Cultural bereavement, perceived discrimination, community integration and post-migration stress among Afghan refugees in Pakistan
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 7819083 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Arooj Fatima (0000-0002-3196-7607, The Women University Multan), Sadia Musharraf (0000-0002-0613-7468, The Women University Multan) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 22 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 81-92 |
| Publication date | 2026-01-26 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Journal of Migration Health and Social Care (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2042-8650 • E-ISSN: 1747-9894 |
| Publisher | Emerald (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1108/ijmhsc-03-2025-0028 |
| OpenAlex | W7117580238 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 33 |
Purpose This study aims to evaluate the link between cultural bereavement and post-migration stress among Afghan refugees in Pakistan, and its goal is to focus on the mediating role of perceived discrimination and the moderating role of community integration. Design/methodology/approach Purposive sampling was used to collect data from 306 Afghan refugees (184 males and 122 females; age range = 18–40 years) residing in Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar and Quetta. Cross-cultural loss scale, perceived discrimination scale, community integration scale and post-migration stress scale-revised were used to measure study variables. Moderated mediation analysis was conducted to examine the relationships among these variables. Findings Results revealed that cultural bereavement significantly increased post-migration stress through perceived discrimination. This effect was more pronounced in communities with lower levels of integration and less visible at higher levels. These findings suggest that the loss of cultural identity and discrimination experiences exacerbate stress among refugees, while stronger community ties help mitigate this effect. Originality/value This study highlights the structural barriers to refugee integration in Pakistan and calls for targeted policies to promote social inclusion and mental well-being. By emphasizing the protective role of community engagement, this research contributes to the refugee well-being existing work and offers practical insights for fostering resilience among displaced populations
Afghan · Community resilience · Focus group · Inclusion (mineral · Mediation · Mental health · Psychological resilience · Refugee · Scale (ratio · Social integration · Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health · Migration, Health and Trauma · Racial and Ethnic Identity Research
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| Highly cited | No |
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