A conceptual study on the relationship between daily stressors, stressful life events, and mental health in refugees using network analysis.

Introduction: There is growing recognition that daily stressors, such as social and material deficiencies, can be highly detrimental to the mental health of refugees. These stressors are in addition to stressful life events, which have been widely studied in the context of migration and forced displacement. Despite increasing evidence for an ecological model, there is still no consensus regarding the conceptualization of these highly influential factors. In particular, the demarcation of daily stressors from stressful life events and the categorization of daily stressors require further examination in order to develop usable and accurate tools for researchers, design effective interventions for practitioners and assist politicians in designing meaningful policies. Methods: To address these challenges, we used data from a sample of 392 unaccompanied young refugees from diverse backgrounds and employed network analysis to examine the relationships between daily stressors, stressful life events, and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress. Results: Our findings highlight the significant relationship between daily stressors and mental health, particularly depression. Meaningful clusters of daily stressors include material stressors, social stressors, and social exclusion stressors. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate the importance of considering daily stressors in the mental health of refugees and suggest that using a network approach offers a viable way to study these complex interrelationships. These findings have implications for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers in understanding and addressing the mental health needs of refugees.

The impact of daily stressors on unaccompanied young refugees' mental health: A longitudinal study.

Previous research has shown the drastic impact of daily stressors on the mental health of unaccompanied young refugees (UYRs). This longitudinal study contributes to existing literature by distinguishing different kinds of daily stressors and examining their impact over time, in relation to stressful life events, legal status, and contact with family. We recruited N = 189 UYRs from diverse backgrounds in Greece, Italy, and Belgium, and conducted two additional waves of interviews, accompanying them for approximately 2 years on their migratory and settlement trajectories throughout Europe. Data were analyzed via growth curve modeling. Results showed that both material and social stressors have a long-term negative effect on anxiety and depression symptoms, while stressful life events only have a significant effect in the beginning of UYRs' trajectories. Having long-term documents and contact with family alleviate symptoms of depression. We discuss how these findings relate to previous research and what they imply for policy-makers and practitioners in the field. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Traumatic events, daily stressors and posttraumatic stress in unaccompanied young refugees during their flight: a longitudinal cross-country study.

BACKGROUND: Unaccompanied young refugees constitute an especially vulnerable population, reporting high rates of trauma and mental health problems. There is a significant gap in the literature on trauma and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) in unaccompanied young refugees who are still on the move and live in precarious circumstances such as refugee camps. This study therefore aimed to contribute to this gap by investigating pre- and peri-migration (potentially) traumatic experiences of unaccompanied young refugees; longitudinal trajectories of trauma, daily stressors and PTSS; and the impact of gender, trauma, and daily stressors on PTSS over time. METHODS: This longitudinal, mixed-method, and multi-country study was conducted in various settings (e.g. refugee camps, reception centers) across nine European countries. A heterogeneous sample of N = 187 unaccompanied young refugees (78.4% male) from 29 different countries was assessed via interviews at 3 time-points during a period of 27 months. Data was analyzed via growth curve modelling. RESULTS: Prevalence rates of (potentially) traumatic experiences ranged from 29.5 to 91.9%. Peri-migration traumatization remained stable over time (b = - 0.02; p = 0.371), but the number of reported daily stressors (b = - 0.24; p = 0.001) and PTSS scores significantly decreased over time (b = - 0.98; p = 0.004). Females reported higher PTSS compared with males at baseline (p = 0.002), but gender did not influence the longitudinal trajectory of PTSS. The pre-migration trauma load and daily stressors at baseline did not have a significant effect on PTSS at baseline or on the longitudinal trajectory. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to document not only the high numbers of traumatic events for unaccompanied young refugees pre- and peri- migration, but also the continued traumatization during flight, as well as high rates of daily stressors and PTSS. Humanitarian and political assistance is urgently needed to curb the often life-threatening conditions unaccompanied young refugees face during migration.