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Longing to belong: Social inclusion and wellbeing among youth with refugee backgrounds in the first three years in Melbourne, Australia

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  • Correa-Velez, Ignacio
  • Gifford, Sandra M.
  • Barnett, Adrian G.

Abstract

For young people with refugee backgrounds, establishing a sense of belonging to their family and community, and to their country of resettlement is essential for wellbeing. This paper describes the psychosocial factors associated with subjective health and wellbeing outcomes among a cohort of 97 refugee youth (aged 11-19) during their first three years in Melbourne, Australia. The findings reported here are drawn from the Good Starts Study, a longitudinal investigation of settlement and wellbeing among refugee youth conducted between 2004 and 2008. The overall aim of Good Starts was to identify the psychosocial factors that assist youth with refugee backgrounds in making a good start in their new country. A particular focus was on key transitions: from pre-arrival to Australia, from the language school to mainstream school, and from mainstream school to higher education or to the workforce. Good Starts used a mix of both method and theory from anthropology and social epidemiology. Using standardized measures of wellbeing and generalised estimating equations to model the predictors of wellbeing over time, this paper reports that key factors strongly associated with wellbeing outcomes are those that can be described as indicators of belonging - the most important being subjective social status in the broader Australian community, perceived discrimination and bullying. We argue that settlement specific policies and programs can ultimately be effective if embedded within a broader socially inclusive society - one that offers real opportunities for youth with refugee backgrounds to flourish.

Suggested Citation

  • Correa-Velez, Ignacio & Gifford, Sandra M. & Barnett, Adrian G., 2010. "Longing to belong: Social inclusion and wellbeing among youth with refugee backgrounds in the first three years in Melbourne, Australia," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 71(8), pages 1399-1408, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:71:y:2010:i:8:p:1399-1408
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    Cited by:

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    2. Charles Gyan & Batholomew Chireh & Noelle Chuks-Eboka & Ata Senior Yeboah, 2023. "Reconsidering the Conceptualization of Resilience: The Experiences of Refugee and Immigrant Youth in Montreal," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 18(4), pages 1591-1615, August.
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    4. Avi Anuj Jain, 2022. "In The Pursuit of Happiness: Observations of Young Tibetan Refugees in Exile, India," South Asian Survey, , vol. 29(1), pages 42-60, March.
    5. Randell, Heather, 2016. "The short-term impacts of development-induced displacement on wealth and subjective well-being in the Brazilian Amazon," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 385-400.
    6. Polonsky, Michael Jay & Brijnath, Bianca & Renzaho, André M.N., 2011. ""They don't want our blood": Social inclusion and blood donation among African migrants in Australia," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 73(2), pages 336-342, July.
    7. Gökmen Arslan & Kelly-Ann Allen & Tracii Ryan, 2020. "Exploring the Impacts of School Belonging on Youth Wellbeing and Mental Health among Turkish Adolescents," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 13(5), pages 1619-1635, October.
    8. Licsandru, Tana Cristina & Cui, Charles Chi, 2018. "Subjective social inclusion: A conceptual critique for socially inclusive marketing," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 330-339.
    9. Edge, Sara & Newbold, K. Bruce & McKeary, Marie, 2014. "Exploring socio-cultural factors that mediate, facilitate, & constrain the health and empowerment of refugee youth," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 34-41.
    10. Gervais, Christine & Côté, Isabel & Pomerleau, Andréanne & Tardif-Grenier, Kristel & de Montigny, Francine & Trottier-Cyr, Renée-Pier, 2021. "Children’s views on their migratory journey: The importance of meaning for better adaptation," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    11. Cave, Leah & Cooper, Matthew N. & Zubrick, Stephen R. & Shepherd, Carrington C.J., 2020. "Racial discrimination and child and adolescent health in longitudinal studies: A systematic review," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 250(C).
    12. H. Shellae Versey & Serene Murad & Isobel McPhee & Willa Schwarz, 2023. "A Bridging-Community (ABC) Project: A Community Building Social Participation Intervention Among Resettled Refugees in Boston," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 24(1), pages 441-465, March.
    13. Spaaij, Ramón, 2013. "Cultural diversity in community sport: An ethnographic inquiry of Somali Australians’ experiences," Sport Management Review, Elsevier, vol. 16(1), pages 29-40.
    14. Correa-Velez, Ignacio & Gifford, Sandra M. & McMichael, Celia, 2015. "The persistence of predictors of wellbeing among refugee youth eight years after resettlement in Melbourne, Australia," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 163-168.
    15. Ignacio Correa-Velez & Sandra M. Gifford & Celia McMichael & Robyn Sampson, 2017. "Predictors of Secondary School Completion Among Refugee Youth 8 to 9 Years After Resettlement in Melbourne, Australia," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 18(3), pages 791-805, August.
    16. Marion Heyeres & Nirukshi Perera & Hyacinth Udah & Akpene Attakey & Mary Whiteside & Komla Tsey, 2021. "Interventions Targeting the Wellbeing of Migrant Youths: A Systematic Review of the Literature," SAGE Open, , vol. 11(3), pages 21582440211, September.
    17. Lynne McCormack & Brigitta Tapp, 2019. "Violation and hope: Refugee survival in childhood and beyond," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 65(2), pages 169-179, March.
    18. Stark, Lindsay & DeCormier Plosky, Willyanne & Horn, Rebecca & Canavera, Mark, 2015. "‘He always thinks he is nothing’: The psychosocial impact of discrimination on adolescent refugees in urban Uganda," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 173-181.
    19. Couch, Jen, 2017. "‘Neither here nor there’: Refugee young people and homelessness in Australia," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 1-7.
    20. Reza Nakhaie, 2022. "Discrimination, Psychological Isolation, and Flight from School," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 23(3), pages 1515-1541, September.
    21. Liamputtong, Pranee & Kurban, Hala, 2018. "Health, social integration and social support: The lived experiences of young Middle-Eastern refugees living in Melbourne, Australia," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 99-106.
    22. Sweeting, Helen & Hunt, Kate, 2014. "Adolescent socio-economic and school-based social status, health and well-being," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 39-47.

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