Syrian Refugee Youth Resettled in Norway: Mechanisms of Resilience Influencing Health-Related Quality of Life and Mental Distress

Overview

Journal Front Public Health

Specialty Public Health

Date 2021 Oct 11

PMID 34631646

Citations 6

Authors

Cecilie Dangmann

Oivind Solberg

Anne Kjersti Myhrene Steffenak

Sevald Hoye

Per Normann Andersen

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The importance of resilience factors in the positive adaptation of refugee youth is widely recognised. However, their actual mechanism of impact remains under-researched. The aim of this study was therefore to explore protective and promotive resilience mechanisms to inform future interventions and policy. Promotive resilience is seen as a direct main effect and protective resilience as a moderating effect. This was a cross-sectional study of Syrian youth recently resettled in Norway, aged 13-24 years. Regression and moderation analyses were used to explore different interactions, including moderated mediation using the PROCESS macro for SPSS. A direct main effect of promotive resilience was found for health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and general mental distress, but not for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). No moderating effects of protective resilience were found. Post-migration stressors mediated the effects of potentially traumatic events (PTE) from war and flight, and this indirect effect was present at all levels of resilience. Despite high risk exposure and mental distress, resilience was also high. Broad resilience interventions targeting multiple factors would likely benefit the group, but these should include both individual assets and building supportive environments. Additionally, reducing current stress and providing treatment for those in need could enable recovery and increase the efficacy of resilience factors already present.

Citing Articles

Role of resilience in general health and mental wellbeing among Syrian and Palestinian refugees in Lebanon: a mixed methods study.

Usta J, Janbek D, Abboud M, Antoun J, Al Ghrawi R, Onyango M Confl Health. 2025; 19(1):15.

PMID: 40082988 PMC: 11908023. DOI: 10.1186/s13031-025-00653-5.

Mechanisms and attitudes in responsive healthcare for forced migrant communities: a qualitative study of transnational practice.

Robinson A, Khan Z, Broadhurst K, Nellums L, Renolds G, Faiq B BMJ Open. 2025; 15(2):e090211.

PMID: 39961723 PMC: 11836848. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-090211.

Measurement tools used to assess individual health assets among refugee populations: a scoping review.

Ewunie T, Hayen A, Dawson A Health Promot Int. 2025; 40(1.

PMID: 39820457 PMC: 11739720. DOI: 10.1093/heapro/daae199.

Resilience Mechanisms and Coping Strategies for Forcibly Displaced Youth: An Exploratory Rapid Review.

Alamgir A, Kyriakides C, Johnson A, Abeshu G, Bahri B, Abssy M Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2024; 21(10).

PMID: 39457320 PMC: 11507148. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21101347.

Understanding resilience among migrant women in a humanitarian reception center: a qualitative study.

Jimenez-Lasserrotte M, Sanchez-Ojeda M, Vazquez-Gonzalez G, Ruiz-Fernandez M, Pena-Rodriguez A, Fernandez-Medina I Front Public Health. 2024; 12:1372900.

PMID: 39403444 PMC: 11471653. DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1372900.

References

GARMEZY N, Masten A, Tellegen A . The study of stress and competence in children: a building block for developmental psychopathology. Child Dev. 1984; 55(1):97-111. View

Fritz J, de Graaff A, Caisley H, van Harmelen A, Wilkinson P . A Systematic Review of Amenable Resilience Factors That Moderate and/or Mediate the Relationship Between Childhood Adversity and Mental Health in Young People. Front Psychiatry. 2018; 9:230. PMC: 6018532. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00230. View

Richardson G . The metatheory of resilience and resiliency. J Clin Psychol. 2002; 58(3):307-21. DOI: 10.1002/jclp.10020. View

Kia-Keating M, Dowdy E, Morgan M, Noam G . Protecting and promoting: an integrative conceptual model for healthy development of adolescents. J Adolesc Health. 2011; 48(3):220-8. DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2010.08.006. View

Schultze-Lutter F, Schimmelmann B, Schmidt S . Resilience, risk, mental health and well-being: associations and conceptual differences. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2016; 25(5):459-66. DOI: 10.1007/s00787-016-0851-4. View

