiences are likely to endanger basic need satisfaction and, thereby, well‐being (Weinstein et al, 2016), there is currently only a small number of studies addressing how basic psychological need satisfaction might foster well‐being among refugee populations (Albers et al, 2021; Farello et al, 2019; Rial et al, 2022). Further studies on the role of basic psychological need satisfaction in adolescent refugees' well‐being are warranted.…”

Muslimische Seelsorge in Bundesasylzentren : Evaluation des Pilotprojekts zuhanden des Staatssekretariats für Migration

“…Dennoch können die Geflüchteten selbst mit ihrer Handlungsfähigkeit, aber auch in Interaktionen mit anderen die Asylunterkunft als eine Art Zuhause gestalten (Dudley, 2011, 742) und damit ein «sense of place» (Hummon, 1992) bzw. «place attachment» (Albers et al, 2021) entwickeln -ein Phänomen, das Tuan (1974) als «Topophilia» bezeichnet.…”

“…Übertragen auf den Kontext des Pilotprojekts können auch die muslimischen Seelsorgenden entscheidend bei der «co-construction of home» (Börjesson & Söderqvist Forkby, 2020, 483) der Entwicklung von «place attachment» ist (Albers et al, 2021). Zudem können die Seelsorgenden durch ihre Empathie und Nähe den Geflüchteten helfen, die Spannung zwischen ihrem gegenwärtigen Alltag, ihren Hoffnungen und dem, was sie zurückgelassen haben, besser zu verarbeiten (Börjesson & Söderqvist Forkby, 2020, 478).…”