C2. Oral Session: Research for Health Equity: Exploring Refugee Health through Photovoice, Social Support, and Diversity-Sensitive Care
C2.02 - Oral: Types of Social Support Refugees Resettled in the U.S. Use to Cope with Post-Resettlement Stress
Wednesday, April 16, 2025
3:00 PM – 3:15 PM PST
Location: Atlantic I/II, 2nd Floor
Earn 1.0 Entry CECH
Area of Responsibility: Area I: Assessment of Needs and Capacity Subcompetencies: 1.2.3 Conduct a literature review., 1.3.3 Identify the social, cultural, economic, political, and environmental factors that impact the health and/or learning processes of the priority p
At the end of this session, participants will be able to:
Identify the main post-resettlement stressors for refugees in the United States
Identify the types of social support refugees use to cope with stress, anxiety, and depression related to post-resettlement stress in the United States
Categorize the types of social support according to the levels of the socio-ecological model
Brief Abstract Summary: Identify the main type of social support that refugees resettled in the United States use to cope with stress, anxiety, and depression related to post-resettlement stress.
Detailed abstract description:
Introduction: A refugee is a person who has fled his or her country due to war, violence, conflict, or persecution. Many refugees escape to another country with little more than clothes, leaving behind their homes, possessions, jobs, and loved ones. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) identifies the most vulnerable refugees and recommends resettlement to select countries. Refugees arrive in the resettlement country with high mental health needs due to the traumatic events they experienced before resettlement. Additionally, they encounter post-resettlement stressors, which worsens their mental health outcomes. Social support has been identified as a protective factor to cope with post-resettlement stress.
Purpose: The aim of the study was to identify the main type of social support that refugees resettled in the United States use to cope with stress, anxiety, and depression related to post-resettlement stress.
Method: PubMed, EBSCOhost and Embase databases were used to search for articles following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The inclusion criteria included articles in English published between 2009 and 2023 that focused on the types of social support that refugees use to cope with stress, anxiety, and depression related to post-resettlement stress in the United States. Post-resettlement protectors were identified and classified by the type of social support they offered. Sources of social support were further categorized using the socio-ecological model.
Results: Nine articles met the inclusion criteria. The main post-resettlement stressors identified were social (loss of meaningful social roles and social support, limited English proficiency and literacy, social isolation), economic (job difficulties), and cultural (disconnection from traditional cultural practices). Refugees from different countries of origin required different post-resettment protectors. Instrumental, informational, and emotional support were identified as the main types of social support and were offered at either relationship, community, or societal levels.
Conclusion: Refugees face post-resettment stressors that negatively impact their mental health. Instrumental, informational, and emotional support helped refugees gain skills in coping with post-resettlement stressors. These types of social support should be incorporated into interventions focused on refugee mental health.
