A bright side of adversity? A systematic review on posttraumatic growth among refugees

Abstract

Until the third trimester of 2022, 103 million people worldwide had been forced to leave their homes and become refugees. The traumatic experiences of refugees can lead not only to mental disorders but also to Posttraumatic Growth (PTG). (1) To find the variables positively and negatively associated with PTG in refugees. (2) To investigate the relationship between PTG and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among refugees. We systematically searched Medline, Web of Knowledge, PsycInfo, Scopus, and PTSD Pubs for studies about PTG in refugees. Epidemiological studies using the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory. Grey literature, reviews, and meta‐analysis. Risk of bias was assessed by the ‘The Joanna Briggs Institute Prevalence Critical Appraisal Tool’. We included 24 studies investigating PTG and associated factors. The factors positively associated with PTG were social support, regular migration status, religiosity, satisfaction with life, time, and problem‐focussed and emotion‐focussed coping. The factors negatively associated with PTG were: irregular migration status, emotional suppression, and avoidance coping. Studies on PTG in refugees are essential to finding new ways to address mental health in this field. Few studies offered risk of bias, particularly regarding the sample selection. We conclude that PTG may be influenced by many factors and it would be of importance that the centres for support, as well as public policies, took that into account to foster the outcome and not only to focus on disease. This study was partially supported by CAPES and registered on PROSPERO (CRD42020215607).

Integrative attitudes of Ukrainian war refugees in two neighboring European countries (Poland and Hungary) in connection with posttraumatic stress symptoms and social support

“…Posttraumatic stress disorders and posttraumatic growth can coexist. PTSD can positively influence posttraumatic growth among refugees as Von Arcosy and colleagues ( 59 ) found. Having data not only about posttraumatic stress, but also about posttraumatic growth could offer a clearer picture about the connection between trauma and cultural adaptation in a new country.…”

Cultural assimilation of adult Syrian refugees in Lebanon: Effect modification by religiosity and sex on the relation between cultural adversities and common mental health disorders.

“…Those with high religiosity tend to adopt religious cognitive, emotional, and behavioral strategies to cope with stress caused by traumatic life events (Pargament, 2001). In our sample, religiosity buffered the impact of exposure to war-related trauma and cultural adversities on refugees’ mental health, thus allowing refugees to achieve posttraumatic growth (Von Arcosy et al, 2023), connect with others, and find meaning in life (Ivtzan et al, 2011). The protective role of religiosity against CMHDs has also been reported among older people in underprivileged refugee communities in Lebanon (Chaaya et al, 2007), in Syrian students in Germany (Hosari et al, 2022), in an international sample of forcibly displaced Muslims (Alsubaie et al, 2021), and during the COVID-19 pandemic (Pirutinsky et al, 2020).…”

Adversarial Growth among Refugees: A Scoping Review

“…This review builds upon and supplements earlier reviews by Chan et al (2016) and Sims and Pooley (2017) and the recent replication of the Sims and Pooley review to include relevant publications from 2016 to 2023 by Sultani et al (2024). Additionally, it compares with Şimşir Gökalp and Haktanir's (2022) meta-synthesis of qualitative studies only on the post-traumatic growth (PTG) experiences of refugees, the review by Von Arcosy et al (2023) where the relationship between PTG and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was investigated, and the most recent review by Sultani et al (2024) including research on the use of therapy in promoting PTG. The present review finds its place in this pool of past and recent reviews by incorporating post-migration factors, more qualitative studies, and an expanded search strategy.…”