Solberg O, Vaez M, Johnson-Singh C, Saboonchi F . Asylum-seekers' psychosocial situation: A diathesis for post-migratory stress and mental health disorders?. J Psychosom Res. 2020; 130:109914. DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2019.109914. View

Khamis V . Impact of pre-trauma, trauma-specific, and post-trauma variables on psychosocial adjustment of Syrian refugee school-age children. J Health Psychol. 2019; 26(11):1780-1790. DOI: 10.1177/1359105319886651. View

Correa-Velez I, Gifford S, Barnett A . Longing to belong: social inclusion and wellbeing among youth with refugee backgrounds in the first three years in Melbourne, Australia. Soc Sci Med. 2010; 71(8):1399-408. DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2010.07.018. View

Tinghog P, Malm A, Arwidson C, Sigvardsdotter E, Lundin A, Saboonchi F . Prevalence of mental ill health, traumas and postmigration stress among refugees from Syria resettled in Sweden after 2011: a population-based survey. BMJ Open. 2018; 7(12):e018899. PMC: 5778338. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2017-018899. View

10.

Riley A, Varner A, Ventevogel P, Taimur Hasan M, Welton-Mitchell C . Daily stressors, trauma exposure, and mental health among stateless Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. Transcult Psychiatry. 2017; 54(3):304-331. DOI: 10.1177/1363461517705571. View

11.

Panter-Brick C, Dajani R, Eggerman M, Hermosilla S, Sancilio A, Ager A . Insecurity, distress and mental health: experimental and randomized controlled trials of a psychosocial intervention for youth affected by the Syrian crisis. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2017; 59(5):523-541. PMC: 5972454. DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.12832. View

12.

Hou W, Liu H, Liang L, Ho J, Kim H, Seong E . Everyday life experiences and mental health among conflict-affected forced migrants: A meta-analysis. J Affect Disord. 2019; 264:50-68. PMC: 7064367. DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2019.11.165. View

13.

Fazel M, Reed R, Panter-Brick C, Stein A . Mental health of displaced and refugee children resettled in high-income countries: risk and protective factors. Lancet. 2011; 379(9812):266-82. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(11)60051-2. View

14.

Liebenberg L, Ungar M, LeBlanc J . The CYRM-12: a brief measure of resilience. Can J Public Health. 2013; 104(2):e131-5. PMC: 6974279. View

15.

Siriwardhana C, Ali S, Roberts B, Stewart R . A systematic review of resilience and mental health outcomes of conflict-driven adult forced migrants. Confl Health. 2014; 8:13. PMC: 4149800. DOI: 10.1186/1752-1505-8-13. View

16.

Tol W, Song S, Jordans M . Annual Research Review: Resilience and mental health in children and adolescents living in areas of armed conflict--a systematic review of findings in low- and middle-income countries. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2013; 54(4):445-60. DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.12053. View

17.

Weine S, Ware N, Hakizimana L, Tugenberg T, Currie M, Dahnweih G . Fostering Resilience: Protective Agents, Resources, and Mechanisms for Adolescent Refugees' Psychosocial Well-Being. Adolesc Psychiatry (Hilversum). 2014; 4(4):164-176. PMC: 4274391. DOI: 10.2174/221067660403140912162410. View

18.

Hammen C, Henry R, Daley S . Depression and sensitization to stressors among young women as a function of childhood adversity. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2000; 68(5):782-7. View

19.

Portilla X, Ballard P, Adler N, Boyce W, Obradovic J . An integrative view of school functioning: transactions between self-regulation, school engagement, and teacher-child relationship quality. Child Dev. 2014; 85(5):1915-31. PMC: 4165700. DOI: 10.1111/cdev.12259. View

20.

Betancourt T, McBain R, Newnham E, Brennan R . Trajectories of internalizing problems in war-affected Sierra Leonean youth: examining conflict and postconflict factors. Child Dev. 2012; 84(2):455-70. PMC: 3656826. DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2012.01861.x. View