A prospective longitudinal study of depression, perceived stress, and perceived control in resettled Syrian refugees' mental health and psychosocial adaptation

Datos Bibliográficos

ID2395594
AutoresBen C H Kuo (0000-0002-0493-4105, University of Windsor, autor de correspondencia), Lance M Rappaport (0000-0002-3265-0898, University of Windsor)
Año2024
Volumen61
Número4
Páginas582-595
Fecha de publicación2024-08-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaTranscultural Psychiatric Research Review (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0041-1108 • E-ISSN: 0315-4386
EditorialSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/13634615241227696
PMID38356312
OpenAlexW4391842715
IdiomaEN
Referencias citadas58

This prospective study examined the psychosocial adaptation of a community sample of newly resettled Syrian refugees in Canada ( N = 235). Specifically, depressive symptoms, perceived stress, and perceived control were collected in Arabic at baseline and 1-year follow-up. Two theory-informed, cross-lagged panel models demonstrated that higher baseline depressive symptoms predicted lower perceived self-efficacy and lower perceived control at 1-year follow-up. Similarly, baseline depressive symptoms were concurrently correlated with higher perceived helplessness, lower perceived self-efficacy, and lower perceived control. Secondary regression analyses further demonstrated that baseline depressive symptoms predicted lower perceived social support and higher anxiety symptoms, though neither were assessed at baseline. Empirical results identify a potentially broad, precipitating, and persistent effect of depressive symptoms on Syrian refugees' psychosocial resources and adaptation post-migration, which is consistent with both the transactional model of stress and coping and the self-efficacy theory of depression, respectively. Clinically, the study results highlight the importance of early screening for depressive symptoms among refugee newcomers within a culturally and trauma-informed, integrated health setting. Furthermore, this study underscores the value and need for theoretically guided longitudinal studies to advance future research on refugee mental health and psychosocial adaptation

Anxiety · Coping (psychology · Depression (economics · Learned helplessness · Longitudinal study · Mental health · Psychiatry · Psychosocial · Refugee · Social support · Clinical Psychology · Employment and Welfare Studies · Medicine · Migration, Health and Trauma · Psychology · Racial and Ethnic Identity Research · Social Psychology