Enablers of psychological well‐being for refugees and asylum seekers living in transitional countries: A systematic review

Abstract

The purpose of this systematic review was to locate and synthesise existing peer-reviewed quantitative and qualitative evidence regarding enablers of psychological well-being among refugees and asylum seekers living in transitional countries and for whom migration status is not final. Systematic searches were conducted in nine databases: Academic Search Premier, CINAHL, Embase, Emcare, Medline, Psychology and Behavioral Science, PsycINFO, Scopus, and Web of Science. Search terms were related to refugees and asylum seekers, enablers, and psychological well-being.Studies were limited to those conducted in the last 20 years, with participants who were refugees and asylum seekers with no legal residency status, aged 16 years and above, and living in transit host countries without UNHCR resettlement programmes.This systematic review was conducted between March and June 2018 and followed the PRISMA guidelines. Results were screened by two reviewers at two stages: title and abstracts, and full-text. Critical appraisal and data extraction were also completed by two reviewers. Initial database searching yielded 3,133 results. Following the addition of two records from relevant reference lists and the removal of duplicates, a total of 1,624 results were included for screening. A total of 16 articles were deemed eligible for inclusion in this review, reporting on a collective sample of 1,352 participants. Twelve qualitative and four quantitative studies identified eight enablers of psychological well-being: social support; faith, religion and spirituality; cognitive strategies; education and training opportunities; employment and economic activities; behavioural strategies; political advocacy; and environmental conditions. Despite many challenges associated with forced displacement and the transit period, this review highlights multiple factors that promote well-being and suggest areas for intervention development and resource allocation. K E Y W O R D S

Coping in Limbo? The Moderating Role of Coping Strategies in the Relationship between Post-Migration Stress and Well-Being during the Asylum-Seeking Process

“…However, the observed positive association between cognitive restructuring and wellbeing may be attributed to this coping strategy's fit with other sources of distress, such as trauma exposure [69]. Moreover, previous research has shown that cognitive strategies such as restructuring and reframing might generate hope for the future and positive feelings of meaning and purpose among refugees and asylum-seekers, despite the difficult aspects of the situation [30]. In summary, cognitive restructuring might be insufficient for coping with post-migratory interpersonal threats and stressors, but still have beneficial effects on the wellbeing of asylum seekers.…”

“…Yet, several coping strategies have been identified to date in adult refugees and asylum seekers that might assist in dealing with post-migration stressors and promote mental well-being. Social support, defined as interactions with family members, friends, peers, and professionals for information, affirmation or understanding [29], is one of the most commonly reported coping strategies utilized by refugees and asylum seekers [30]. Reaching out for support provides a sense of social connection and this is done in three ways; either via bonding with family and similar ethnic groups during the early years of resettlement [25]; or via bridging, defined as connections with other communities to assist in learning the host language and having contacts with the wider society; and thirdly, by linking with larger organizational institutions [31][32][33].…”

“…Engaging in social, cultural, and religious activities to promote a sense of belonging and a sense of individual and cultural identity has also been shown to be helpful. Additional factors that can provide a sense of normality, meaning, and purpose, may also include opportunities for education and training, employment and economic activities, political advocacy, and stable and secure housing [27,30,35], all factors that might be absent or restricted during the asylum-seeking process.…”

“…A growing body of knowledge is also emerging on enablers of psychological wellbeing for asylum seekers [30], but little is known on the role of coping in the asylum-seeking process in high-income countries and how such coping strategies prevent or mitigate mental health problems and/or increase well-being among asylum-seekers. The aim of this study was therefore to obtain a contextual and improved understanding of the relationship between coping and mental well-being in a population of adult, asylumseekers currently living in housing facilities for asylum-seekers in Sweden.…”

Generational Perceptions of Support Among Congolese Refugees in Urban Tanzania

“…Familial, religious, and ethnic group support has been shown to buffer against poor mental health and enhance wellbeing in African refugees residing in countries of first asylum, as well as those resettled in high-income countries (Abraham et al 2018;Campbell 2006;Gladden 2012;Posselt et al 2018;Schweitzer et al 2006Schweitzer et al , 2007, including in older adult refugees groups (Lamba and Krahn 2003;Silveira and Allebeck 2001;Mölsä et al 2014). Despite these positive findings, there is a knowledge gap related to the specific range and sources of support utilized by refugees across generations in low-and middleincome countries (LMICs), in which 85% of refugees are hosted globally (UNHCR 2018a).…”